• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, August 16, 2007

Mobile handset maker Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, wants to reward people who do good deeds, so it has created a marketing program that makes Good Samaritans part of history.

Those who have been quick to whip out their cell phones and call for help after witnessing an accident, such as a car crash or other disaster, will have an opportunity to carry the Olympic torch. The promotion--Mobile Phone Samaritan--provides an opportunity for Samsung to recognize anyone who has stepped up to assist others in an emergency by using any mobile phone to call for help.

And there are plenty available. Worldwide mobile handset shipments will reach nearly 1.1 billion units in 2007--up from 990 million units in 2006, according to El Segundo, Calif.-based research firm iSuppli.

Consumers can make nominations at Samsung.com until Sept. 12, where they are asked to tell Samsung the story in 100 words or less.

Trymark consulting group will confirm all written entries, explains Samsung spokesman Jose Cardona, who notes that a similar promotion generated just more than 2,500 entries in six weeks. "We will launch a MySpace page, too, tied to the promotion to generate more activity," he says.

A panel of judges will select five winners to serve as Olympic torchbearers in San Francisco, the only North American stop for the torch. Former NFL player Herschel Walker also will take a celebrity spot carrying the torch.

"Mobile communication devices are powerful tools that can be used for connecting with loved ones, conducting business, capturing life's moments, and in an emergency, sharing information that saves lives," says Todd Smith, spokesperson at AT&T, which supports about 63.7 million wireless subscribers.

Samsung taps into a marketing strategy that some say gave birth to reality television, but not all would agree with the method to promote the company's part in the Olympics.

"These types of promotions hold the potential for being very effective because people love the emotional, sensational content that pulls on your heartstrings," says Anthony Citrano, blogger and co-founder of the PopTech Conference. "On the other hand, hearing about the 911 call can give you the heebie-jeebies, but maybe that's why the [General Motors] OnStar commercials that replay distress calls work well."

Still, Samsung continues to gain market share. The company saw an uptick in handset units sold during the first half of 2007.

The top five handset makers ranked by units sold in the U.S. from January through June remained the same, with Motorola leading the pack by far, but Samsung managing to gain the most quarter over quarter, according to The NPD Group. As No. 2, Samsung captured 18% market share between April and June--up from 17% in the first quarter. Samsung, with 15%, tied with Nokia at No. 4 for the full year in 2006.