Winding Road's Bob Weber talks about how to tap into the valuable autos enthusiast market, and outlines why it's the right time to target them by integrating the strengths of print and online.

Jodi Harris: Please describe the concept of Winding Road. How did this new digital magazine come about? What challenges was eBay Motors experiencing that this effort will help meet?

Bob Weber is the publisher of Winding Road, a monthly digital magazine and daily website published by Absolute Multimedia, Inc. In his role as publisher, Weber is responsible for the business operations of the magazine and leads the advertising sales team. He also oversees all marketing and public relations activities for Winding Road.

Bob Weber: Winding Road is the first digital-only magazine for car enthusiasts, offering a digital-only magazine and website. The magazine was developed by Absolute Multimedia CEO Tom Martin. Tom and his son, both huge automotive enthusiasts, were coming back from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event and came up with the concept for Winding Road. Tom had experience running other publications, including The Absolute Sound, and saw the potential of having a digital-only model.

The Winding Road - eBay Motors Edition was developed to offer compelling content to eBay Motors' automotive enthusiast community. eBay Motors and Winding Road operate exclusively in the digital universe, so there was a natural fit.

Harris: What audience is Winding Road intended to serve? What will the editorial cover?

Weber: Winding Road is intended to serve anyone with an interest in automobiles, from the extreme enthusiast to the casual observer. The editorial for Winding Road provides interesting, in-depth insights into the automotive experience-- from reviews of the latest sports cars and classic automobiles to coverage of key automotive events. Winding Road employs cutting-edge technology through its monthly digital edition and daily website, where video and multimedia provide readers with an experience beyond static pictures and content.

Harris: How does eBay Motors benefit from having a digital publication dedicated to serving its audience of automotive enthusiasts?

Weber: Our goal is to engage the vast community of eBay Motors users with editorial developed specifically for their needs and interests. Winding Road - eBay Motors Edition includes a monthly column from Winding Road's iconic editor-in-chief, David E. Davis, Jr., as well as trend reports, information on future collectible cars and interesting and off-beat finds on eBay Motors. As users of eBay Motors here at Winding Road, we know the site is the epicenter of the car enthusiast universe, and we seek to augment the experience.

Harris: How will sponsors benefit from the new publication? What does Winding Road offer that other digital automotive publications and websites lack?

Weber: The benefits are numerous: first, the economies of digital publishing are leveraged on behalf of the advertiser, providing them access to key consumers at a fraction of the cost of print media. Secondly, the digital universe provides dimension to the marketplace, and the ability build critical mass within that market. We will ultimately offer significantly more targeted consumers than were available to advertisers in print. Third, the multimedia capabilities of the platform enable advertisers to develop enhanced creative solutions, including video. Finally, advertising space in the digital universe is redefined, as the available creative landscape, equivalent to a traditional magazine page, is substantially larger, more intrusive and performs better than banner advertising units.

The advantage over other websites is based on users' ability to download and save the issues to a hard drive, enabling interaction without internet connection. Also, the product has been designed to live exclusively on the user's screen and has a user-friendly design. The format is a significant step forward from the difficult to read and navigate html-based products. And our website works with the monthly magazine, providing coverage of topical issues without fear of "scooping" the monthly magazine. All totaled, there are significant advantages.

Harris: What does digital publication allow eBay Motors to do that it couldn't accomplish through the highly successful eBay website?

Weber: It allows eBay Motors to engage users on a more intimate level, providing insights and knowledge about the hobby from an automotive editorial staff with a collective 100 years of experience and vision. It will also serve to enhance time spent on the site.

Harris: Toyota has signed on as the first big sponsor of Winding Road. What does this deal offer them, and other potential automotive marketers?

Weber: Toyota seeks engagement with automotive enthusiasts and supports initiatives in a wide array of venues. Winding Road and Winding Road - eBay Motors Edition provided them with an early entry position to an emerging media platform that seeks to redefine how publishers communicate with consumers. Our format provides an enhanced experience for enthusiasts, is accessible through a medium that improves their lifestyles and enables consumers to move forward. Winding Road is engaged with Toyota to identify further technical developments that will further enhance the user experience.

BMW, Subaru, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Porsche, Audi, Escort are a few of our other significant marketing partners.

Harris: How does targeting the autos enthusiast market with a regular publication help eBay meet its strategic marketing goals?

Weber: eBay Motors feels the publication is a great way to offer compelling content to the millions of automobile enthusiasts who frequent eBay Motors. eBay Motors is already the No. 1 automotive site on the Internet according to Nielsen//NetRatings with approximately 12 million unique visitors per month. This publication is another great offer to support that community of enthusiasts.

Harris: Are there any plans to incorporate user-generated content into this publication?

Weber: Yes, in the next edition we'll be implementing a message board where readers can comment and interact with the editors.

Jodi Harris is managing editor of iMedia Connection's Driving Interactive. Read full bio.