Congratulations to 5280, which recently won three national City and Regional Magazine Awards, including the prestigious Excellence in Writing honor. 5280 bested larger publications in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia in the Excellence in Writing category, in the Reader Service category, and in the Writer of the Year category, which went to senior staff writer Robert Sanchez.
Category: 5280
Linhart Cracks 5280’s ‘Most Powerful People’ List
Congratulations to Sharon Linhart, who was named the 49th most powerful person in Denver.
5280 Adds Brugeman as Restaurant Critic
5280 has added Stacey Brugeman as its new restaurant critic. Brugeman has been in the food business for more than a decade and she holds a masters degree in food studies from New York University and an Intermediate Certificate in Wine from the International Wine Center. Before joining 5280, Brugeman held editorial positions at Saveur and Food & Wine in New York City. Brugeman’s work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, Men’s Journal, Natural Health, and The Denver Post.
5280 Promotes Spreeuw, Van Dyke
5280 Publishing has promoted Remy Spreeuw to publisher and Geoff Van Dyke to the newly created positon of editorial director.
As publisher, Spreeuw will be responsible for sales, marketing, production, and operations for all of the company’s titles. And as editorial director, Van Dyke will oversee 5280 Publishing’s four titles: 5280 magazine, 5280 Health, 5280 Traveler, and 5280 Home.
5280’s Spreeuw Named DBJ OWB Finalist
Congratulations to 5280 Associate Publisher Remy Spreeuw for being named a finalist for the Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business awards.
Former Denver Magazine Flack Launches Boutique Agency
Katie Shapiro, who formerly handled public relations for Denver Magazine before it was acquired by 5280, has officially launched Katie Shapiro Media, a boutique agency that focuses on freelance writing, public relations and events. Clients include SOL (The Store of Lingerie) in Cherry Creek, 303 magazine, Aspen Film, and Reel Social Club.
5280 Picks Up Another Award
5280 magazine won a City and Regional Magazine Association (CRMA) Award for the Best Magazine Redesign at the recent Annual CRMA Conference Awards Dinner. The competition was open to members of CRMA and other city and regional magazines throughout North America that qualified.
5280’s Brogan Recognized as a One of the ‘Folio 40’
5280 editor and publisher Daniel Brogan has been included on Folio Magazine‘s Folio 40, described as an honor for the industry’s most innovative and distinguished professionals. The list represents a broad facet of magazine publishing from every corner of the industry. Said Folio:
“Brogan has proven that maintaining a focus on and investment in high-quality content is a proven long-term strategy.”
5280 Finalist for Prestigious NMA award
Congratulations to 5280 magazine senior editor Natasha Gardner, whose feature article, “Direct Fail,” has been named a finalist for a National Magazine Award in the Public Interest category. The article documented the negative outcomes of a Colorado policy that allows district attorneys to unilaterally decide when to criminally prosecute juveniles as adults.
5280 Named Finalist for Prestigious ASME Award
It’s been a good week for 5280 magazine. Less than a week after being named one of America’s Top 5 city magazines for the third time, 5280 has become the first city and regional publication ever to be named a finalist for a National Magazine Award for Digital Media.
The digital award nomination from the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is for “The Saddlemaker,” a short video that tells the story of Jesse W. Smith, who has been making saddles in southeastern Colorado for 47 years. It was created by Jefferson Panis. Other finalists in the video category are GQ, New York Times Magazine and Slate.
Behind-the-Scenes Look at 5280’s Redesign
After feasting on the remains of Denver Magazine, 5280 celebrated by redesigning the magazine and creating a new logo. Art Director Dave McKenna and Deputy Editor Geoff Van Dyke narrate a behind-the-scenes video that shows the decisions involved in the redesign.
5280 Names Horn Marketing Director
5280 Magazine has hired Carrie Horn as its new marketing director. Horn joins the magazine from Entercom Communications, where she served as promotions director for Denver’s Alice 105.9 radio station.
5280 to Honor Denver Magazine Subscriptions
If you were wondering who was the winner in 5280’s recent acquisition of Denver Magazine, you can stop. It was 5280. Despite press releases touting print runs of 50,000 copies, Denver Magazine only had 3,000 paid subscribers. The remaining copies were dumped at local hotels and businesses. Here’s guessing 5280’s Dan Brogan got the deal of a lifetime. So much so that he has agreed to fulfill existing Denver Magazine subscriptions with 5280 issues as a goodwill gesture.
5280 Acquires, Shuts Down Denver Magazine
Apparently I wasn’t the only one dumbfounded impressed by Denver Magazine’s ability to thrive during an economic downturn. 5280 announced today it has acquired the assets of the upstart magazine, which will cease publication immediately.
5280 Acquires Key Assets from Luxury Media Group; Denver Magazine to Cease Publication
Denver, Colo., April 19, 2011-5280 Publishing, Inc. today announced that it has acquired key assets from Luxury Media Group, Inc., licensor ofDenver Magazine’s intellectual property. Among the intellectual property transferred to 5280 are the Federal trademark of the name Denver Magazine; several internet domain names, including denvermagazine.com; and Denver Magazine’s Twitter account and Facebook pages. Simultaneously, Denver Magazine announced that it was ceasing publication, effective immediately.
Denver Magazine was first published in February 2008. During its three-and-a-half year run, the magazine scored an exclusive interview with then-candidate Barack Obama and formed numerous strategic partnerships with prominent local organizations.
“Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of rival magazines come and go in Denver,” said Daniel Brogan, 5280 Magazine’s founder, editor, and publisher. “None have lasted as long or made as big of a splash as Denver Magazine. You have to respect the hard work and ambition that Michael Ledwitz and his team brought to the table.”
“As CEO, publisher and editor in chief of Denver Magazine, I was able to really understand what makes this city tick and have enjoyed every moment of it. I look forward to 5280 continuing to publish a great city magazine for the residents and visitors of Denver,” said Denver Magazine founder, Michael Ledwitz.
5280 will not be assuming any of Denver Magazine’s liabilities or obligations. Under the terms of the transaction, neither 5280 nor Denver Magazine will be releasing any additional information regarding this agreement.
About 5280
Founded in 1993, 5280 is the largest local magazine in Colorado, with a total distribution in excess of 85,000. A finalist for four National Magazine Awards, 5280 was recently named one of the five best city magazines in America by the City and Regional Magazine Association.
Vote Early, Vote Often
Voting for 5280’s Top of the Town awards ends March 18.
5280 Names Westword’s Roberts ‘Top Blogger’
Congratulations to Westword’s Michael Roberts for being named Top Blogger in 5280‘s annual Top of the Town issue. His “Latest Word” blog is the first one I read every morning, and the first one I recommend to anyone looking to fill their RSS reader.
5280 Names New Art Director
5280 has hired award-winning designer David McKenna as art director. McKenna most recently worked at National Geographic Adventure, and his work has been recognized with a National Magazine Award nomination for General Excellence, as well as other honors including a Society of Publication Designers award and Folio’s Ozzie Award recognizing excellence in magazine redesign.
5280 Nominated for Multiple Awards
As publisher Dan Brogan noted, last week was a great one for 5280. The magazine was named again as a finalist for a National Magazine Award and was nominated for five awards from the City and Regional Magazine Association.
The National Magazine Award nod went to “Low on O2,” 5280’s in-depth look at the often-misunderstood effects of living at high altitude, which appeared in the October 2009 issue and was written by staffers Lindsey B. Koehler and Natasha Gardner.
The nominees for the City and Regional Magazine Association awards are:
- Writer of the Year: Robert Sanchez
- Photo Essay: “The Forgotten Plains,” by Jefferson Panis
- Reader Service: “Snow Business,” by Lindsey B. Koehler, Natasha Gardner, Patrick Doyle, Julie Dugdale, Geoff Van Dyke, Corey H. Jones
- E-Newsletter: “Table Talk,” by Amanda Faison
- Community Service Project: “Single in the City Event”
2010 Denver PR Predictions – Daniel Brogan
By Daniel Brogan
Editor & Publisher
5280 Magazine
Let’s be honest: New Year’s predictions tend toward wishful thinking. So while I’m as tempted as the next guy to forecast an improved economy and rejuvenated marketing budgets (or at least come up with something funny), I’ll instead go with something I can say with far more certainty: For better or worse, 2010 will be the year that magazines seal their fate.
The year ahead is likely to see a variety of shiny new gadgets, all promising to provide new publishing platforms that are well suited to what magazines do best. The question is what we’ll do with them.
If we follow the example set in the last decade by newspapers, blindly following every trend that came down the digital pike (Free content! Podcasts! Blogs! Citizen journalism! Facebook! Twitter!) without giving any real thought to sustainable business models, we will surely slide into irrelevance, just as they have.
On the other hand, if we give careful attention to re-inventing ourselves in ways that truly serve readers and advertisers alike – you may have already seen this example, but a far more thoughtful exploration is here – we stand a real chance of thriving in this new decade.
5280’s Brogan Named President of CRMA
5280 magazine editor and publisher Daniel Brogan has been elected president of the City and Regional Magazine Association’s (CRMA) board of directors. The national organization represents more than 80 local and regional lifestyle magazines throughout the United States and Canada.
Westword: Fox31 Stars ‘Go from Anchors to Skank-ers’
When 303 Magazine announced its recent “Gentleman’s Issue” featuring nude local marketing directors, I wrote it off as the desperate last gasp of a magazine being squeezed to death by 5280 and Denver Magazine. But now Denver Magazine has followed suit with its own “Men’s Issue,” and Michael Roberts at Westword has called out Fox31 GM Dennis Leonard for allowing anchors Libby Weaver and Natalie Tysdal to transform themselves from “anchors to skank-ers” for the cover photo shoot.
Former 5280 Editor to Offer Pitching Tips at PRSA Event
Former 5280 Deputy Editor Cara McDonald will share writing/pitching tips in a special PRSA “Lemonade and Learning” session from 4:00 to 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 17. Details are here.
Mango Names Comroe Marketing Director
Mango Media has hired Sabrina Comroe as Marketing Director. Comroe formerly was Director of Digital Media at 5280 magazine.
5280 Named Top 5 Magazine by CRMA
Congratulations to 5280 for being named a finalist for the City and Regional Magazine Association’s annual General Excellence award. 5280 joins Texas Monthly, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles magazines as the nation’s top local magazines with circulations greater than 60,000.
5280 Layoffs May Open a Door for Denver Magazine
And the media layoffs continue. 5280 publisher Dan Brogan confirmed in a blog post what we had been hearing for a couple of weeks – that two staffers were let go due to softening ad sales. But the layoff of the magazine’s director of digital media because “we no longer have the luxury of living in the future” belies an interesting – and potentially dangerous – strategy for weathering the economic downturn. With Denver Magazine representing a more sustained threat than 5280 staffers originally anticipated (compare their recent page counts), will the retreat give Denver Magazine a greater opportunity to establish a relationship with younger audiences that expect a compelling online presence?
Denver Magazine Proves Us Wrong
We put the over/under on Denver Magazine at six issues, and Jay Daignault reminds us that it is now at seven issues and counting. After the collapse of Shine, we were skeptical about Denver Magazine’s chances, and while there have been some turbulent times (replacing Dahlia Jean Weinstein as editor), there have been some good times as well (snagging the exclusive Barack and Michelle Obama interview leading up to the DNC). Here’s hoping that Denver Magazine rides out the economic downturn and becomes the yang to 5280‘s yin. Click here if you want to subscribe.
5280 Web Editor Sucker Punches Purse Thief
Don’t screw with 5280, lest you suffer the consequences. Brava, Vanessa.
Would You Be Willing to Pay Me in Euros?
Fort Collins Now takes a shot at 5280’s internship salary of $600 per month, calling it a “paltry” sum. Of course, it is $600 per month more than some Denver PR agencies pay their interns (that means you Turner PR, among others).
5280 Looking for PR/Marketing Director
5280 magazine has a marketing/public relations director position open.
Satellites, Steaks and … Well, You Know
Last week, we chastised Bill Husted for his lame sightings around town. Well, this week 5280 shows him how it’s done: porn king Larry Flynt at Del Frisco’s.
5280 Says ‘Screw You’ to Publishing Upstarts
Amid all the talk of upstarts Denver Magazine and Denver Life, and the now-defunct Shine, 5280 is trying to remind Denverites who the 800-pound gorilla is by announcing its biggest press run ever. The mag will print 100,000 copies of its March issue (“Best Restaurants”) in anticipation of heavy newsstand sales.
5280 vs. Denver Magazine vs. Colorado Expression
Aldo Svaldi at the Denver Post covers the high-end Denver-area magazine battlefield.
It Turns Out the Gelatto Business Is Not Like Publishing …
If you are waiting to hear back from that freelancer for Shine magazine, don’t bother. It has folded after a single issue. Better start pitching 5280 again, or, if you’re feeling lucky, the trendy new Denver Magazine. And for those bettors out there, Denver PR Blog has set the over/under on Denver Magazine at six issues.
Denver Public Relations Blog 