Photo taken on Dorn Avenue, Oct. 2005
BUILDING THE SOUTH MIAMI
HOMETOWN BRAND
FOR TWENTY YEARS
Publisher’s Perspective: WE’RE LARGER THAN LIFE!!
When first published starting in the fall of 2005, the magazine was called “In & Around the Shops – South Miami Town Center” (Whew! Now you know why we eventually shortened it!) It was a tabloid size and published ten times in that first year to build the “Town Center” brand. This marketing initiative, rather than “Downtown South Miami”, was originally proposed by the Mayor’s Marketing Task Force in 1996, to convey a more “hometown” image recognizing our unique boutiques and fine restaurants. Over the course of the year, as the magazine grew in appreciation, each issue brought anticipation for the next.
Indeed as a tabloid size, we were “larger than LIFE.” We became larger than life as well in promoting our dynamic shopping and dining area. In 2005, South Miami was a destination shopping area and our retail and restaurant community prospered.
Over the course of the years change came easy, from the size of the magazine – tabloid to large formatted magazine to the now very popular coffee table square format. We also developed an online edition of the magazine (www. somimag.com).
In addition to creative changes, we continually added new content; more regular features and articles were added, and advertising support continued to grow as well. The magazine was well received by our readership and partners. From the start we have had a saturated distribution in our retail and restaurant establishments, in area hotels, and in professional offices in a three-mile area out.
2 0 0 5 – 2 0 0 9
When the magazine first published in October 2005, we were known as “In & Around The Shops – South Miami Town Center” (and that was quite a mouthful!).
During that first year we publishing monthly. In January 2006, we featured our elected officials on the cover. Pictured were: then County Commissioners Carlos A. Gimenez with wife Lourdes, Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick with Jeannett, and South Miami Mayor Mary Scott Russell. Focus was clearly on the dynamic of a thriving “town center” which incorporates the county, Coral Gables and South Miami. After the first year, the magazine format changed from a folded tabloid to a large 9 x 12 format and published every other month.
2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 5
On our fifth anniversary we re-branded the magazine from the shortened “Town Center Magazine” to simply “SOMImag.” The conversation bubble in the letter “O” was an invitation for our readership to “Be Part of the Conversation.” Creative changes were also made throughout the growing publication.
2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 9
Concurrent with our tenth year of publishing we initiated an exclusive and authoritative cover feature series of principal cultural resources in the county: HistoryMiami, Fairchild Tropical Garden, The Barnacle, Perez Art Museum, Montgomery Garden, ZOO Miami, the Frost Science Museum, the Vizcaya Centenary, Stiltsville, the Doc Thomas House, The Underline and Everglades National Park. This series spanned over the years and positioned the magazine’s recognized editorial content. Our large 9×12 magazine with colorful “SOMI” has been a big standout – literally.
2 0 1 9/ 2 0 – P r e s e n t
Always taking major creative leaps every five years, with Volume XV the magazine was redesigned with a coffee table size square publication. And then came COVID shortly after launching our fifteenth year. Publication was suspended as readership and businesses were all masked. Our logo even wore a mask!.
As time and things changed, we published a separate edition of the SOMI Guide. Heretofore, the GUIDE was printed in the second half of the magazine. And starting with Volume XVIII, the seasonal lifestyle section of the magazine was exclusively published on line. The GUIDE would continue to be printed and widely distributed and also have its own online presence.
And now coming into Volume XX, there is another major leap forward with a redesigned SOMIonline Lifestyle Magazine.
S O M I G U I D E
During COVID-19, SOMII GUIDE was published as a standalone printed publication with an online link. The blue mask of the COVID era was placed on our SOMI XV logo. The format of the Guide followed the popular SOMI Magazine with its coffee-table square size. SOMI Guide has continued to be published seasonally consisting of a detailed listing of retail, restaurants and personal service businesses in town.
The SOMI Guide is available online at www.somiguide.com.
Thank you for featuring Vizcaya Museum and Gardens for our centennial celebration in 2016. We appreciate your support of us and fellow cultural institutions throughout Miami-Dade Couty.