Company: Mmd
Company Description: Mmd is the leading public affairs and corporate communications consultancy across Eurasia, Central and Eastern Europe and South East Europe, with 20 offices across 19 markets.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications Campaign of the Year in Europe

Nomination Title: Skype for Veterans

Tell the story about this nominated communications program (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Victory Day, commemorating the victory in the 2nd World War, is one of the main
holidays widely celebrated in Russia and former Soviet Union countries. On May,
9th in 7 hero cities and in every single town of the country there are huge open
air celebrations and parades where veterans participate. The biggest parade is
organized on Red Square in Moscow. It gathers both actual and former army
representatives. However, due to health problems (on average the veterans are
over 80 years old) and long distances every year there are less veterans coming
to the reunions. Skype technology for them is a way to see and talk to each other.

Skype partnered with the main national daily Komsomolskaya Pravda (Russian daily
newspaper circ. 3m+ copies) and Russian Red Cross to organize Skype video
conferences for the veterans in 5 cities: Moscow, St.Petersburg, Volgograd,
Kaliningrad and Tiraspol. On May 7, Video Conferences were held in Komsomolskaya
Pravda offices linking up 13 war comrades across the country.

On May 8, “Victory Day Hot Line” supported by Skype was launched in Red Cross
St. Petersburg. The veterans could leave requests with their phone number as
well as number of their friends or relatives they wanted to talk to. Volunteers
of Red Cross connected them for 10 minutes via Skype conference call. Over 300
veterans and their relatives benefited from the joint action.

The veterans perceived the initiative with a huge enthusiasm and enjoyed the
high quality and easiness of use of modern technical solutions. The link-ups of
elderly people who otherwise would not have been able to see each other on this
special date were emotional and heart-piercing making a perfect story for
federal and regional media. Komsomolskaya Pravda, being the media partner,
ensured the initiative was featured in its online and print versions (both on
regional and federal level), TV and radio opportunities have been exploited
resulting in a stunning coverage.

The main idea - to showcase Skype as a perfect tool to make the life happier for
the close ones - was strongly emphasized. After the story was published,
computer courses for elderly people in Saint Petersburg picked up the idea and
included Skype in their compulsory educational programme - which can be viewed
as an immediate effect of Skype Victory Day initiative. Moreover, a number of
spin-off projects are being developed now for Skype to continue the fruitful
partnership with Red Cross and establish a permanent network of Skype link up
points making the initiative sustainable.

Skype for Veterans is a great example of how corporate goals (grandparents were
established as key target audience for Skype in 2009) tailored to a particular
market can work for public benefit, in which case media interest - on a purely
ethical basis, and appreciation of the citizens are guaranteed. Needless to say,
the project was hugely rewarding and brought pleasure on both a professional
level and a personal level, for all those involved.

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

Online and print coverage

http://volgograd.kp.ru/daily/24290/485149/
http://spb.kp.ru/online/news/482071/
http://spb.kp.ru/daily/24290.4/484897/
http://www.kp.ru/daily/24290/485718/
http://www.kp.ru/daily/24290/485149/
http://www.kp.ru/daily/24290.4/484897/
http://kaliningrad.kp.ru/daily/24290/485449/

Broadcast coverage

http://www.moskva.fm/stations/FM_107.0/programs/%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BD/2009-05-08_17:41:00

http://zvezdanews.ru/video/no_comment/0030401/?PHPSESSID=5f27cef732a89972c13bac8ed8dd54cf

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that carried out this nominated communications program:

Adam Robinson, VP & Deputy Head of PR, joined Mmd in 2008 to manage the fast
expansion of our PR business in Russia. He today provides strategic input;
delivery oversight and client relationship management across a number of our key
international accounts; with a particular focus on broadcast media clients;
consumer technology and online mandates.

Anastasia Sergeeva, Account Manager. Graduated from the Moscow State University
of International Affairs and later obtained her Masters degree in Management
from Universidad Pompeu Fabra (Spain). Anastasia has gained extensive experience
in PR and media relation, managing diverse projects for consumer and healthcare
brands.