We are witnessing an amazing evolution in all fields, and snowmobiling is no exception. As far as vehicles are concerned, we are far from the first machines designed by J-A Bombardier in his Valcourt workshop. Advancements are not only mechanically palpable, the technologies surrounding the snowmobile are in constant development for all motorized sport enthusiasts.
These developments at all levels are essential to improve several aspects of our business and their contributions are very well received by all. Among these, we cannot ignore the launch of the BRP GO!
In a phone interview, the Passion Motoneige magazine team spoke with Matyas Gabor, Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at BRP since 2018 and co-founder and director of the Deloitte Digital agency in Montreal. Mr. Gabor has been supporting organizations through their marketing and digital transformation for over 15 years, drawing on his experience in digital marketing and communications. A true expert in this new and constantly evolving environment, he is dedicated to the growth of the companies he supports.
Mr. Matyas Gabor has also worked for the digital and marketing transformation of several industries such as finance, aerospace, transportation, energy, retail, beauty and more, accompanying the most beautiful brands in Quebec and in the world, such as Bombardier, Visa, Desjardins, Pepsi Co, Mars, Mercedes-Benz, BRP, Hydro-Quebec, Lise Watier, L’Oreal and many others.
Therefore, it is with great honor that we shared several minutes with this very talkative man and a passionate of his profession. We have condensed the essence of our interview to demystify this new application that will be a great contribution for all snowmobile enthusiasts.
Passion Motoneige – We are aware that everyone has a smartphone these days and it is an almost indispensable tool. As a result, we are familiar with a multitude of applications that are related to it. BRP recently launched the BRP GO! application. Can you tell us what it is?
Matyas Gabor – BRP GO! started with a question: how can we create a better experience for our consumers? We have understood for many years that at BRP, we offer our customers much more than vehicles and products, we offer an experience. Then we asked ourselves how we could help them navigate. The true snowmobiler will want to explore the world and if they don’t have the tools to do so, they will be forced to ride in places that are only familiar and therefore will have a very limited experience. If we go back in time, to know his route, we had paper maps. Its use was tedious and required a complete interruption of the vehicle for its consultation. The challenge that we were asked was to implement a real time navigation tool to allow us to explore the trails at our disposal in an easier and understandable way for everyone.
This journey also led to a fundamental question: how to use your smartphone on the trail without having to stop and take it out of your pocket all the time? The problem in the latter case lies in the loss of battery life and frostbite on the hands created by the winter cold. Therefore, the development of this application is directly related to the development of a new display in the dashboard of some Ski-Doo 2021 models.
This new application allows you to plan your itinerary beforehand in the comfort of your home and invite your friends at the same time. In some cases, when the snowmobile is equipped with the new BRP Connect display, a simple synchronization between the phone and this innovation at Ski-Doo allows for a transfer of data and the pre-planned itinerary is available on the new LCD screen.
It is also important to mention that it is not necessary to plan an itinerary, as we can go on an adventure and the geolocation system will give us our exact location on the trail and points of interest.
What is important to us at BRP is to promote the activity of snowmobiling, but also a responsible adventure.
Passion Motoneige – All large-scale projects like this one are not realized in a snap of the fingers. How long did it take before it came into effect in November 2020?
Matyas Gabor – The digital team at BRP is relatively new and it started in mid 2018. At the beginning, only 6 people were assigned to this department and during 2021, this number will reach more than 100. It was towards the end of 2018 that we started thinking about the development of this application, but it was only 6 months later that we really started working on it. The first challenge was getting access to the map data, because without it, it was not possible to create what we wanted to implement. Technology development began in late 2019 and an announcement was made at the BRP Club in February 2020. The culmination was the official launch on the Apple and Google store last November.
Passion Motoneige – BRP must have made agreements with certain authorities regarding mapping, can you tell us more about this?
Matyas Gabor – One of the challenges in promoting a responsible experience was to centralize map data, something that did not exist in the past. BRP GO! fills this void by bringing all this data together for the benefit of snowmobilers. We had to work with governments, associations and clubs to gain access to this essential data and transpose it into our application in a way that respects our partners and stakeholders, because this application was developed not for the benefit of BRP, but rather for the benefit of snowmobilers.
Passion Motoneige – Does this application have an acquisition cost?
Matyas Gabor – It’s free and it’s an application we created to enable the best experience for everyone. It’s our contribution to creating a more responsible and safe business.
Passion Motoneige – What are its main features and how does it differ from existing applications on the market?
Matyas Gabor – The first aspect of the BRP GO! application that stands out is the centralization of all map data. The second aspect is the ability to combine this application with the new BRP Connect display for certain Ski-Doo 2021 models. Above all, we have created an accessory that we are very proud of: the Glovebox Extension/GPS Mounting Kit is available on all Ski-Doo REV Gen4 snowmobiles except the Summit X, Summit Expert and Freeride models. BRP GO! allows us to see the other members of our ride in the interface as well, provided of course that we have this application. Another important aspect is that when the data is downloaded beforehand to our cell phone, if for some reason we lose a signal, we will not have an intermission of our route. Finally, the possibility of inviting friends is an added value to this application.
Passion Motoneige – Is this application currently available for both IOS and Android?
Matyas Gabor – Absolutely, to meet the needs of all snowmobile enthusiasts. And something we’re very proud of, right after its launch, we were ranked number 3 downloaded navigation app for Canada for the Apple store. This is a very satisfying feat and far exceeds our goals, as within a few weeks of its launch, we had achieved 400% more downloads than we had set for the entire season.
Passion Motoneige – Do I need to own a Ski-Doo 2021 snowmobile equipped with BRP Connect and the new 7.8″ LCD display to use this application?
Matyas Gabor – No, to promote the social aspect of snowmobiling, all snowmobilers can take advantage of this application and if you own a Ski-Doo snowmobile equipped with the REV Gen4 chassis, the addition of the aforementioned glove box extension enhances the ultimate experience.
Passion Motoneige – Therefore, if some members of a group own a snowmobile from a manufacturer other than Ski-Doo, can they benefit from the BRP GO application?
Matyas Gabor – Yes, because the BRP GO! application does not distinguish between the make and model of the snowmobile. Snowmobilers will be able to use their cell phones in the same way as Ski-Doo owners and take advantage of the features offered.
Passion Motoneige – We know that the popularity of Ski-Doo snowmobiles is recognized worldwide in all the Nordic countries, is this application spread across the globe?
Matyas Gabor – For now, the data is only available for North America. The application is currently available to U.S. and Canadian snowmobilers in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan. In the future, it is expected to expand to other states, provinces and territories in North America.
Passion Motoneige – Passion Motoneige – We are aware that cellular networks are not accessible everywhere and at all times. What happens when a network is lost?
Matyas Gabor – In case a route has been previously downloaded, we will not perceive any difference. However, the only information we will be deprived of is the location of the other members of the tour.
Passion Motoneige – Are you able to give us the scoop on the improvements that will be added in the future?
Matyas Gabor – The question we constantly ask ourselves at BRP is how to improve the riding experience for all consumers. What my team is working on is developing that experience across all different environments. Our team is working to improve and add functionality. Currently, we have implemented it on snowmobiles, but we are working to implement it on even more models in the future and eventually on other types of vehicles offered by BRP. Our team is working hard to improve the experience on an ongoing basis.
The Passion Motoneige magazine team would like to thank Mr. Matyas Gabor and Amélie Forcier for this very interesting interview about Learn all about the new BRP GO application.
Interview by Patrick Roch
