Another day, another product not available in Canada. Yahoo! and Google both recently launched digital advertising platforms. Yahoo!APT and Google PrintAds take the fuss out of buying ad space by connecting advertisers, publications and agencies in one spot. A few clicks of the mouse reveals available ad space at the publication of choice and how many imprints are available.
Sound great? Too bad neither are yet available in Canada.
It’s the latest in a series of hot new digital products we Canucks are going to have to wait for, but there may be a solution right in front of us.
APT and PrintAds rely on cooperation with print and digital publications to make the platform work. That means bringing on side publications from across the U.S.-a time-consuming feat so it’s understandable that Yahoo! and Google would concentrate on the domestic market first. (Yes, it’s jarring to be reminded that the U.S. considers Canada to be “international” but that’s the reality.)
So what if a list of interested Canadian publications was put together for them? If Yahoo! and Google can’t or won’t target Canadian pubs to join their rollouts, a ready-made database may help sway their opinion.
I realize there are international copyright issues at play here, but it’s a project Canadian publishers, advertisers, producers and agencies should consider working on together.
If we’re ever going to gain access to technology at the same time as the U.S., we might just have to do it ourselves.
ABSOLUTELY. It can be very frustrating having stuff announced that you can’t have. The iPhone comes to mind…
Also Comedy Central with their incredibly stupid policy of blocking Canadian access to clips from Colbert or The Daily Show. Gah.
Maybe Canadians should stop whining about what we don’t get (from the US) and start establishing more of their own companies and developing more homegrown technology – You’re correct – DO IT OURSELVES! Why do so many Canadians feel they’re entitled to these things? Guess what, we’re NOT! Canadians – stop acting like the whining and complaining little brother – Grow up dammit!