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\nOn May 1, the premier issue of Palms to Pines Magazine will be released in Idyllwild, Palm Springs and desert cities, and various high-traffic locations throughout Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties. The magazine will highlight the similarities and contrasts of two popular Southern California destinations \u2014 Idyllwild and Palm Springs\/desert cities.<\/p>\n
Published by Idyllwild House Publishing Co., Ltd., owner of the Idyllwild Town Crier, and partner, Jay Pentrack, the magazine represents a focus entirely on tourism. \u201cFor many years, Idyllwild business owners have been hoping for the right vehicle to market Idyllwild as a destination to a larger market,\u201d said Publisher Becky Clark. \u201cWe believe that Palms to Pines Magazine is that tool.\u201d<\/p>\n
The magazine will be distributed free to consumers and a downloadable PDF will be available online, also for free. The magazine replaces the Idyllwild Guide previously published twice yearly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrilliant photography, compeling articles and quality production values (full-color, coffee-table quality) will establish the bi-monthly magazine as an effective marketing tool for Idyllwild,\u201d said Pentrack. \u201cFocusing on Idyllwild and Palm Springs as attractive tourist destinations seemed like the perfect marriage. With opposite seasons and a shared drive-market, the two cities can capitalize on longer guest stays by virtue of attractive day-trip itineraries for guests staying in either location.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pentrack explained that tourists visiting Palm Springs enjoy the opportunity to travel from the desert floor to Idyllwild\u2019s alpine environment. \u201cIt just makes sense to capitalize on that relationship,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll also reach the many desert residents who don\u2019t even know that Idyllwild is here or who still believe that it was decimated by the Mountain Fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal in hosting the Visitor Center was to introduce visitors to the many wonders of Idyllwild,\u201d said Clark. \u201cWith the new magazine, visitors will be able to take the magazine home and share Idyllwild with friends and family; people off the Hill unfamiliar with Idyllwild will now know that there is an entire community of wonderful, creative people, complete with restaurants, accommodations, galleries, shops, music and events, and a wealth of things to do and see here. We are excited about the possibilities it presents for the entire community.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the print magazine, a comprehensive marketing strategy including the PalmsToPinesMagazine.com website and social media (Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) round out an aggressive campaign to attract more tourists to Idyllwild and the desert cities. \u201cThe Town Crier enjoys average monthly traffic of more than 24,000 visitors to its website and more than 4,500 \u2018likes\u2019 on its Facebook page and Palms to Pines Magazine stands to benefit from the popularity of its sister site. Most new websites and Facebook pages take a good deal of time to build a following,\u201d said Halie Johnson, operations manager for both the Town Crier and Palms to Pines Magazine. \u201cWe will utilize reciprocal links and editorial stories about Palms to Pines Magazine on the Town Crier site as well as links on social media, with the intention of driving traffic immediately to Palms to Pines.\u201d The website and social media component are \u201clive\u201d online.<\/p>\n