The New Frontier: How Digital Advertising and Marketing Firm, Seattle Digital Marketing, Is Leading The Charge Into The Computer’s Information Superhighway
In family rooms and office buildings across the country, a technological revolution is emerging that will drastically shape the ways in which individuals use and operate computers.
In addition to Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, two common computer programs that allow users to create and store documents and spreadsheets in a digital format, the recent introduction of a global network called the internet may, in the not-so-distant future, completely alter the ways in which the world works, communicates, and interacts with one another.
Sound implausible? Don’t tell that to Phil Anderson, founder of Seattle Digital Marketing, a marketing and advertising firm based in Bellevue, Washington, that has emerged as an early proponent of harnessing the power of computers and the internet to change the possibilities of everyday life.
“What we’re seeing with the internet is a way for people from completely different sides of the planet to interact and share information with each other almost instantaneously,” said Anderson.
“I’m really proud of what our company has been able to accomplish so far and the industry-shaping contributions we’ve already made,” added Anderson. “We believe there’s a major opportunity moving forward to continue shaping this online space on behalf of our customers.”
Computers and the digitization of American Life
While all the talk about computers, the internet, and their ability to change the world may seem far-fetched, a sizable portion of the population already has access to the machine.
According to a recent study from the Pew Research Center, 42% of adults in the United States say they use a computer at their workplace, school, home, or anywhere else, even if on an infrequent basis.
And, as these machines continue to become increasingly popular for both personal and professional use, many individuals may be surprised to learn that the computer has actually been around for more than half a century.
While the first electronic digital computer was built by Dr. John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry in 1937, it would be another four decades until personal computers emerged on the scene, giving nontechnical users the opportunity to use the machine for word processing and doing homework as well as playing video games or experimenting with computer programming.
By the early 1980s computers had made their way into the workforce, with word processors and programs like PowerPoint significantly impacting the ways in which working professionals are able to do their jobs.
Still, while most individuals today are likely familiar with models like the Commodore 64, the Commodore Amiga 500, or Apple’s Macintosh Powerbook, released just last year, the success of the internet, which Anderson and others believe will change the world, as well as the public’s ability or interest in using it, remains to be seen.
The Information Superhighway
Most experts believe that the official birthday of the internet is January 1, 1983, when a new communications protocol was established called Transfer Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol, which allowed all computers to be connected to one another and made it possible to “talk” or share information.
Just three years ago the internet evolved again when English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee created a new information system called the World Wide Web, which is a digital collection of information, or websites, that can be accessed via connecting to the internet. As of this publication, there are currently less than five websites that can be accessed by computers connected specifically to the World Wide Web.
While the public may still be feeling skeptical about the internet and information systems like the World Wide Web, support from members of the United States government suggests there is reason to believe that there is a future in not only the internet, but also in what it can be used for.
Late last year, President Bush passed the High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991, which will allocate $600 million for high performance computing and for the creation of the National Research and Education Network (NREN), which will bring together industry, government, and academia in order to accelerate the development and deployment of high-speed computer networking. Senator Al Gore, the sponsor of the bill, has gone so far as to describe NREN as an information superhighway, which he hopes will serve as a catalyst for a network that spans across the country.
For technology entrepreneurs like Anderson, the possibility of the internet combines professional opportunities with a sense of curiosity and creativity he has possessed since childhood.
“I’ve always had a passion for creating things in a variety of mediums,” Anderson said. “I really believe that the internet is going to continue to grow and evolve and as it does, and it’s really exciting to be able to help businesses and individual people alike express themselves in new ways.”
From one frontier to another
At just 26-years-old, Anderson is part of a new age of working professionals that is embracing computers and technology in a way that was impossible for previous generations.
Shortly after his birth in Wichita Falls, Texas, Anderson and his mother hitchhiked their way to the Arctic Circle, where they would spend the next fifteen years moving to different towns and villages throughout Alaska as well as Canada’s Yukon territory.
After dropping out of school in 8th grade and working on various fishing boats to help support his mother, Anderson hitchhiked his way back to the lower 48 United States, where he began splitting his time between Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
In 1989 Anderson started Northwest Online via Gopher, an information system similar to the World Wide Web. Based on the success of Northwest Online, which was the 202nd website on the internet, Anderson struck out on his own, launching Seattle Digital Marketing last year.
In the short time since its creation, the company has already been able to make a noticeable impact. Recently, Seattle Digital Marketing was given the responsibility of building a chat room feature for the web portal and online service provider America Online, which will allow users to communicate with one another via their computers in real time.
As far as Anderson is concerned, being able to instantly communicate with other individuals around the world is just the start of what people might be able to do with the internet. At every step of the way, Seattle Digital Marketing plans to be along for the ride.
The importance of flexibility and a client-focused approach
Today, the company that helped build America Online’s chat room and that has one of the oldest presence on the internet is continuing to grow in business as more and more companies begin to use the internet.
When a new client comes to Seattle Digital Marketing, they are immediately welcomed into an environment that transcends deliverables, but instead focuses on making sure that their voice is heard and understood from the very beginning. Whether it’s making sure there’s hot coffee ready for a meeting or responding to requests in a timely manner, a huge emphasis is put on making sure everyone feels valued and respected. In short, it’s the firm’s number one priority.
“At the end of the day, we want to make sure we’re always investing in the client and the relationship,” said Anderson. “People come to us because they know they are getting knowledgeable partners who want to see them succeed. As the internet continues to grow, there’s just more and more that we will be able to do for our clients.”
In this approach, Seattle Digital Marketing believes that they will be able to continue building solid trust with clients, grow with them professionally, and truly become a part of the client’s team. The more they can learn about a company, the more helpful and valuable they can be in terms of moving the needle forward for business objectives.
Looking ahead to an ever changing future
All signs are pointing towards the fact that computers and the internet, in whatever form it takes, will be continuing to change. For companies looking to make a name for themselves in this new frontier, this means they will need to be able to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing market. Anderson and the team at Seattle Digital Marketing want to be ready to help their clients come along for the ride.
“The needs of consumers and businesses are going to continue to change,” Anderson said. “We flow like water.”
Ultimately, Anderson and Seattle Digital Marketing’s sentiment of adapting with changes, along with an ongoing dedication to this new world of computer technology and the complex and changing needs of clients is why the firm continues to cement itself at the top of the burgeoning tech world. Staying on top of, or ahead of, these new developments will always be the name of the game in this new and rapidly changing frontier.
