GoXplore, a free, fortnightly travel-focused magazine makes its debut with targeted letterbox distribution to 800,000 households in Melbourne and Sydney on July 30. The concept is the result of a joint venture between a group of industry leaders in printing, design and distribution, each with decades of experience in their field.
Artifishal Studios has been involved in design and production for the travel and tourism industry for over 25 years. It hasextensive experience in both in-bound and out-bound tourism collateral, and is now one of Australia’s largest producers of travel brochures. AIW Printing, founded by Chris Jefferson Snr 15 years ago, is now one of Australia’s leading web offset printers. At its manufacturing plant in Springvale, Victoria, it operates five Goss presses, including one of the world’s largest heatset web printing presses, a fully automated 80pp Goss high speed, gapless press
GoXplore’s letterbox distribution will be undertaken by Salmat, one of Australia’s largest distribution companies, which will provide distribution demographic data available to meet the target audience for each magazine theme. Demographics used will include: house-hold income, house-hold spend on international and/or domestic travel, likely holiday destinations, intention to travel either domestically or internationally in the next 6 or 12 months, business vs holiday travel history.
Initially, GoXplore will be a 48-page magazine, printed in full colour on high-quality, PEFC certified, 61gsm gloss paper, 235mm x 275mm in size. As advertising demand increases, the stakeholders plan to increase page numbers to 56 pages, then 64 pages, and so on.
Depending on the theme of each edition (for example: European River Cruising or Bali Beach Resorts), distribution will be concentrated in locations where residents are most likely to be interested in the particular subject matter in that issue.
GoXplore total circulation is planned to expand to other state capitals in the future with Brisbane slated to be the next, and total distribution numbers are expected to increase as popularity of the magazine expands.
At the helm is former Fairfax journalist Mary O’Brien, a previous contributor to The Sunday Age, The Sydney Morning Herald Traveller, The Saturday Age Spectrum, Jetstar, Royal Auto and The Weekly Review magazines. In additional to its travel content, editorial will range across food and wine, fashion, culture, the arts, film and literature, technology and contemporary style features.
“Australia is a nation of travellers. GOxplore is an exciting new way to get quality, new travel content directly into the hands of hundreds of thousands of readers who want it,” said O’Brien.
Each issue will also present readers with an opportunity to win holidays or other travel accessories and gift vouchers. Content will be supported through targeted social media campaigns across multiple channels. From this, GOxplore will then develop a library of User Generated Content, designed to showcase real people exploring.
National advertising director Chris Jefferson Jnr said, “It will be one of the largest circulation magazines in Australia. It’s going to shake up the publishing and travel industries.”