It’s been about a month since the new digital Challenge was launched. While we’re still trying to nail down some of our processes and deadlines, the feedback from the membership has been mostly positive. Mostly.

Where we missed the mark…

Some members commented that the old print Challenge had more content in it than the new digital Challenge. That surprised us a bit. As a team, our goal was to launch the digital Challenge with a least the last 12 months of content in it (it actually has 18 months) so we drilled down on that with a few members. What we discovered was some of you didn’t realize that the June announcement email was only a teaser. While there were over 10 pieces of new content in the June issue (including a photo gallery), the email we sent only featured portions of 4 of them. So we’ve made a change. From now on, the monthly announcement emails will contain snippets of all of the new content along with links to the articles.

…where we hit a home run….

On the other hand, The Mart was an instant success. Within 30 minutes of the announcement email, two of our members posted items for sale. Both said they found the new self-service tools to be easy to use (which was our goal). More importantly for them, their ads were approved and online the same day instead of the next month. If you haven’t checked out The Mart for yourself, you should. You might just find something for sale that you never knew you just had to have.

…and where we’re trying something new.

Actually two things. First, be sure to check out Jeff Coe’s It’s Alive. The article is followup piece on his latest project car – a super rare 968 coupe with a full leather interior from 1992 in Matador Red. He originally wrote the article for eBrake News, but they can’t show it the way we can. Give it a read and in it, you’ll find the first-ever-for-Challenge use of a video in an article. It’s pretty cool.

And second? Have a look at the new photo galleries from CVR Member and long time photographer John Karam. There are some pretty awesome pictures posted from the recent Club Race in April. Maybe your face is there?

We’re looking for help.

Don’t forget we’re looking for some help. Just because we’re all digital doesn’t mean there’s any less work to do. Right now, we’re looking to fill the following positions:

• Content Editor
  • Develop the schedule of Challenge articles per month for at least the next six months, preferably for the next 12 months
  • Coordinate with the article authors to ensure the content is submitted on time.
  • Ensure the articles meet the defined standard.
• Email Blast Creator
  • Put together the email blast with items provided by the Production Manager
  • Schedule will be at least once a month and perhaps a mid-month email if needed
• Graphic Designer
  • Provide graphics that are needed for the site and help with editing pictures for articles
• Proofreaders
  • Review articles to ensure they meet the defined standard, correct spelling, grammar and flow of the article
• Advertising Manager
  • Sign up advertisers and track their renewal date

Challenge is a work in progress and the Transition Team would love to hear your suggestions. You can leave them using the form on our contact page or you can email them directly to me at challengechair@cvrpca.org.

Eric Richmond, Challenge Chair