Drivers Republic

Drivers Republic was a British automotive media and community platform launched in March 2008. It was created as a digital-first destination for driving enthusiasts, combining editorial journalism, photography, video, downloadable audio, digital magazine features, and social-network functionality. The project was privately owned and managed by NewMedia Republic Limited. The founding team brought together experienced automotive journalists and a digital-marketing executive. Steve Davies, the only non-journalist among the original founders, had previously worked as a management consultancy partner at KPMG Consulting and as managing partner at Experian Integrated Marketing. His work with Hitwise and his advice to companies including Yahoo, Microsoft, and eBay gave him experience in internet marketing and online communities. Davies provided the initial investment for the project. The editorial group included Richard Meaden, a co-founder of Evo magazine; Jethro Bovingdon, a former deputy editor of Evo; and Chris Harris, formerly road test editor at Autocar. Neil Carey, previously a designer at Evo, subsequently joined the team. The service was designed around the idea that an automotive publication could also function as a participatory online community. Its editorial output included automotive news, first-drive reports, columns, photography, streaming video, downloadable audio tracks, and digital magazine features, sometimes described as e-zines. These features could contain written articles, images, and embedded video, and were published as often as twice a week. The platform initially used Zmags for digital magazine delivery before moving to Texterity. Readers could view the magazines through the Drivers Republic website or download them to computers and mobile handsets. The community element allowed members to create profiles, upload photographs and videos, write blogs, join groups, add friends, and publish events. This gave users a personal repository for automotive stories and media while also supporting interaction among drivers. In concept, the service combined specialist car journalism with features associated with emerging social-networking platforms. Drivers Republic also pursued relationships with automotive venues and businesses. In July 2008, it formed a partnership with Silverstone Circuits, enabling the platform to use the Grand Prix circuit and associated straights for lap-time testing and performance-data collection. The partnership reflected the brand's emphasis on measurable driving performance and enthusiast-oriented content. The platform ceased operations on 11 August 2009. Steve Davies attributed the closure to differences among the owners and creative team over future priorities and the direction of the project. He stated that the shutdown was not caused by financial distress, describing the company as well supported by the automotive industry and positioned for further growth before the disagreement led to the parties separating. After the original site closed, much of the digital magazine and feature content disappeared from the original servers. The Drivers Republic domain later resurfaced as a different site called SkiddMark. Drivers Republic therefore remains an early example of an automotive media venture that attempted to merge professional editorial production, online video, and community participation before its short operating period ended.

Drivers Republic was established in March 2008 as an attempt to build a new kind of automotive media business around the internet. Rather than operating solely as a conventional magazine, it combined editorial publishing with a dedicated online community, a video channel, and digital distribution. The platform was privately owned and managed by NewMedia Republic Limited. Its founding group combined automotive publishing experience with expertise in digital marketing and online communities. Steve Davies had worked in management consulting and integrated marketing, including senior roles at KPMG Consulting and Experian Integrated Marketing. Through work with Hitwise, he developed experience advising internet businesses and major technology companies on social networking and online marketing. Davies supplied the initial investment for Drivers Republic. The editorial founders were Richard Meaden, associated with the creation of Evo magazine; Jethro Bovingdon, a former deputy editor of Evo; and Chris Harris, formerly road test editor at Autocar. Designer Neil Carey, also previously connected with Evo, later joined the team. The site's content covered automotive news, first drives, columns, road-test-style material, photography, streaming video, downloadable audio, and digital magazine features. The e-zines could appear as frequently as twice a week and combined text, images, and embedded video. Drivers Republic initially used the Zmags platform to publish its digital magazines and later moved to Texterity. Readers could access the magazines online or download them to computers and mobile devices, reflecting the company's effort to reach audiences beyond the traditional print-magazine format. The social side of the service was central to its identity. Members could create profiles, upload images and video, write blogs, join interest groups, add friends, and publish events. These tools allowed Drivers Republic to function as a specialist community as well as a publication. The service's model anticipated the convergence of enthusiast media and user participation: professional journalists produced premium editorial material while members created personal pages and shared their own automotive experiences. In July 2008, Drivers Republic formed a partnership with Silverstone Circuits. The arrangement gave it access to the Grand Prix circuit and associated straights for lap-time testing and the collection of performance data. This helped connect the online platform to physical driving experiences and gave its coverage a testing-oriented dimension. The venture's operating period was brief. Drivers Republic ceased operations on 11 August 2009. Steve Davies addressed the closure publicly and rejected the idea that financial problems were the cause, saying that the business had received generous support from the automotive industry and had been preparing for a strong year. His explanation was that the owners and creative team had developed incompatible views about future priorities, resulting in a separation and the end of the service. After the original website closed, much of its feature and magazine content was no longer available from the original servers. The Drivers Republic domain subsequently appeared in connection with a new website called SkiddMark. The brand's short lifespan means that many of its original digital assets are difficult to access, but its operating model illustrates an early effort to combine online automotive journalism, multimedia publishing, and social networking in one specialist destination.

• 2009

  Operations end

  [1]Drivers Republicen.wikipedia.org

  Drivers Republic ceased operations on 11 August following disagreements about the project's future direction.

• 2008

  Drivers Republic is founded

  [1]Drivers Republicen.wikipedia.org

  Steve Davies, Richard Meaden, Jethro Bovingdon, and Chris Harris founded Drivers Republic in March, with Neil Carey later joining the team.

• 2008

  Digital magazine publishing begins

  [1]Drivers Republicen.wikipedia.org

  Drivers Republic distributed recurring digital magazine features through its website, initially using Zmags and later Texterity.

• 2008

  Silverstone partnership

  [1]Drivers Republicen.wikipedia.org

  The platform partnered with Silverstone Circuits to conduct lap-time testing and collect performance data.

A digital-first automotive enthusiast platform combining specialist journalism, multimedia publishing, and social-network features for drivers.

• Digital publishing · 2008

  Online automotive magazine

  The editorial core of Drivers Republic consisted of automotive news, first-drive reports, columns, photography, and feature articles. The publication was designed for web delivery rather than print and incorporated multimedia elements, including video clips and audio. Its digital features, sometimes issued as e-zines, could be released as often as twice a week.

• Online video · 2008

  Drivers Republic video channel

  The video channel extended the site's automotive journalism through streamed clips embedded in editorial features. It supported visual coverage of cars, driving, and performance testing and formed part of the platform's broader multimedia approach.

• Internet community · 2008

  Drivers Republic social community

  The community allowed members to create profiles, share photographs and videos, publish blogs and events, join groups, and add friends. It gave driving enthusiasts a dedicated social environment connected to the site's professional editorial output.

• Automotive media · 2008

  Performance testing content

  Through its Silverstone relationship, Drivers Republic produced or supported lap-time and performance-data activities using the Grand Prix circuit and associated straights. The material connected the digital publication with controlled driving tests and track-based evaluation.

• 2009

  Cease Drivers Republic operationsStrategy

  Background

  The owners and creative team disagreed about the platform's future priorities and direction.

  Action taken

  Drivers Republic stopped operating on 11 August 2009.

  Aftermath

  Much of the original site's feature content disappeared from its servers, and the domain later resurfaced as SkiddMark.

  Source

• 2008

  Combine automotive journalism with a social communityStrategy

  Background

  The founders sought to create an automotive destination that went beyond conventional magazine publishing by combining editorial content, video, audio, digital magazines, and user profiles.

  Action taken

  Drivers Republic launched a community in which users could create profiles, share media, write blogs, join groups, add friends, and publish events alongside professionally produced automotive features.

  Aftermath

  The model established the platform's distinctive identity, although the service closed after less than two years.

  Source

• 2008

  Move digital magazine distribution from Zmags to TexterityOther

  Background

  Drivers Republic used an external digital-publishing platform to deliver its online magazine features.

  Action taken

  The publication initially used Zmags and subsequently adopted Texterity for magazine distribution.

  Aftermath

  The change supported delivery through the website and downloadable access on computers and mobile handsets.

  Source

1. 1Drivers Republicen.wikipedia.org