‘Think’ is a Google initiative providing an open forum for everyone to discuss how it is possible to succeed in a world that is moving faster than ever before.
They have a whole YouTube channel with plenty of interesting videos chaired by some knowledgeable experts which are well worth checking out.
We were particularly grabbed by the following video presented by Matt Brittin – the Managing Director of Google UK. In it, he talks about the ‘Connected Kingdom ‘ which includes summaries of findings from a report by Boston Consulting Group that Google commissioned. In the talk, Matt gives an overview of the UK digital industry and reinstates the importance of technology in the UK’s business environment.
If you can get past the first couple of minutes (and Matt’s rather cringe-worthy ‘woooing’) you get to some very interesting facts about the UK digital economy. These are well worth watching and should be noted by anybody who is sceptical about the impact internet marketing can have on business activities.
Summary of key points:
- The UK internet economy is worth £100bn – more than transport, utilities and construction. This equates to 7% of GDP and is growing fast, with a figure of of 10-13% GDP predicted within 2-3 years.
- £50bn of that total is e-commerce, £10bn is IT equipment (rest is government investment and infrastructure)
- The UK leads the way in online sales, with the average person in the UK spending more per person in online sales than in any other country.
- SME’s using the web a lot in their day to day business are growing on average four times* faster than businesses that are not (*based on findings from a large study group carried out by Boston Consulting). They are also exporting more.
For more detailed analysis on the UK internet economy, visit Connected Kingdom for full access to the report. Or alternatively, you can view the synopsis video that Google UK released here:
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These are some quite scary stats here, the internet is seriously booming more than ever before. Google has taken the world by storm over the last ten years and I’m sure it will continue to do so.
This is a very stunning figure! However, this is much anticipated, given the growing number of UK SMEs turning to the web for customer acquisition and brand recognition. And, I think this has to be, as internet has essentially become the major medium of communication for consumers, customers and businesses alike. The other day I was reading this article at http://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/uk_consumers_turn_online_for_customer_service_help_17-02-11/. Your post reminded me of this again.
Interesting facts. There should definitely be more of a focus towards digital innovation in the UK today from the government because it’s the only way we are going to succeed. We have many talented entrepreneurs and creatives who need a bit more effort from the government than Startup Britain.
The article clearly exposes where the growth will be in the coming years. The “Connected Kingdom Video” with the real life examples is really aadding value to the article. For creativity and inspiration I most often go to sites and blogs in the US and UK as I believe it just goes faster here.
The statistics here are amazing. I am not from The United Kingdom but I am left thinking if this only shows internet users from the UK then what about the whole world? Internet usage has really grown over time and Google has also seen increase in its usage. Wonderful piece of information.
That was a great talk. Well, I can’t imagine any business nowadays who can function properly without the use of the Internet. I can’t imagine the world now without the Internet. One of the greatest phenomena indeed.
The best thing about the UK Internet Market has to be that it just grows stronger and stronger for every year. Especially when it comes to the mobile market.
Great talk by Matt by the way…