Magazine reaches out to younger seniors
A local niche publication that provided information and resources for the elderly is being redesigned as a lifestyle magazine for seniors.
“Prime: Having the Time of Your Life in the Inland Northwest” will debut in July and cater to people over age 50 who are interested in health and fitness, grandparenting and other topics. The bi-monthly magazine will include stories about home and hobbies, people, food and finance and a section on senior living options, including adult family homes, said George Green, CEO for ViVo.
ViVo Publications LLC, which recently launched “Building” magazine, entered into an agreement with Lisa Legg, the publisher of “Adult Care Resource Magazine,” to expand the magazine’s content and increase readership.
Green, who owns the year-old ViVo Publications with Karen Oeser and Collin Klamper, said no cash changed hands but the deal created a new company, Prime INW LLC, that reflects joint ownership of the new magazine.
To house its growing operations, ViVo, a company with nine employees, is also moving into a new headquarters at 154 S. Madison St. Green said ViVo will have a lease-buy option on about 4,000-square feet of space in the building, owned by RenCorp. The space is receiving about $200,000 in improvements.
This is the second publication for ViVo and the deal came about after Legg approached the company about getting help with operations for her growing publication, Green explained. “We said we like what you have. We like the niche you’re going after.”
Legg, director of Adult Family Home Association, which provides information and support for adult family home providers, launched the magazine two years ago as a means of getting the word out about options for adult family homes. Adult family homes provide care for up to six residents in a home-like setting.
She published the free magazine three times a year and distributed it through hospitals, doctors’ offices and other businesses that catered to the elderly. But when the magazine grew from 8,000 to 16,000 copies while she was raising a family and going to college, Legg decided she needed help.
“I just knew that I couldn’t do it on my own. I figured I was going to do a lot of work and not make much money,” said Legg, who has a degree in gerontology and currently attends Whitworth College.
ViVo conducted focus groups which found that the magazine’s demographic was older than many advertisers preferred, Green said. Also, seniors in the focus groups expressed interest in a range of topics not covered by the existing publication, he said.
Green said while the new magazine will reach a broader audience, it will also contain a section about adult family homes, assisted living and other long-term care choices to help maintain its existing readership.
Linn Parish, formerly of the Journal of Business, will edit stories submitted by freelance writers from around the region. The magazines will initially be distributed on a bi-monthly basis through about 400 businesses catering to seniors in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, he said.
“Right now we’re looking at targeting about 15,000 copies.”