MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bringing together the top innovators in advertising and marketing, the MMA SMARTIES Philippines 2024 Awards highlighted exceptional strategic brilliance and groundbreaking creativity. The award honored 49 standout campaigns, awarding 19 Gold, 15 Silver, and 15 Bronze medals, alongside 11 distinguished industry accolades.
"SMARTIES is more than just awards; it's about redefining what's possible in marketing and setting new benchmarks," said Rohit Dadwal, CEO of MMA Global APAC & Global Head of SMARTIESâ„¢ Worldwide. "The exceptional campaigns celebrated this year demonstrate the Philippines' impressive ingenuity and strategic thinking. With the introduction of our new SMARTIES Sonic logo, we're enhancing the brand's resonance globally, marking the beginning of a dynamic era in marketing innovation."
With participation from over 50,000 entries across 19 countries, 4 regional awards, and one comprehensive global program, SMARTIES continues to inspire excellence and drive impactful change in marketing.
This year, the Philippines showcased its leadership in marketing with outstanding industry winners. AnyMind Group won Enabling Technology Company of the Year, while PX Perform was recognized as Specialist Agency of the Year. TikTok secured Publisher of the Year, and Prodigious Philippines claimed Creative Agency of the Year. Mindshare received Media Agency of the Year, with Globe Telecom taking Most Resilient Brand of the Year. WPP was named Holding Agency Company of the Year, and the Juror's Choice Award went to "Kenny Rogers Roasters: Solo Love Club." McDonald's was crowned Brand of the Year, Unilever took home Advertiser of the Year, and the evening's Best in Show was awarded to "FWD Dynamic Content Engine."
A panel of expert jury, comprising top marketing professionals from the Philippines, oversaw the rigorous selection process, ensuring only the most innovative and effective campaigns received recognition.
"As Jury Chair, I am honored to witness the incredible creativity and innovation showcased at SMARTIES Philippines 2024," said Pamela Takai, Business Executive Officer / EVP, Dairy Health & Nutrition Solutions, Nestlé Philippines, Inc. "The winning campaigns this year truly reflect the forward-thinking strategies and exceptional talent driving the marketing industry in the Philippines. It's inspiring to see how brands are pushing boundaries and delivering impactful results."
Winning a SMARTIES award not only celebrates excellence but also offers winners a competitive edge, enhances their industry credibility, and strengthens their standing in global rankings like the MMA SMARTIES Business Impact Index, RECMA, and the WARC Media 100.
Explore the Complete Winner List Here!
About MMA Global: MMA Global is the leading global trade association for marketers, providing essential resources and expertise to empower marketers to navigate the complex world of Marketing. With commitment to driving innovation and effectiveness, MMA Global plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of marketing.
SMARTIES: SMARTIES is the prestigious marketing awards program hosted by MMA Global, recognizing excellence in Marketing. The SMARTIES Awards celebrate the most innovative and impactful campaigns that push the boundaries of creativity and drive measurable business impact in today's dynamic landscape.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Top Marketing Campaigns in the Philippines Honored at MMA SMARTIES Philippines 2024
HONG KONG, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) has, for the first time, discovered novel microbial signatures associated with inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and transformed such signatures into clinically applicable non-invasive tests for early diagnosis and timely intervention. This invention can effectively differentiate common chronic gut disorders and is expected to minimise the need for endoscopies. Utilising nearly 6,000 faecal samples from different regions and ethnicities, the researchers have developed the world's first ddPCR test targeting selected unique bacterial species. This novel non-invasive diagnostic test is a reliable tool to differentiate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and is expected to be ready for clinical use in 2027. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.
Lack of a reliable, accurate, non-invasive test for IBD diagnosis
IBD, a growing GI disease in Asia, often shares similar symptoms such as recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhoea with IBS, a common functional GI disorder. Delayed IBD treatment can lead to chronic inflammation of and ulcers in the digestive tract. Severe cases may require the removal of a damaged intestine or the creation of a stoma.
Professor Francis KL Chan, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics at CU Medicine, Director of the Centre for Gut Microbiota Research and Co-Director of Microbiota I-Center (MagIC), said: "Globally, over eight million people experience GI symptoms yearly and likely need endoscopies. Colonoscopy and histology with CT or MRI scans are commonly used for IBD diagnosis but there is not yet a reliable blood or stool test. Surging demand for colonoscopies may result in long waiting times and delayed treatment. There is an urgent need for a non-invasive, accurate diagnostic test for IBD."
Discovery of microbiome biomarkers for IBD diagnosis
CU Medicine researchers performed metagenomic sequencing of 5,979 faecal samples with or without IBD – ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease – from 11 countries, featuring different ethnicities. They identified microbiota alterations in IBD and uncovered 10 unique bacteria species associated with UC and nine associated with Crohn's disease.
Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Zheng Jiaying from the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, said: "We found that IBD patients had more toxin-producing bacterial genes in the gut, such as Adherent-invasive E. coli and Proteus mirabilis, and they lacked a variety of bacterial species with anti-inflammatory functions."
Assistant Professor Wendy Zhang Jingwan from the same department, added: "We constructed machine learning diagnostic models for IBD based on the novel bacterial markers and found that the models performed well in diagnosing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease with an area under the curve of over 0.94."
Transforming bacterial markers into a rapid, effective, clinically applicable innovation for IBD diagnosis
To transform findings into clinical applications, researchers developed multiplex ddPCR technology to facilitate rapid, effective IBD diagnosis. Validation in independent cohorts and a public dataset showed a sensitivity and specificity of nearly 90% for IBD diagnosis. The innovation has received the Silver medal in Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2024.
Professor Siew Ng, Croucher Professor in Medical Sciences and Director of MagIC, said: "The incidence of IBD is rising rapidly in Asia, and it is expected that the number of patients in China will exceed 1.5 million by 2025. CU Medicine has been a pioneer in the research of IBD diagnosis, treatment and prevention. We have now developed a first-in-class, microbiome-based, next-generation diagnostic tool for chronic intestinal diseases. We are also conducting large scale transethnic, multicentre studies to further explore the potential of these biomarkers in disease monitoring, drug response prediction and patient stratification in IBD."
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
CU Medicine invents a non-invasive technology for people with uninvestigated bowel symptoms
