Home renovation and gardening retailer Rona has announced the launch of a “new” online magazine called Ronamag.
Available in both official languages at Ronamag.ca, the new online venture replaces a quarterly print publication of the same name that debuted in 2008 and was sent to about 330,000 select customers across the country.
Karim Salabi, vice-president of marketing – images and sponsorships at Rona in Montreal, said that the new product provides the retailer with the flexibility to provide weekly and daily content that reflects the latest trends and industry events such as trade shows.
The online product also enables Rona to incorporate other features, such as video, that simply weren’t possible with a print product, said Salabi.
“The web allows us to offer a much richer and interactive customer experience than on paper,” said Salabi. “The content itself is not changing dramatically – it’s still about trends, it’s still about inspiring people – but I think the medium in which we’re working is going to be much more effective.
“What I’m particularly excited about is the fact that the medium is so interactive and so much more interesting than the paper version,” said Salabi. “It reflects how people read and how they plan projects today.”
Ronamag will offer content devoted to home renovation and decor, arranged under three content pillars: Rona by Design, Eco Inspirations and Video Zone. “It’s not meant to be a hard-selling promotional site; it’s meant to be much more of an inspirational magazine with easy access to what you need to realize your project,” said Salabi.
The site also offers calls to action, inviting visitors to sign up for an e-mail newsletter highlighting exclusive Rona sales and promotions, and/or follow the company on Facebook.
Rona is working with Newad Édition, a division of Montreal out-of-home advertising company Newad that offers services include website architecture, programming and content production, to produce the online publication. Newad has extensive experience in the publishing industry, having produced both print and digital editions of the Montreal entertainment magazine Nightlife.
Rona also commissioned Montreal agency Sid Lee to create the magazine’s visual identity, as well as an online awareness campaign currently running across both Transcontinental Media and Olive Media’s advertising networks.
