8. Policy behind the campaign
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The digital economy is the economy – we just need to bring everyone else online. That’s the thinking behind “Digitise the Nation”, the new national campaign organised by the Irish Internet Association (IIA). It aims to showcase the internet’s benefits to business and society, with the simple but ambitious goal of getting Ireland online.
Digital literacy is increasingly seen as an essential life skill, with clear benefits for our economy and community. For example, a recent white paper1 by the Digital Media Forum estimated that providing digital literacy training will give Ireland:
- Productivity gains of €2.1 billion per year
- A 3-10% wage premium for those who choose to upgrade their ICT skills in Ireland
- Benefits of €1.6 billion per year in communities at risk of poverty
The “Digitise the Nation” campaign runs from 16-21 May, including the anchor event of the IIA’s Annual Conference on 20 May. This is an exciting opportunity for IIA members to collectively promote our internet industry, building awareness and ultimately sales.
For “Digitise the Nation” the association’s members will bring their skills and capabilities to the widest possible audience, showing how the internet can be used to communicate with friends and family and do business in exciting new ways.
IIA members will use the campaign to reach out to local business and community groups, organising a wide range of activities for businesses to improve performance online, as well as helping communities to come together and communicate.
The campaign’s themes include:
- Business productivity
- Connectivity
- Entrepreneurship
- Ireland as a European hub
- The consumer and social media
The IIA will have daily updates on a microsite at www.iia.ie/digitisethenation, from webinars and workshops to animators and treasure hunts. The IIA has also partnered with SiliconRepublic.com, which will cover the events across its titles and feature online video interviews with key industry thought leaders and the keynote addresses at the IIA Annual Conference, Vision2020.
Source: 1 “Why Digital Skills?”, The Digital Media Forum, 1 March 2010, http://bit.ly/b4thpO
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