The Canadians are coming… the Canadians are coming…

The other day I tweeted that Canada was today’s source for investor relations innovation. At the time, I had put as much thought into it as it took to type the thought in less than 140 characters. It wasn’t that I was being flippant - rather it was simply a cell of a germ of an idea of a theory that I just needed to capture so I could see what it looked like.

On the heels of both Dominion Day (sorry, I can’t support calling it “Canada Day”) and Independence Day in the U.S., I have come to a conclusion: I agree with myself. Canada will lead the next IR revolution.

In no particular order, here are six reasons why:

- Radian6. For social media to ever really get traction within the corporate ranks as an IR tool, CFOs will demand accountability through measurement. Radian6’s tool is one of the best - if not the best - I’ve ever seen for measurement.

- Investor Candy. Despite its name, this outfit has a very smart and thoughtful approach to IR on the Web. I find their mindset of “investor campaigns” very intriguing and, frankly, refreshing.

- Dominic Jones. At his best, he’s the gadfly no industry wants but is ultimately better for having. At his worse, he’s prowling the IR blogosphere looking for another virtual bar fight. Either way, he keeps you on your toes.

- Anil Dilawri. Anyone who thinks like this understands the potential of IR and how to think “around the corner.”

- Q4 Web Systems. Darrell Heaps on his gang of innovators keep finding new ways to build state-of-the-art IR websites that allow companies to reach investors where and how they like to communicate.

- Rhonda Bennetto. One of the few IROs who walks the talk when it comes to next-generation investor relations.

I’m sure there are even more reasons than this (and my apologies for any/all oversights). Regardless of the length of the list, it begs the question: why? Is it the butter tarts? Is it because they grew up listening to The Tragically Hip? Is it because Canadians, who are known for being uber polite, truly adhere to the concept that no idea is a bad idea? Is there some magical power within Manitoulin Island that I don’t know about?

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