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Project Overview
Turn Australia's highest-circulating monthly paper magazine into an app that maintains the high-quality content, design and production values but also gives the reader even more value-added content.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Lisa Luscombe and Jeremy Bourke (RoyalAuto). Leigh-Ann Thomas-Germs, Gina Manns, James Searson, Will Cai, Jack McGrath (Oomph)
Project Brief
We're the biggest, best-reading and best-looking free mag in the country, so we needed an app that shouted those qualities and then some. And it, too, had to be free.
We worked out the best app would be done with Oomph, from the Mogeneration team.
We wanted to add video and audio to our content, because its concentration on travel, motoring and events lent itself to that.
We wanted to give the reader a far greater spread and depth of imagery.
We wanted the readers to be able to enter our competitions, link to all our free member services, e-mail us, add our hundreds of events options to their personal diaries, all directly from the app.
We wanted it to be so damn good that the reader would, if they chose, forego the glossy high-quality paper mag they get as part of their membership each month, and take it in app form without any feeling they were missing out on anything they'd get in the paper mag.
We wanted it to be so sexy, that the members would want to have both.
Project Need
We're the first magazine of its kind in our industry segment to go the full-blown designed-from-the-ground-up app rather than just replicate the paper format like-for-like on the digital platform.
This way we have been able to:
* add video across all content areas
* expand the range and depth of images not available in the paper mag
* allow the user to tap directly to web pages from the content, both editorial and advertising
* allow the reader to link directly from the content to email, Facebook and Twitter
* allow the reader to enter competitions and giveaways immediately from the page.
Our magazine is much valued as a reference source for the variety of travel/touring/leisure and motoring/mobility content we provide our members, but storing this on our website has had certain logistical and search functionality issues. Having the app instantly created a constantly building library, and being able to direct readers to that resource has taken a considerable burden off our staff, who no longer have to handle the volume of despatching past issues via post or email.
Many readers now contact us to say that they no longer need the paper magazine, so this is starting to help our bottom line through a reduced print run. The environmental benefits of this go without saying.
User Experience
Let's be honest, we've turned some rusted-on paper readers into digital fans. They like that they get the look and feel of the paper mag quality but in a user-friendly digital environment. They like the hybrid nature of it.
Our member treasure their connection with the organisation, so we had to make them know that the app was still part of the RACV family. The ones who make that connection give us the big tick.
Take these comments, for instance (posted on the App Store):
"Have just finished reading my second edition of your magazine. It beats the NRMA magazine hands-down.” – Pieces44, May 22 2013.
"It's good to have my most loved magazine on iPad. It's 10 times more fun and practical now.” – Nav3181, May 22 2013.
"Love being able to read this mag while on the road. Don't have to be home to get it. Full of info while travelling.” – Sharyn61, May 28 2013
"We are accustomed to well-written articles, very effective photos and clear layout. Now we can add the ability to see film clips, refer to previous issues, expand the view of pictures. Well done RACV.” – Anna in Australia, May 28 2013
"Great to be able to take anywhere with you on the iPad. Great enhancement to membership privileges.” – gregwhittle, July 25 2013
Project Marketing
Our goal is to engage every RACV member with an iPad, and as such our existing marketing channels for all RACV services are a fantastic resource. The app availability has high and regular exposure in the paper version of RoyalAuto, which has a readership of more than 2 million, and it has regular exposure through our e-newsletter Inroads, which goes out to 238,000 subscribers monthly.
It's also promoted through our Facebook page.
A fresh push message through the iPad is sent out mid-month to garner more attention for those who haven't downloaded the new edition already, and as a reminder to those who have to take another look.
We engage the member by promising them "more” and "different” than they get with the paper mag, such as the instant contact/feedback facilities they get through the apps links to us, the web and social media.
Not For Profit
This category recognises applications developed for Not-For-Profit organisations and charities.
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