The decision to let a publishing company in Iowa produce Kansas magazine should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever picked up the quarterly oversized leaflet in a doctor’s waiting room. A subscriber list of only 43,000 should tell you that it didn’t do much to promote tourism. Kansas has more to offer than a close-up of a meadowlark and the wavy green terrain in the Flint Hills. The Des Moines publisher that will receive our tax dollars has produced Better Homes & Gardens and Midwest Living magazines; it has experience in producing quality tourist-based publications.
Department of Commerce spokesman Caleb Asher defended the move to the Iowa publisher, explaining it “will help them have a better understanding of Kansas, and promote the state through their magazines.”
The Iowa company’s landing of a Kansas-focused contract demonstrates a valuable lesson to Kansas businesses — exceed at your business, and you’ll find no borders to your market.
Posted by Angie Holladay
