RTA launches social media campaign

Dubai's RTA, the Roads & Transport Authority that is responsible for planning, providing and administrating transport, roads & traffic services and infrastructure for the Emirate, has launched its own social media campaign, so says yesterday's official press release. The Authorities social media campaign kicks-off in advance of the opening of the Dubai Metro on September 9th.

The RTA begun opening social media profiles during June 2009 and now uses Blogger, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The Authority's YouTube channel has already been a marked success with 1,148 videos watched from the 64 videos uploaded (27 August 2009). The RTA's Facebook group has 1,475 members (27 August 2009).

According to Peyman Younes Parham, Director of the RTA's Marketing and Corporate Communication Department "Using these social networks plays a vital role in opening a two-way communication channel with the public. Clients can benefit from the information about RTA services uploaded in these social networks portals, whereas RTA will have the benefit of improving its services through capitalizing on communication."

My City My Metro
The RTA is also already using its new social presence for its first social media promotion campaign: "My City, My Metro". The YouTube video competition was launched on 19 August with an accompanying Facebook page. However, so far all the 28 videos that are shown in the "My Metro and My City" playlist (all of them uploaded on 19 August 2009), seem to be example videos shot and produced by the RTA or its marketing agencies. However, this is effectively at the end of week one and there are yet two more weeks before the Metro official opening!

Campaign URLs
Website: RTA
Facebook: RTA
YouTube: RTA
Twitter: RTA (English)
Twitter: RTA (Arabic)
Blogger: The Official Blog of RTA (English)
Blogger: The Official Blog of RTA (Arabic)
Facebook: My City My Metro
Youtube: My City My Metro Playlist

Friends, fans and followers
Facebook: RTA - 1,475 members, 16 discussion topics, 232 Wall posts (27 August 2009), 1,600 members, 19 discussion topics, 251 wall posts (7 September 2009)
YouTube: RTA - 89 subscribers, 1,148 videos watched, 6,991 channel views (27 August 2009), 98 subscribers, 1,200 videos watches, 8,120 channel views (7 September 2009)
Twitter: RTA (English) 64 followers (27 August 2009), 226 followers (7 September)
Twitter: RTA (Arabic) 7 followers (27 August 2009), 11 followers (7 September 2009)
Blogger: RTA number of subscribers unavailable
Facebook: My City My Metro - 195 fans (27 August 2009), 280 fans (7 September 2009)
Youtube: My City My Metro Playlist - 354 views, 28 videos (27 August 2009), 575 views, 28 videos (7 September 2009)

News stories
Gulf News: RTA launches Blogger, Twitter accounts (26 August 2009)