ForgetMeNot Africa secures major telecoms awards with London PR firm assistance

Testimonial: Jeremy George, Chief Operating Officer for ForgetMeNot Africa, said: “Our innovations and performance were fundamental to our award wins, but success in such schemes depends on selecting the right awards to enter, and knowing how and what to communicate in entries and submissions. Parker, Wayne & Kent’s expertise in the awards industry means they diligently assess awards schemes on likelihood of success and compellingly convey the award-winning features of products and services to judging panels. Forgetmetnot Africa won two highly coveted awards and secured five nominations at three prestigious ceremonies using Parker, Wayne & Kent to manage our awards entries. We shared a stage with some of the biggest brands in the world at the Meffys, Global Messaging awards and AfricaCom awards. Parker, Wayne & Kent also helped ForgetMeNot Africa to secure a place as a finalist at the Digital Innovators competition run by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).”

“Following the nominations and victories Parker, Wayne & Kent secured media coverage in key titles that has significantly increased our exposure in the mobile industry sector amongst potential clients, investors and the media. ForgetMeNot Africa is now providing access to Facebook, email and online chat for 62 million people across Africa with ‘award-winning’ technology, recognised for its innovation in transforming even the most basic of African mobile handsets into virtual smartphones.

“While we have submitted our technology for awards before, it has never achieved the critical recognition we believe it has deserved. Parker, Wayne & Kent has helped ForgetMeNot Africa to bring out the best in its technology and craft winning awards submissions.”

Objectives:  To secure nominations and awards for ForgetMeNot Africa at major awards ceremonies, gain an “award-winning” accreditation for ForgetMeNot Africa and subsequently get significant media coverage of the events and successes.

Result: Parker, Wayne & Kent secured two major awards for ForgetMeNot Africa at key industry ceremonies, with five nominations in other categories and a place at the final of the ITU Digital Innovators competition. ForgetMeNot Africa triumphed at the prestigious Meffys Awards, picking up the title of Best Innovation in a Mobile First Market for its innovative Message Optimiser technology. The Meffys success came just two weeks after Forgetmenot Africa collected the coveted Innovation in Messaging award, also for its Message Optimiser system, at 160 Characters’ Global Messaging Awards.

ForgetMeNot Africa received a further nomination for Best New Service at the AfricaCom Awards, the Best Technology Innovation award at the Meffys and in the Messaging Application – Consumer category at the Global Messaging Awards.

ForgetMeNot Africa joined the likes of Apple, Coca Cola and RIM in picking up major awards at the Meffys, the official benchmark for measuring success in the mobile industry, hosted by TV personality Ruby Wax on Wednesday, July 7. Parker, Wayne & Kent secured coverage of the awards victory in major publications including Brand Republic , Media Week and Know Your Mobile.

MEF’s Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter, said: “Congratulations to ForgetMeNot Africa for bridging the digital divide globally within mobile first nations around the globe by transforming feature phones into smart ones.”

Strategy and Plan: Parker, Wayne & Kent identified both the Meffys and the Global Messaging Awards as suitable, respected and appropriate ceremonies for ForgetMeNot Africa based on the criteria of award categories, the quality of former winners and the quality of media coverage of past ceremonies.

When examining categories for the Meffys Parker, Wayne & Kent identified both the Best Innovation in a Mobile First Market – due to the innovative nature of technology that provides Facebook email and online chat specifically to countries in Africa with little or no access to the Internet. Parker, Wayne & Kent also identified the Innovation in Messaging at the Global Messaging Awards category as suitable for ForgetMeNot Africa’ unique two way SMS Facebook chat service.

The Best Technology Innovation category at the Meffys and the Messaging Application Consumer category at the Global Messaging Awards were also recommended as suitable for ForgetMeNot Africa by Parker, Wayne & Kent, based on the company’s provision of internet-free Facebook, email and online chat via SMS on basic, first generation mobile handsets. At the AfricaCom awards Parker, Wayne & Kent identified the Best New Service category as suitable for the introduction of Facebook into the service ForgetMeNot Africa provides.

The ITU Digital Innovators competition required company participation with an NGO. Parker, Wayne & Kent used ForgetMeNot Africa’s work with the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) in using Message Optimiser technology to assist sustainable agricultural improvements and boost production.

Tactics: Categories for submission were agreed with ForgetMeNot Africa, then Parker, Wayne Kent drafted submissions that drove both the key messages and evidence of success of the client. All entries conformed entirely to the requirements of each separate category and awards ceremony, and each entry was signed off by the client before submission, and entered ahead of the deadline.

Parker, Wayne & Kent liaised with event teams for all ceremonies. The shortlists were drawn up and Parker, Wayne & Kent secured nominations for five different categories and at each different ceremony – as well as gaining a finalist position in the ITU Digital Innovators competition.

Parker, Wayne & Kent then drafted and sold in releases announcing the client’s nominations to selected key media titles. Following ForgetMeNot Africa’s victories at the Meffys and the Global Messaging Awards Parker, Wayne & Kent then drafted and promoted a news release announcing the client’s successes to key journalists over the phone.

Timescale: Parker, Wayne & Kent initially identified both the Meffys and the Global Messaging Awards as key targets for ForgetMeNot Africa in April 2011. Submissions were then drafted and entered in accordance with the ceremonies’ deadlines. Coverage of ForgetMeNot Africa’s nominations, victories and event participation was secured up to October 2011.

Measurement:  Following the ceremonies at which ForgetMeNot Africa secured the Best Innovation in a Mobile First Market award at the Meffys and the Innovation in Messaging award at the Global Messaging Awards Parker Wayne & Kent secured coverage in several key media titles, including BrandRepublic , Media Week and Know Your Mobile.

Client: ForgetMeNot Africa is an award-winning software as a service company specialising in providing internet-free apps for network operators that include seamless interoperability between SMS, Facebook, email and Instant Messaging clients. ForgetMeNot Africa’s Optimiser Platform enables operators to immediately provide internet-free apps to all of their customers without any upgrades or any need to download new applications, opening up a range of formerly inaccessible services to their subscribers. ForgetMeNot Africa’s technology has so far been implemented by 9 mobile operators in 7 countries to provide access to internet-free apps including Facebook, email and online chat to more than 62 million people across east, west, southern and central Africa . www.forgetmenotafrica.com