[Assam] Petition News Coverage

[Rajib Das]

I assume Shantikamda is still active here. If feet on
the ground are required - under Rajenda, CM da and
Barkakotyda's guidance - a team from Shantikamda's
management school can execute the campaign - find
details from BSNL, NETV etc, send out the messages,
track call backs etc. They do not need to be believers
in the political campaign - just an outside marketing
agency. For them it would be a live lesson in
Advertising and Marketing Promotions. For folks here,
the needed feet on the ground.


--- Rajib Das <rajibdas at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I did some research and I guess, the following need
> to
> be done:
> 
> 1. Craft the message in 160 characters including
> blank
> spaces. SMS Messages take a max of 160 characters.
> This must include the gist of the petition (e.g.
> vote
> against name change from Assam to Asom) and the
> action/s the receipients need to take(SMS **** to
> show
> support AND/OR send this SMS to 5 others to
> support).
> Pbviously this has to be given some thought.
> 
> 2. Online SMS gateways are available - so you put in
> a
> message and it can be broadcasted to a group. There
> are India specific bulk SMS Gateways which will
> charge
> 60 Paise per message but more details need to be
> found
> out from them. Some are www.bulksmsindia,com,
> www.smsjunction.com. A better alternative is to use
> BSNL which charges 25 paise if you are a Sancharnet
> user. Sancharnet is their ISP service.
> 
> 3. For BSNL details can be found here:
> http://webmail.sancharnet.in/. You have to download
> a
> small application for bulk sms but to use it a
> Sancharnet account is necessary. Perhaps someone in
> GUwahati who uses Sancharnet can help. That person
> can
> also confirm with BSNL the bulk SMS service as also
> the fact that it needs to be broadcasted to numbers
> there even if we do not know all the numbers. I know
> this is possible because I kept getting marketing
> oriented SMS messages when I was there.
> 
> 4. I agree with Rajenda that the receipient SMS #
> should be from media - preferably the local private
> TV
> station so that they can broadcast the number on the
> news. All this offcourse if it can be arranged. In
> fact, the TV station might make some money as well
> on
> account of the SMS messages it receives - with the
> mobile service provider sharing some of those
> revenues. All this will require work on the ground
> in
> Guwahati.
> 
> 
> --- "Barua, Rajen" <Rajen.Barua at amec.com> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > I think that is a good idea and will work. There
> is
> > always a first time
> > even for such things in Assam. This will generate
> > more interest as well
> > as excitement on the issue. It should be open for
> > all people who claim
> > to be 'Friends and well wishers' for Assam.
> However,
> > I think we should
> > make it more intelligent for people to understand
> > exactly what they are
> > supporting. Thus it should be :
> > 
> > 1) Send a SMS to 5 other people > (OK like Rajib
> > suggested)
> > 2) Send a SMS back to a # if they support the
> > petition i.e. oppose
> > renaming of the state to Asom and support
> retaining
> > the present name
> > Assam.
> > 
> > We should finalize our plan and go for it.
> > (Can we also ask the media to furnish the # to
> > receive the calls?)
> > Let us hear comments from Assam.
> > Rajen
> >  
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: assam-bounces at assamnet.org
> > [mailto:assam-bounces at assamnet.org] On
> > Behalf Of Chan Mahanta
> > Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 8:33 AM
> > To: Rajib Das; Chan Mahanta; assam at assamnet.org
> > Cc: w.saleh at indiawijzer.nl; barkakoty at yahoo.co.in
> > Subject: Re: [Assam] Petition News Coverage
> > 
> > I like the idea Rajib, a lot!
> > 
> > There is no reason not to try something new, that
> > apparently worked
> > quite well  in recent months and years, like for
> the
> > Bollywood Idol
> > contest etc.
> > 
> > How can something like that be organized, any
> idea?
> > 
> > cm
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > At 8:30 PM -0800 1/3/07, Rajib Das wrote:
> > >Wow - what PR coverage!
> > >
> > >And while I wasn't a signatory, here is an idea
> to
> > carry it forward a 
> > >bit more - please ignore/trash if it does not
> make
> > sense:
> > >
> > >Send bulk SMS to 10000 mobile numbers in Assam
> > asking to do 2 things 
> > >regarding the petition if they support
> > >it:
> > >a. Send the SMS forward to 5 other people b. Send
> > an SMS back to a 
> > >particular number confirming their support
> > >
> > >Sending the bulk SMS should cost about US $ 150,
> I
> > think and I can 
> > >confirm it if it makes sense). Sending bulk SMS
> > should be easy.
> > >
> > >If it catches like wild fire and you get SMS
> > response back on a 
> > >particular number, you have a problem at hand for
> > the bill on the 
> > >receiving phone number. If not, it is just an
> > investment of $ 150.
> > >
> > >Perhaps this SMS campaign can be launched with a
> > similar traditional 
> > >press coverage as well.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >--- Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >>  Bidyananda Barkakoty, who has taken on the
> huge 
> > responsibility of  
> > >> giving our petition the media coverage and done
> > it  very 
> > >> successfully,
> > >>  reports:
> > >>
> > >>  "ASOMIYA KHABAR has issued a corrigendum
> today.
> > >>  ASSAM TRIBUNE has
> > >>  given a front page beautiful coverage today.
> > Also  news have come 
> > >> out  in THE TELEGRAPH in page 17 (big news
> > report) and in  THE TIMES 
> > >> OF  INDIA in page 3. THE SENTINEL has also
> > covered the  news in page 
> > >> 3.
> > >>
> > >>  So with this our 4th phase is over
> successfully
> > (1st  phase : 
> > >> drafting  the petition ; 2nd phase : collecting
> > the signatures  ; 3rd
> > 
> > >> phase :
> > >>  Handing over of the petition to CM ; 4th phase
> :
> > >>  Media coverage). The
> > >>  Electronic Media coverage (TV NEWS channel) is
> > still  pending, but I
> > 
> > >> am in touch with them to give an exclusive
> > coverage  on this 
> > >> subject."
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> 
=== message truncated ===


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