Today, the number of economic migrants (approximately 190 million) would alone constitute the sixth most populous country in the world. There are currently an estimated 30 million Latin American born adults living outside their country of origin. Approximately 65% send money home on a regular basis, resulting in about 175 million separate financial transactions a year. In 2007, remittances to Latin America & Caribbean reached almost US$ 70 billion, making the Region the second largest remittance market in the world (after Asia).The driving force behind this phenomenon remains a fundamentally human connection: a commitment to family values lies at the core of these flows. As a result, new networks of social and economic connections are being formed. These are transnational families, living and contributing to two countries, two economies, and two cultures at the same time.From a ‘cultural innovation’ marketing approach, one of the most favorable scenarios for new product & services development is where different or opposite worldviews meet each other.
This is the case of bottom of the pyramid transnational families (but also "global minds", highly educated & digitally integrated) who face every day special domestic challenges (e.g. communicating, money transfering, saving, shopping, etc.) that requires a creative effort not just from themselves and their social networks, but also but also from all 3 sectors: public, private and third sector.
This video presents the point of view of TIGRA - The Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action*, and not neccesarly represents the position of the contributors to this blog.
From a ‘buzz marketing’ approach, the transnational families are also social hubs. They are a big natural cross-cultural conversation network, responsible not only for remittances but also of branded products and services, new ideas and cultural trends.
Given that background, there is a tremendous opportunity in researching this target in order to facilitate and promote the co-creation of new product & services (E.g. Two Laptops per Transnational Family), by offering to the-bottom-of-the-pyramid migrant workers and their families, innovative and specially-adapted virtual research communities (e.g. "facebook-like" communities, virtual neighborhoods and homes, etc.) where they can not only ‘warmly’ meet, exchange migration tips, share pictures and stories, but where they they can access economic benefits (e.g. money transfer points, courier credits, etc.) in exchange of their opinions and effective efforts to expand the research network.
A fresh and innovative research & bussines model ("quant-ethno-quali-zmet-online-social-network") is required for reaching and understanding this authentic "glocal" and highy internationally networked segment.
I am working on a syndicated research & bussines project, "brainjuicing" and open to sponsors and joint-ventures with leading edge global and boutique companies, but also International Organisms.
Interested?
Write me an e-mail: pablosan76@gmail.com or leave your comment to this post.
* The epicenter for fighting poverty in the world today is not located in corporate boardrooms, government offices, or foundation suites. It comes with every modest amount sent by a low-wage migrant worker, repeated hundreds of millions times over each year, from every corner of the globe. Global remittances are more than three times the total amount of development aid from all governments, and has more impact on poverty than the trade of goods and capital. Awakening the collective interests of this economic giant is the new frontier for economic justice in the age of globalization. The Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action (TIGRA) seeks to meet this historic challenge.
