NS uses KREM's Social Media Strategy to talk online with its clients

The Dutch Railways (NS) is working hard to improve their visibility, their accessibility for passengers and the management of their Online Reputation in the area of Social Media. KREM has realised a Social Media Strategy to achieve this and is currently training the NS team.  The @NS_online Twitter account is live. KREM is advising the NS on the use of Social Media for the launch of their latest NS Travel Planner Xtra smartphone application and the service that enabled passengers to vote at 45 NS stations during the elections on 9 June 2010.

Client: Dutch Railways
Task: consultancy, temporary personnel
Objective: Online Reputation Management, dialogue and the use of Social Media for NS campaigns such as launching smartphone applications and the possibility of using Social Media to vote at a number of NS stations.
Target group: NS passengers

NS iPhone application a great success
Three weeks ago, the NS implemented an iPhone application that enables passengers to plan their train journeys: ‘NS Reisplanner Xtra’.  KREM advised the NS to promote this application via Social Media. The iPhone club were given an exclusive preview and this resulted in a positive critical blog. Two days after the launch the application was number 1 in the list of free downloads. After two weeks the ‘NS Reisplanner Xtra’ had been downloaded over 100,000 times.

NS passengers able to vote at a number of stations
On 9th June 2010 passengers were able to cast their vote at 40 NS stations. Politicians and others were used to publicise this possibility via Social Media. Alexander Pechtold (D’66), for example, toured the Netherlands by train on Saturday 5 June. He used his Twitter account to inform his followers that he was travelling by train. He and others, such as Sharon Dijksma (PvdA), pointed out to the electorate that they could vote at various NS train stations.

The role of KREM
The KREM experts were asked to provide advice on using Social Media during the launch of the iPhone app as well as promoting the possibility for travellers to cast their vote at a number of different NS railway stations. This advice was consistent with the comprehensive Social Media Strategy that KREM had already produced. Logically, KREM also provided the subsequent training for the multidisciplinary NS team

About NS
NS is the largest railway passenger transport company in the Netherlands. The NS trains keep the Netherlands mobile. Over 1.1 million NS customers reach their destination every day without having to endure traffic jams or parking problems. The electric NS trains are a very energy efficient and environmentally friendly form of transport that generates low levels of CO2 emissions. The NS provide a wide range of facilities for the passengers at their 383 stations.

NS Reizigers is responsible for providing transport for the passengers and information and services at the stations and in the trains. NS Poort develops, manages and exploits the stations and their premises in the Netherlands to ensure they are pleasant and lively locations in which people can stay, work, live, shop and recreate.