Melbourne-based Emprise Group is facing as many challenges as any business in the current climate. Emrpise this week has revealed the launch of a new app and the pivot one of its brands is making from print to digital.
This week the company lauched what it calls the ultimate planning tool for exploring regional Australia, CAMPERX. Hopefully something that consumers will be able to put to good use soon.
Emprise operates a number of brands including Hema Maps, Camper Australia, Caravan World, Trade-A-Boat and Outdoor which each engage within a niche industry segment to connect with and engage consumers.
The Emprise brands deliver content through magazines, books, mobile applications and websites and have over half a million active users interacting with them each month.
The new CAMPERX combines the maps from Hema Maps, a comprehensive list of campsites and caravan parks plus best of breed trip planning and navigation tools.
CAMPERX is the first stand-alone app to be launched off the HemaX platform. HemaX is a technology stack which will allow consumers to access and interact with the richest information (including maps) for regional touring in Australia, on any device.
“For the past five years working in the regional tourism space, I have had people talk to me about the ‘holy grail’ of offline, interactive trip planning supported by rich content. I am very proud to say that HemaX will deliver on that promise and CAMPERX is the first launch of many new products,” Emprise CEO Rob Gallagher said this week.
“The restrictions on travel and the closure of campsites and national parks is something we are acutely aware of and it is having a demonstrable impact on communities, businesses and families around Australia. By launching this week we hope that the app can be used in the comfort of the lounge room to plan the next big adventure, whenever that is safe to do.”
Emprise also announced its Outdoor brand will relaunch its digital channel, www.outdooraustralia.com by leveraging the new HemaX platform. The new site will focus on regular content showcasing regions, experiences and events across regional Australia and will be supported by the best mapping of those areas, provided by Hema Maps, with a renewed focus on off-road and walking tracks.
Emprise revealed Outdoor magazine will not publish its next issue until September 2020. The decision to postpone the production of the product comes off the back of challenging market conditions in the outdoor retailer space, compounded by the impact of COVID-19 in recent times.
“We acquired the Outdoor brand to complement our range of lifestyle brands and provide an aspirational outlet for consumers and brands to connect with,” Gallagher said.
“Many of the consumers we are seeking to reach have shifted their spend to other channels, and so the focus for Outdoor will be to transform the masthead into a digital-first brand seeking to inspire and educate human-powered adventure.”
Outdoor editor Aaron Flanagan added, “Our core proposition as a business is to produce quality and credible content. The team’s ability to execute this to a high standard in the outdoor adventure space is evident in the calibre of the magazine and we see great opportunities continuing this standard into the future.”
