Ontario releases two Nordicity authored industry strategy reports on the music and book publishing sectors

Toronto – November 2008 – Nordicity is please to announce that Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) has released two strategy reports in which Nordicity played integral roles. Nordicity, in association with CUTO and UK-based Frukt, prepared a study entitled “A Strategic Study for the Music Industry in Ontario.” At the same time, the OMDC released “A Strategic Study for the Book Publishing Industry in Ontario,” prepared by Castledale Inc., in association with Nordicity. Both studies were overseen by industry advisory committees co-chaired by Al Mair (for music) and by Michael O’Connor (for books) and both were co-chaired by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the OMDC, Karen Thorne-Stone.

Music Industry Strategy

The purpose of this study was to find a path for Ontario’s music industry through the pressures of the digital age. The report concluded that the music industry in Ontario faces significant challenges as traditional revenue sources diminish, but observes that there is also a tremendous opportunity to renew it by harnessing digital capabilities to generate efficiencies in creation, marketing and distribution.

Nordicity’s recommendations provide an outline for increased cooperation between the music industry and the government in order to bring the music industry to a level where:

• The music industry is recognized as a vital part of the provincial economy and receives support accordingly;
• Healthy digital entrepreneurship leads to the increased uptake of digital music revenues;
• Ontario musicians have ready access to both foreign and domestic markets;
• Private investment is attracted to the music business;
• Creators can enjoy a more prosperous and stable livelihood; and
• The music infrastructure in Ontario reinforces artistic expression and development as well as business success.

Book Publishing Industry Strategy

This report identifies books as a “creative engine” that fuels many other forms of expression in the entertainment and media industries. The study also suggested that the book publishing industry’s business model is, so far, the creative industry least disrupted by digital technologies on the consumer side. However, the study demonstrates that the industry has embraced digital technology for internal workflow processes, for supply chain systems and process, and for marketing and sales.

The book publishing strategy envisioned an end state for the industry:

• where Ontario book publishers have increased access to domestic and foreign markets;
• where the Ontario-based industry has the resources, knowledge, and skill sets to master the online and digital environments and to use the technology to generate more revenues and/or to decrease costs;
• where Ontario publishers have access to private financing and investment; and
• where the book publishing industry in Ontario reinforces creative expression and development as well as business success.

For more information on Nordicity, please contact Peter Lyman at plyman@nordicity.com

To access either report, click here