Star mobile app bags silver

Leading the pack: Serm posing with the silver award for the Best App/Content by a Media Owner at the Mobile Marketing Excellence (Mob-Ex) Awards 2015 held in Singapore.

SINGAPORE: Star Publications (M) Bhd took home the silver award for its mobile app in one of the region’s premier mobile awards.

The Star Mobile App won in the category for Best App/Content by a Media Owner at the Mobile Marketing Excellence (Mob-Ex) Awards 2015 here.

It beat other finalists from the region such as MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems’ Tutor TV SPM Mobile App: Personalized Revision On-the-Go Collective Intelligence, and Singapore MediaCorp/Toggle’s Toggle for the prize.

Head of Products (Digital) Serm Teck Choon, who accepted the award, said it was a testament of the group’s focus and plans for its mobile app for the future.

“The award came at the right time as The Star Online celebrates its 20th anniversary. We have big plans for the mobile app this year in conjunction with that,” he said during the award ceremony here on Thursday.

The mobile app, he said, won for its incorporation of three main features into one – latest news updates, business market information and advertising solutions, creating a seamless experience for both readers and advertisers.

Serm said 47% of The Star Online’s readership were from mobile users, including those accessing the app from their smartphones and tablet devices.

The Star Online receives four million unique visitors monthly and the mobile app has been downloaded by over 100,000 users.

“This group of users is a large and important market for us and we want to take care of them. This regional award is really encouraging for the company to keep moving forward,” he added.

Del Monte Philippines’ Del Monte Kitchenomics Branded Content & Companion Mobile App won the gold award in the category while The Philippines’ GMA Marketing and Productions received a bronze for its Kapuso Milyonaryo Mobile App.

The award, in its third year, was organised by Marketing Magazine and celebrates mobile excellence by recognising the creme de la creme across the mobile marketing eco­system, focusing on various campaigns and features.

It honours the best and the most cutting-edge and effective mobile campaigns in the South-East Asian region.