Overview of Consumer Markets for Connotative Intelligence™ Products

MARKET OVERVIEW PAGE INDEX

Introduction

The capacity for language has developed over hundreds of thousands of years through natural selection. Language is unique to human beings.

We buy language reference products to help us become more skilled in using "language technology," to help us convert the words and phrases we’ve learned into something we can make practical use of, namely, articulate, clear, convincing, persuasive language.

Even though words convey both denotative and connotative meaning, no existing language reference products provide access to the connotative meanings of words and phrases.

Language is by far the world’s most important technology. The desire or need to improve existing language skills or learn new languages motivates people to purchase language-enabling products such as dictionaries and thesauruses. For example, in North America alone (population 300 million) there are:

[To Index]

In addition, enormous markets exist for ESL, foreign-language learning, and language translation products.

Soon, language reference companies will be able to make connotative language tools available to all these consumers, for the first time ever.

Connotative language reference tools will provide language reference information that is entirely different from the language reference information available in dictionaries and thesauruses. For example, people will purchase a Connosaurus in addition to a thesaurus, not instead of a thesaurus, just as they now purchase a thesaurus in addition to a dictionary, not instead of a dictionary. While it may be argued that not everyone who has a thesaurus will be interested in purchasing a Connosaurus, the converse is also true: not everyone who purchases a Connosaurus will be interested in purchasing a thesaurus.

A conservative estimate of the number of new connotative language products that could theoretically be produced using Connotative Intelligence™ technology is in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 different products.

All of these products will require Connotative Intelligence™ technology, the powerful new infrastructure technology, licensed exclusively by Connotative Intelligence Corporation

[To Index]

Functional Equivalency to Existing Language Reference Products

Connotative language products will be functionally equivalent to familiar denotative language products, except that connotative products will help the user improve his or her skills with emotional or connotative meaning, instead of, or in addition to, rational or denotative meaning.

For every existing type of denotative product (dictionary, thesaurus, grammar checker, language translation product, etc.), language reference companies will be able to create their own equivalent connotative products in any or all major (and minor) languages. That is, it will be possible for an entire "universe" of connotative language tools to emerge, to parallel the existing universe of denotative language tools.

Most people who would ordinarily constitute the potential customers for dictionaries and thesauruses already own one, or both, of these items. Marketers of these traditional denotative language reference products therefore face the task of convincing such people to purchase a second product of exactly the same type as the one they already own. By contrast, connotative language reference products are not "already owned" by any consumers.

[To Index]

Early Stage Marketing Advantages

Language reference publishers that adopt Connotative Intelligence™ technology at an early stage have extraordinary marketing advantages.

Consumer Market Segments

Here are some of the main consumer market segments for connotative language reference products.

This group is likely to have the greatest inherent interest in connotative tools. Language reference products are literally the tools of the trade for communication specialists.

[To Index]

In North America, more than 50,000,000 students attend school from Grade 5 through university level. Most students have their own dictionary in book form, and most have a book-form thesaurus or access to a thesaurus through their word processing program. Practically all students in North America have access to computers either at home or at school or both.

Students are required to write endless essays and term papers, whether they want to or not. Students taking courses in English, fine arts, literature, etc. also must produce works of creative writing, such as short stories, poetry, and plays.

Competition for marks demands outstanding written work. Students regularly use dictionaries and thesauruses. Those possessing Connotative Intelligence products will have a competitive edge over those who do not.

[To Index]

Some 50,000,000 North Americans work in administrative or management occupations. Of this number, an estimated 40%, or about 20,000,000 such professionals, need to do a significant amount of writing as an important job requirement.

In many such jobs, "you are what you write"—not unlike the situation that prevails in secondary and post-secondary school environments. For example, a major job requirement of many administrative professionals is researching and report-writing. Others are required to write company sales brochures and catalogues, advertising copy, and marketing materials. Still others motivate, persuade, and train people.

Using connotative language reference products will enable business and administrative professionals to add connotative spin to written materials, providing a competitive edge in terms of improving the power, influence, and overall quality of their writing.

Specialized products such as the Emotional Product and Business Namer will be of particular interest to this group.

[To Index]

The exact size of this market is unknown, but extremely large (in the hundreds of millions), as it includes people learning ESL in North America and in scores of countries around the world.

Word accent and pronunciation are major issues in learning English as a Second Language. Connotative ESL software products will incorporate features to aid practice in accent and pronunciation. These features are not found in any other known language reference products.

[To Index]

According to a report by Allied Business Intelligence (ABI), reported by Newsbytes News Network, the worldwide language translation market is currently $10.4 billion and is forecast to grow to $17.2 billion in five years.

"[These figures exclude] ‘adjunct’ markets to text language translation. Adjunct markets include translation tools, foreign language learning, maintenance of translation systems, dictionaries, and training. If these markets were included, ABI says the sales estimate could more than double.

"These booming figures come in spite of dropping prices, the telecommunications firm adds. Dropping prices, expanding RAM configurations, and increasing language choices will soon result in machine translators being bundled with many software suites.

"ABI cites an expanding global e-commerce economy as the primary reason for the boom in the language translation market as worldwide sales gain momentum and active e-commerce sites try to accommodate multiple language groups. . . . Competitors in the global e-commerce market must "localize" their products and Web sites to meet the market, wherever it may be.

"Internet language translation engines are becoming more common and available for companies to tap into for centralized terminology databases and idiomatic expressions, said ABI.

"The report said the largest machine translation market is in Europe."

[To Index]

Each year, 4,500,000 babies are born in North America. Millions of traditional baby name books and software packages are sold each year. None provide connotative information.

Every newborn gets at least one, usually two, and sometimes three or more given names. Naming a child is taken seriously enough by expectant couples to have generated an industry in baby name books and software, even though expectant couples technically do not need to draw on such resources.

Connotative baby name products will offer wide-ranging "personality"-type data, including both connotations and connonyms.