What inspired us?
What we did
Why we did it
Ask a Question
What inspired us
People want to connect. Connecting builds peace, creates new economies and fosters new thinking to find solutions for the world in which we all live.
Created in Whistler BC, the ideas that now encompass all The Citizens Media® is were initially inspired out of a longing to unite the local communities of The Sea to Sky Corridor. From the First Nations Community of Lil'wat, to World renowned Whistler Resort, how can we learn to communicate for the betterment of all?
By taking a good look at how & why existing web tools were impacting positive change, contemplating what was missing, then looking away to see if we could create something new, The Citizens Media® was born!
The conclusions to our analysis?
The Good
Connects people: online tools make it increasingly easy for people to really connect; to identify common values and share as it makes sense.
The Bad
Global but not so local: People communicate best at the local level. Technology has been great at connecting people on a global scale — but what about closer to home? How could local communities better benefit from all that could be done?
The Ugly
Revenue streams lack transparency: to advance, online systems need to find new ways to generate cash at the local level — helping to create authentic markets by rewarding their followers for the vital role that they play.
The structure of most online advertising systems mean the more money you have, the greater your power to get ahead, and lack of transparency means it can be a bit of a challenge to figure out how much money's at stake. The result? The wealth gap expands — along with the ability to create markets that are sustainable.
With it's users quickly losing patience for 'in-your-face' ads, social media is already changing all this — marketing power shifting to online content itself. But it's not enough — society needs to find ways in generating cash online in a way that means everyone wins.
Go back
What we did
For people to take the time in connecting online, they need to be able to see what's in it for them.
So we set to work creating an online solution that does just this. Through the twists and turns this journey has taken us on, one thing quickly became eminently clear - for people to take the time in connecting online, they need to be able to see what's in it for them and how creating long-term, meaningful results can actually be achieved.
When you live in a town that's dependant on the rapidly changing tourist industry, and for many a local, lack of affordability means working pretty hard to make ends meet and maintain the lifestyle they want to lead — motivation to participate must be clear to see.
Yet consumers want to connect with socially engaging biz. For local business to succeed, they need to market themselves online as quickly and effectively as possible. The World is changing and the planet needs for local biz to thrive!
How could we help the people of our communities to collaborate and empower one another through the unique talents we each have?
We began to focus on what we could do to help to fix the issues that were holding people back, by looking at how we could help the people of our communities to collaborate and empower one another through the unique talents they each have.
Providing a clean, engaging platform is one thing — but how to get those of different skill-sets to connect? One mans genius is anothers demise.
What dropped out was a simple idea of directly connecting 'the locals' with the local biz through interactive online profiles, whereby each participant is rewarded according to the value they bring. It's transparent, it's authentic — and we hope you'll agree, it's kind of a win, win.
Your feedback is invaluable in guiding us as we continue to work on solutions that are intended to help liberate everyone's success — so please feel free to post your comments letting us know what you think.
Go back
Why we did it
To inspire & create
Global Meritocracy Online.Media for the people; by the people, it's the vision of the The Citizens Media® to create a revenue share system that's transparent in each and every way.
As more and more people come on board and start to get engaged, so will The Citizens Media® be able to share more of the revenues that are generated on content they create. It's actually our intention to create an online co-op whereby users not only collect a significant share of the revenues, but get to have a say in the way that we evolve.
The world is changing fast. Every individual needs to be empowered — it's time for local biz — environmentally, socially & economically. Markets must become authentic, there's no more time to waste. New thinking encouraged by the tools of social media mean we now have the power to do just this.
Whether you are a business, government body, a blogger, hobbyist or a foundation - be you maximizing your viral market strategy, or connecting within a closed group, here lies a simple, effective solution that's ready to get working for you.
It's grassroots with the power to affect global change; economically, politically and socially.
Social Media is about spreading the word through a grapevine of kinship. It's about building a tribe of common cause. It's about creating identity - a sense of belonging. It's about uniting values for continual reform.
Go back