New Media Academy partners with TikTok in pioneering agreement

: New Media Academy, the first-of-its-kind digital academy supporting a new generation of content creators from the Arab world, has announced a pioneering partnership with TikTok, the social media platform known for its short-form videos.

The partnership kicked off with the region’s first virtual workshop for government departments on effectively creating and disseminating content on social media — delivered by the TikTok team. The event saw over 100 participants from 50 government and semi-government bodies, including the Dubai Future Foundation, The Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Police, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Abu Dhabi Media Company and the Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office. 

The workshop introduced delegates to TikTok, and offered incisive insight on the modes of communication the application offers. Attendees benefitted from best practices in media campaign execution and content creation to match their strategic vision. The workshop homed in on the theme that even serious communication around educational, CSR, brand building or community awareness, can be offered in innovative, creative and entertaining ways. 

The workshop is a first step towards empowering local government entities by providing them with tools to build valuable campaigns and to scale their reach on TikTok. Moving forward, the partnership between TikTok and the New Media Academy sets the stage for a unique, broad-ranging collaboration, and a host of joint initiatives promoting talent across the entire Arab world.  The partners will co-ordinate strategic agendas for regionwide expansion to nurture the professional development of individuals and organizations. The Academy also plans to integrate key insights and data from TikTok into its curricula, giving audiences the tools and insights for creating the most compelling content on TikTok. 

“We are delighted to have inked a pioneering partnership with TikTok, in a remarkable first for the region, and committed to advancing the Social & Digital Media industry, while nurturing the professional development of individuals and organizations. By working with Tik Tok, New Media Academy unlocks a powerful new marketing channel for government entities, and enables them to deliver impactful and scalable campaigns. Our first webinar is the start of a wide-ranging program of empowerment and support for public sector content creators,” said Rashid Al Awadhi, CEO of New Media Academy.

“As the world’s leading short form video platform, TikTok represents a unique and exiting channel to communicate with local audiences with creativity and authenticity. By partnering with the New Media Academy to deliver a region-first webinar, we’re excited about introducing the power  of TikTok to government teams and showcasing best practice on how to engage with the public effectively on the platform,” said Rami Zeidan,  Head of Video and Creative at TikTok. 

New Media Academy aims to work with social networks, brands, apps, agencies, government and private entities, to help creators deliver the most impactful content across all platforms, and to continue building the quantity and quality of Arabic content online. 

TikTok has rapidly gained in popularity and currently holds the number one spot for social media app downloads globally. While its popularity has soared as an entertainment space where users showcase their creativity through unique videos, companies and government entities are now looking seriously at the platform as a powerful way of getting their messages across to their audiences.