ipsh! CEO Nihal Mehta Named NAMME’s 2006 New Media Catalyst Award-Winner

Pioneer of Omnicom Group’s mobile marketing and advertising unit recognized for innovation in cutting-edge media technologies by National Association of Minority Media Executives

San Francisco -- Nihal Mehta, co-founder and CEO of ipsh!, the North American leader in mobile marketing, has been named this year’s recipient of the National Association of Minority Media Executives’ (NAMME) Catalyst Award for New Media.

The Catalyst Awards recognize and encourage the contributions of individuals whose actions and leadership have advanced diversity in the media industry. Mehta is one of six diverse and distinguished media leaders whose contributions will be recognized at NAMME’s annual “Celebration of Diversity” awards banquet in Seattle on April 27.

NAMME is recognizing Mehta for his innovations and success in cultivating & harnessing cutting-edge technology for media and marketing. In 1998, Mehta co-founded UrbanGroove Networks Inc. (UGN), which grew into one of the largest youth-oriented, independent city guides online. He left UGN in 2001 to start ipsh! and grow the agency to execute over 500 campaigns across hundreds of clients in five years. ipsh! quickly attained a leadership position in North America and was acquired by Omnicom Group, Inc. in late 2005 Since then, Mehta has earned distinction as one of Advertising Age’s Top Twenty Marketers in their 20s, as well as profiles in The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times, BrandWeek, iMediaConnection, and Tech-TV, among others. –

With more than 10 years of experience in youth marketing, Mehta is a noted expert on the emerging Gen X/Gen Y adoption of wireless technologies for media properties and consumer brands. His expertise in developing tools and services for this niche demographic formed the basis for youth and college marketing technology, which includes chat rooms, viral marketing, interactive advertising, blogs, lifestyle-centric email programs, and street marketing tools, which all converged on wireless technology.

Sought for his insight on the interaction between youth culture and marketers, Mehta has spoken at numerous marketing and advertising conferences, such as Ad-Tech, CTIA, 3GSM (Barcelona), Billboard’s MECCA, the Mobile Marketing Association, Kellogg’s School of Business and Future-M at UC Berkeley.

About ipsh!

ipsh! is the North American leader in innovating, developing and deploying effective, turnkey mobile marketing solutions, with over 400 successful campaigns since the company’s inception in June 2001. Spanning technologies that encompass 1-way and 2-way SMS, alerts, promotions, ringtones, logos, pictures, wallpaper, screensavers, games, real-time voting/polling, chat, interactive TV, IVR (interactive voice response), premium SMS, MMS, and mobile video, ipsh! has dominated the media, entertainment and brand verticals with its proprietary PRISM platform. ipsh! is a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group Inc. For more information, visit http://www.ipsh.com.

Omnicom Group Inc (NYSE: OMC - News; http://www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

About NAMME

Founded in 1990, NAMME is the only organization of managers and executives of color working in both news and business operations in all media-related fields, uniting diverse leaders across departments and cultures. The organization’s awards celebrate leaders in six categories: Catalyst Awards for Print, Broadcast and New Media, along with the Robert C. Maynard Legend Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lawrence Young Breakthrough Award. Last year’s New Media Catalyst award-winner was Omar Wasow, co-founder of BlackPlanet.com, and an on-air technology analyst. For more information: www.namme.org.

Contact Information

Vijay Chattha

ipsh! PR

VSC Consulting

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