Tell us about 66 Magazine. What is the publication about and what does it aim to achieve?
66 Magazine is the Giltrap Group's customer publication and is an award-winning example of a successful "owned media" brand which also extends to an online offering. The magazine is designed as a high-quality, aspirational customer incentive, offering insightful reading on a number of topics, delivered four times a year.

Naturally, there is core editorial related to the Giltrap Group's primary business (vehicle sales), but 66 Magazine has also been designed from the outset to incorporate lifestyle content relevant to readers, whether that be interviews with leading New Zealand business, sports or arts personalities, technology news, accessories and fashion-focused content, property information, and more.

What sort of content do you publish, and how often?
The magazine is a quarterly publication printed on premium paper stock and delivered to more than 13,000 recipients. It is also available through Air New Zealand's Koru Lounges on both sides of the Tasman. The title has won awards for its design and presentation (including two awards in the 2021 Pride in Print industry awards) and aims to present content in a premium way that has aesthetic value to the reader beyond the content itself.

Essentially, as a quarterly publication, we want it to last on coffee tables a long time! To that end, while the subject of motoring and new vehicles is a distinct through line in each issue, great care is taken to ensure there is plenty of lifestyle content that will appeal to a wide array of readers.

Who is 66 Magazine's target audience?
66 Magazine is distributed free to Giltrap Group’s highest value customers first and foremost. Anyone who has purchased a new Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Jaguar, Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, McLaren, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen or Volvo vehicle through the Giltrap Group dealer network (valued at >NZ$50,000) within the last 24 months qualifies to receive the title. As a result, the magazine has become a popular destination for premium advertisers: the audience is affluent, actively spend, have discretionary income, and are proven to update their vehicles on a semi-regular basis.

What are the issues or trends your team is excited about covering in 2022?
The biggest trend in motoring is undoubtedly the rise of the electric vehicle (EV). This has changed the landscape indelibly for pretty much every manufacturer doing business at a global level. We are seeing more and more plug-in electric and full battery electric vehicles entering the New Zealand market.

Naturally, consumers want to know more - whether an EV will work for them and their lifestyle, and what are the pros, cons and myths surrounding driving or owning an EV. The wider topic is here to stay, so we are making sure to cover new models as they arrive - along with all other models from the premium automotive brands the Giltrap Group is associated with.

How can PRs work with 66 Magazine? What makes a pitch stand out?
Emailed approaches to 66 Magazine Editor, Cameron Officer, or Business Development Manager, Steve Vermeulen, are the preferred methods.

As an "owned media" title, scrutiny is given to whether the topic being pitched is relevant to the audience or could potentially be at odds with any of the established "house" brands represented within its pages. The Giltrap Group has final say on the inclusion of any content beyond the magazine's core focus.

Tell us about your editorial team. Who covers what?
The magazine has a small but hard-working writing staff who are automotive specialists, but have also had many years’ experience creating lifestyle, travel, entertainment and sports content for New Zealand’s largest media organisations and businesses. As the tangible aesthetic of 66 Magazine is vital to its success, a small but trusted group of skilled photographers are engaged to shoot stories.

Any editorial deadlines to be aware of?
Ad material deadline for the forthcoming Autumn issue is 4^th March, or 27^th May for the Winter issue. 

Answers submitted by Cameron Officer, Editor at 66 Magazine.