Mobile Marketing Association sets up India Local Council

MMA has launched the India Local Council to stimulate the growth of mobile marketing in the country

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) announced the launch of its India Local Council. This will be MMA’s first local council in the APAC region. The India Local Council aims to serve the growing needs of the mobile marketing communities in the country. The India Local Council will be an amalgamation of carriers, application developers, brands and agencies.

The India Local Council already has 34 members from organisations such as AdMob, Coca-Cola, Google, Group M, Indiagames, Nokia, Vodafone and Yahoo! India. The management is hoping that the number will double by the end of the year.

Mobile Marketing Association sets up India Local Council

Rohit Dadwal, managing director, MMA Asia Pacific, says that the Indian mobile market is growing and since more than 380 million people in India own mobile phones, it provides a significant opportunity for operators. “With mobile penetration and adoption reaching a critical mass, it is only natural that the mobile experience is now about enriching content and media with the convenience of converged services,” he adds.

The India Local Council will be headed by two elected co-chairs who will also be a part of the MMA Regional Leadership Committee, the collaborating body across the APAC region. These co- chairs will work closely with the Regional Board of Directors to determine strategy and priorities. As of now, the India Local Council does not have any dedicated office space, and will get an office space once it has a considerable number of members.

The Local Council will focus on increasing the adoption of existing MMA guidelines for the local markets; promotion of mobile as an important marketing medium for brand managers and ad agencies; and building metrics, creating mobile marketing and advertising tools for the industry.

Mike Wehrs, president and chief executive officer, MMA, says that APAC remains one of the strongest regions for mobile marketing, with mobile penetration being higher than any other region globally. “Through the India Local Council initiative, we aim to considerably increase the mobile marketing momentum in India,” he adds.

Local Councils will also be set up in other countries in the APAC region over time.

MMA is the global non-profit trade association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. It has more than 700 member companies from over forty countries around the globe. MMA global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional branches in North America, Europe, Latin American countries, West Asia and Africa and the Asia Pacific.

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com