First Country To Use Social Networking To Increase Its Export

April 26, 2011 - PRLog -- Denmark is the first country in the world to use social media to increase its country's international export opportunities and its citizens' career opportunities abroad. A grass root strategy created by Danish business people has paved the way for a true national globalization initiative planned to also minimize the country’s brain drain.

Social networking is increasingly popular, and have become wildly popular with a varied demographic. The birth of the social networking phenomenon has seen a shift in the way that many people browse the web, and especially in the way that people interact socially. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are among other plethora of social networking sites out there on the net.
Denmark is now the first countries to start using the social web to increase its country’s exports, as well as to improve its citizens’ career opportunities abroad. With social media, Denmark has managed to create a truly national globalization strategy to increase export, and to minimize its country’s brain drain.

The initiative is named “DABGO” short for “Danes Abroad Business Group Online”, Instead of the traditional ways of supporting international export through the foreign ministry or chambers of commerce. This concept builds on a grass root strategy where there is no cost in participating, thereby increasing the networks reach. By utilizing such social media platform as Linkedin, Facebook and Ning, there is no geographical limitation, and there is no formal administration. All activities are implemented locally by volunteering members, making it highly efficient to accommodate local culture.

DABGO has already grown so strong that the Danish Foreign Ministry utilizes its reach for research and to connect with its citizens abroad for export opportunities, connecting with its citizens abroad and tapping into each individual’s experience.

But it is not only working online, it is also quickly spreading offline. One of the new initiatives in DABGO is  called “Stambord”, a Danish colloquial expression encompassing regular gatherings a the same table at a bar or at a restaurant. The Stambord concept is created for DABGO members and Danish business people to meet in casual places with no agenda to make both social and business connections. Stambord is held on the First Wednesday of every month in approximately 40 international cities across 6 continents from Tokyo, Cape Town, Sydney, Beijing, Copenhagen, New York, Sao Paolo to London.

DABGO was launched in October 2006 and has grown rapidly internationally since, especially in the US, where the group now counts over 2,000 members. Globally the network has over 10,000 members.  The goal is to reach 25,000 members or 10% of the Danish citizens living abroad.

DABGO (www.dabgo.net) has been developed in the spare time by Danish business men Jesper Lovendahl and Dan Trampedach with voluntary help of “Group Managers” giving their time to establish a strong local network. DABGO utilizes the strength of the internet and social media, to attract and uncover Danish knowledge and connections internationally. This combined with the energy that the members and Group Managers put into DABGO, will ensure that they not only remains the largest Danish international network, but also  creates a real and positive impact on Danish international trade.