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Top US advertisers try out MMS campaign trials
NEW YORK: Top brands such as Coke, Cadbury and First Direct are among those starting the first major trials of MMS ad campaigns. This effort will be the biggest adoption of the medium till now by top advertisers.
A Newmediaage report says that the MMS Insight scheme, run by mobile marketing firm Enpocket in association with O2, will see brands run a range of pilot campaigns. The campaigns will let brands experiment with the full range of MMS ad executions, allowing evaluation of which functionality, from sound to colour, is most effective.
The programme, which will run for the next three to six months, will let brands experiment with the use of photos, music, colour and animation in campaigns in addition to new concepts of fusing content and marketing, with ads subsidising content costs.
First Direct e-marketing manager Jenny Southwell was quoted as saying that his company has used mobile marketing since 2001 due to its effectiveness. He goes to add that MMS is exciting and better than SMS as it gives higher functionality – such as graphics and sounds.
The campaigns will run to a subset of the O2 opt-in database, run by Enpocket, that possess MMS handsets. Each campaign trial will form part of aggregated research into the potential of the medium.
Enpocket co-founder Rob Lawson was quoted as saying that MMS is exciting for brands but no-one really knows how to use it for advertising yet. He envisages that advertisers will have access to a body of knowledge rather than take each band individually.
‘We want to look at how to wrap ads into content,’ said Lawson.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
