January 2004 is around the corner and so too is the birth of a new brand name for our area, Bay Area Houston Magazine. After a long consideration Baycomber Magazine is becoming Bay Area Houston Magazine. What does this change mean and why change now is the question many readers and customers have? Rick Clapp sat down and talked about this change and the growth of the Bay Area.

Baycomber is already the most recognizable and popular magazine in the area so why change the name?

RC: "It was an emotional decision to change the name because Baycomber is so recognizable and means searching for treasures of the bay, but it had to be done in order to keep up with the growth and economic development of the area, and of Houston. I would like to personally thank Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, President of the Bay Area Economic Partnership Ken Reinhartsen, and the Greater Houston Business Bureau, because all were instrumental in making this name change happen. Bay Area Houston gives new breath to the community as it represents the area, and educates people about the nature and scope of Bay Area Houston."

What does Bay Area Houston mean?

RC: "When you say Clear Lake, you are talking about several cities that the Clear Lake area encompasses. Bay Area Houston refers to all of these cities from Pasadena, and Friendswood, all the way to Galveston, and everything in between. This creates a uniformity with other bay cities such as Tampa, Biscayne, San Francisco, and Chesapeake where you have an expansive bay area linked to a large metro area like Houston."

What role has Baycomber (soon Bay Area Houston Magazine) played in the area’s economic development?

RC: "We are proud to be a part of the business leadership of this area. We have been very effective at making the Baycomber a household name. We have a magazine with a reputation for being high quality, reliable and dependable. Baycomber leads and informs the community. The Bay Area Economic Partnership and the Chamber of Commerce both use our magazine to illustrate what the Bay Area has to offer. Bay Area Houston will represent emerging tourism and help to diversify our area while promoting hotels, restaurants, businesses, industries, and of course, our waterfront with ads, pictures, editorials, and articles."

How are the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and Chamber using the magazine?

RC: "When a family, business, or industry seeks to relocate, the Clear Lake Economic Development or the Chamber of Commerce are often the first places turned to for information. Our magazine is included with information mailed out about the area to let prospective residents and employers see what Bay Area Houston has to offer. I work closely with the major players working to strategize and develop our area. I know the dynamics of the area."

Will we notice a change in the magazine itself, other than the name?

RC: "Yes. The most noticeable change will be a slick, glossy cover and some format changes to keep up with our goal to solidify the region. Our main challenge will be to keep up with the wants and needs of our customers and readers. We plan to provide an even better product. We will maintain our commitment to high standards in publishing. It is so important to have partners to accomplish goals; we are very fortunate that our printing company and print representatives provide us with a quality product at an affordable price. They see the opportunities in providing us these rates so that our customers do not have to pay for our increasing quality. We work hand in glove with our suppliers to provide quality first, along with good news and value prices to our advertisers."

Baycomber has always been involved in the community; will Bay Area Houston continue this involvement?

RC: "Bay Area Houston Magazine will continue to donate more advertising space, money into the community, and volunteer time than other publications in the area. We believe in giving back to the community in every way possible. We hope our continuing community involvement encourages our publishing colleagues to give more to the community and to work together toward making the community the premier place to be. Cooperation rather than competition is the key to building a successful community."

Do you offer any services outside of publishing that business owners would be interested in?

RC: "Unlike other publishers in the country, we not only publish magazines but are a complete advertising and marketing agency. We are able to provide customers with advice on their businesses, as well as give them the services they need to be successful in business. We have a full service concept; we do it all from A to Z. Why spend valuable time contacting several businesses when one call can do it all? We can help a start-up and existing businesses with graphic design, corporate identity packages, printing, direct mail, marketing strategies, special events, and most importantly, branding."

How can you help someone with branding?

RC: "We’ve been very successful at branding other businesses as well as our own and it would be a wise decision for other companies to contact us for help. Companies can benefit from our services because we’ve been there; we understand the niche and the market. They can skip the trial and error process, which often leads to costly mistakes, and benefit from our experience. Again, it comes back to cooperation rather than competition. Our services can assist business owners to brand themselves for success. We strive to help others in the community succeed as we have."

You seem very excited about the change, is that a shared excitement with the staff?

RC: "We are all excited about taking the magazine to the next level. You have to have passion, talent, and set high goals. Being the best is contagious and the entire staff agrees, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone is anxious to raise the bar a little bit."

Speaking of success, what do you think is the key to the magazine’s success?

RC: "In order to be the best you have got to have the talent. Our team is well coached. We all come from different backgrounds. The staff is made up of worldly and open-minded employees who have traveled and lived all over the world. All of this meshes together different life experiences for a very successful formula. The staff will continue to promote Bay Area Houston the way it wants to be represented. Ultimately we’ve built our success on being corporate and socially responsible as well as responsible to the shareholders."

So how long do we have to wait to see the new baby?

RC: We will be formally announcing the name change at the Best of the Bay Area Houston Awards in November and we will also have an invitation-only event to launch the brand name to the media, corporate accounts, development partners, and city officials. In January we will welcome the new year with a brand name for our magazine and the entire area. Our readers and customers are amazing. They are confident and strong in their belief that we provide them with the best. They get to the stands right away to pick up our publication and we won’t let them down. January 2004 is only the beginning of exciting new things, not only for the magazine but for the entire area."