Abstract
New communication technologies such as the Internet are causing sweeping changes within the global marketing communications industry. Therefore, the implications of e-marketing for business in Trinidad and Tobago are profound as seen in a national plan to address this need. This study examines the efforts of local businesses and consumers to get on the e-marketing bandwagon already commonplace in the U.S. Two surveys were conducted among local businesses and local consumers to determine their readiness and/or success. In spite of governmental efforts to expand Internet capabilities, lethargy and lack of access still plague local businesses. This contrasts with local consumers who are more receptive to e-marketing expressing an increasing demand for online information. It is therefore imperative for the T&T government to address the deficiencies in its ICT plan so that local businesses and consumers can catch up with the rest of the world before the gap widens to a point where it becomes impossible to do so.
Highlights
According to Drucker (2001), a business enterprise has only two basic functions: marketing and innovation.How to cite this paper: Sooknanan, P., & Crichlow, K. (2014)
Local websites were chosen from amongst those listed in local online directory sites such as Who’s Who TNT (2003, http://www.whoswhotnt.com) but were randomly sought from industries likely to benefit from an Internet presence such as Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail
Of the companies surveyed as part of the local business website survey, 18% had little or no Internet presence, while 20% had an advanced Internet presence
Summary
According to Drucker (2001), a business enterprise has only two basic functions: marketing and innovation. The Role of Technology in the Marketing Communications Industry: An Exploratory Study of the Impact of North American Influence on Local Business in Trinidad and Tobago. Dubbed Smart TT, it is a comprehensive five-year strategy that encapsulates five themes: Innovation and Human Capital Development, Access and Digital Inclusion, e-Business and ICT Sector Development and e-Government This initiative is a successor to the previous plan that was called Fast Forward and focuses on creating and promoting local digital content as well as increasing the accessibility and affordability of technologies. Focusing on the United States, it aims to reveal the Internet’s evolution and role within the North American marketing mix It seeks to gauge the current level of Internet usage and receptiveness amongst both local businesses and local consumers. It could reveal that the Internet has had minimal effect on marketing activities far, and that local consumers and businesses lag behind in terms of Internet use for personal and business marketing activities
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