Jason Sarracini got his start at the travel company his grandfather founded in the 1960s. After 15+ years in other senior roles in the industry, he returned to the family business just before the pandemic. With international travel restricted, he saw an opportunity to focus on domestic Canadian experiences, founding Landsby in 2021.
Today, the brand uses storytelling as its anchor point, embracing the fact that stories create connection and change perception — and perception drives behaviour. When travellers understand why a place matters, they treat it with care.
Northern Soul, Landsby’s flagship digital magazine, is a quarterly showcase of these destinations. Built with Shorthand, it drives longer dwell times, higher engagement, and multiple story views per visit.
Why a digital magazine?
After starting with a standard blog, the team wanted “to deliver a great experience that wasn’t just words and wasn’t just images,” recalls Sarracini. “In launching a magazine, we really wanted something special.”
“That’s where Shorthand came into play.” When the team discovered it, “We really bought in and really went deep.”
Streamlined production and impressive results
“The platform enables our team to create magazine-calibre storytelling without relying on code,” says Northern Soul Managing Editor Izabela Jaroszynski, “while seamlessly integrating photography, video, maps, and data in a way that feels both clean and intentional.”
... the engagement rate for a story we created with Shorthand was 39%, whereas their other campaigns typically see 8-10%.
The investment has paid off, with notably longer dwell times on Shorthand stories compared with standard blog content. “Readers regularly spend several minutes on individual features, and many explore multiple stories in a single visit — demonstrating strong engagement with the magazine as a whole.”
Every Northern Soul issue starts on a landing page that features an interactive digital map. Pins on the map link to beautifully designed standalone articles about each location. The Fall 2025 issue has a culinary theme.
“We value Shorthand for the way it blends strong editorial structure with modern, immersive design that is continually improving,” says Jaroszynski. “Most importantly, Shorthand streamlines production, empowering us to create polished, impactful narratives from start to finish.”
“Shorthand has allowed Northern Soul to flourish into a format that feels cohesive, immersive, and editorially sophisticated,” she says.
A satisfied community of content partners
The platform enables our team to create magazine-calibre storytelling without relying on code.
Northern Soul showcases stories from community groups, suppliers, and destination marketing organisations (DMOs). “We have most of the Canadian provinces and territories partnering with us, and that is much to do with Shorthand and the dynamic abilities that it brings to the online digital world,” says Sarracini.
“Our partners frequently remark on the polished, editorial quality of the format,” Jaroszynski says. “In one case, a partner shared that the engagement rate for a story we created with Shorthand was 39%, whereas their other campaigns typically see 8-10%.”
Industry recognition
One article, ‘Tales From The Dark’, won second place in the ‘Best story about travel within Canada’ category at the 2024 Travel Media Association of Canada National Awards. It’s a spellbinding scroller with Reveal and Text Over Media sections featuring night-sky timelapse video.
Northern Soul also placed as a finalist in the Storyteller of the Year category for the 2024 Regenerative Travel Impact Awards.
“Shorthand allows us to maintain a consistent visual identity across Northern Soul, whether the story is deeply personal or information-heavy.”
Built with Shorthand