Two new business publications are coming to town this fall.
The inaugural issue of bizSanDiego is expected in mid- to late-October, while Pacifica Magazine will launch in November.
BizSanDiego is being published by parent company Sermo Media out of Phoenix. It will consist of a monthly print magazine and strong online presence. Publisher Brian Sacks is a founding partner with Sermo and created the “biz” brand when he started bizAZ in 1997. That publication has since been sold.
As of last week, Sacks had not named an editor for the local publication, but said he is close to naming one with ties to a “prominent California magazine.” Most writing and photography for the publication will be bought on a freelance basis. Sacks said he expects to maintain only about five to seven full-time employees, including sales staff.
Sacks said he is seeking advertising from businesses that serve other businesses.
The newsstand price for bizSanDiego has not yet been determined, nor have any subscription rates. But Sacks said he has decided to keep online content free to view. Advertising rates, both online and in the print version, will be “competitive,” Sacks said.
Print content for bizSanDiego will include profiles of local companies and people in business, educational-type stories related to business practices and upcoming event information.
At most, the magazine, which will be standard sized and a high-gloss print, will run about 130 to 140 pages. Sacks said he is not a fan of magazines any larger than that. The inaugural issue of bizSanDiego will be about 68 pages.
Online content will include blogs, discussion boards, podcasts and directories for various types of local businesses.
Sacks said he plans to cover the entire county, including North County, where fellow newbie-on-the-block Pacifica Magazine is based.
Pacifica Publisher Rafael Cabrera is running the operation out of Oceanside. The magazine, which will be printed on very high quality heavy paper, will be distributed monthly by mail only with about 15,000 copies expected in the beginning. Subscriptions will cost $29 a year.
No news stories will be covered in Pacifica, Cabrera said.
Cabrera has a background in design and marketing and plans to focus much attention on illustrations, columnists and unique and interesting feature stories about local businesses.
Cabrera also plans to focus on building a readership that consists of chief executives and small-business owners with companies that report annual revenues anywhere from $5 million to $100 million.
Helen Kaiao Chang will be Pacifica’s managing editor. While most of the writing and photography will be freelanced, Cabrera plans to employ a full-time staff of about seven, which will include a sales representative, Web developer and illustrator.
Pacifica’s display advertising rates will be competitive. Classified ads will be offered for free in order to build traffic on the Web site, Cabrera said.
Neither Sacks nor Cabrera disclosed how much has been invested in the new publications.
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Account News: San Diego-based advertising agency MeadsDurket announced Sept. 7 that it would represent the Honda Dealers of San Diego County for one year. The account is estimated at $3 million.
The Honda Dealers of San Diego County is comprised of eight dealerships, spanning from National City to Escondido. Together, the eight plan to begin group marketing efforts next year.
“This is an unusual opportunity to launch a new entity centered around such a highly recognized and well-liked brand as Honda,” said Gary Meads, chief executive officer of MeadsDurket. “Honda is a perfect match for the lifestyle of San Diego and we plan to capitalize on that.”
MeadsDurket was founded in 2004 and has 28 employees.
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One To Watch: With high-profile clients such as Pepsi-Cola, Gillette Co. and Duracell to tend to, the Carlsbad-based Millennium Creative Group hasn’t aggressively sought many local clients. But that’s all about to change for the maturing agency, which offers both creative and production services.
President and founder Cliff Pia said last week that it’s time to step-up local marketing efforts.
It’s been four years since Millennium packed up its Arizona digs and moved to Carlsbad, bringing along plenty of existing work to do for national clientele, Pia said. Last year, Millennium, which employs seven people locally, reported revenues of $2.7 million.
Pia founded the company in New York in 1996. Soon thereafter, the agency expanded into Arizona and, in 2000, the decision was made to close the Arizona office and come to San Diego County. The agency still maintains an office in New York, with nine people working there, but considers its headquarters to be in Carlsbad.
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Public Sector: KPBS is about to become the latest TV station in San Diego to target the Hispanic market with a network set to debut in January.
The public broadcast system announced Sept. 14 that it would soon air V-me, a free 24-hour digital Spanish language network. Network programming in Spanish will adhere to all the same broadcast standards of KPBS’ English language programs, with content geared toward children, history, public affairs, biographies, arts and sciences.
A spokeswoman for the station said a channel number for V-me has not yet been decided but KPBS is in the process of ensuring it will be carried by Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable. Because it is a public station, KPBS does not feature commercials and all funding comes from grant and donation programs.
Send media and marketing news to Jessica Long at jlong@sdbj.com. She can also be reached at (858) 277-6359, ext. 3114.
