Ingenuity - New Orleans City Business

Urban Dog MagazineMagazine finds its niche by going to the dogsAs a dog lover — in particular as a lover ofmutts and mongrels — Lisa Robinson wasfrustrated that most dog publications,such as Dog Fancy and Dog World,seemed geared toward breeders and a certainrarefied type of dog enthusiast.However, she saw opportunity in her frustration;Robinson published the first issueof her magazine, Urban Dog, in 2001.“I was inspired to create it because Iwas looking for something like it,”Robinson said. “I wanted a magazine thatcelebrated dog culture.” Urban Dog, withthe tagline “Get in touchwith your inner dog,” is Name: Urban Dogmore than articles aboutfleas and how to take care Location: New Orleansof a pet, according to Publisher: Lisa RobinsonRobinson. It’s about“thoughts and reflectionsof our lives with dogs.”Reading any issue ofthe quarterly will uneartharticles offering just that.Sometimes the content has been writtenexclusively for Urban Dog; sometimesRobinson has reprinted from othersources essays and anecdotes that fit inwith her overall theme.Often the magazinewill profile photographers and paintersProduct: Publishes quarterlymagazine aimed at dog loverswho don’t necessarily havepurebreds in their kennels.who use canines as their subject material.Although the magazine has a smallsubscriber base for readers who wantnew issues mailed to them, Urban Dogmainly is distributed for free at a varietyof outlets, ranging from pet stores to coffeeshops, and depends almost entirelyon ad sales for revenue.The magazine started with a printrun of 8,000; its soon-to-be-published10th issue will have a run of about25,000. Net income rose 70 percent to$20,923 from $18,160 between May2003 and May 2004.Started in New Orleanswith local advertisers,the magazine is nowavailable in 23 states andis finding new forms ofdistribution.For example, HotelMonaco, a national chainof luxury hotels thatallows guests to bringtheir pets, is including a copy of UrbanDog as part of a dog package deal.Books-a-Million, the third-largest U.S.bookstore chain, is experimenting withdistributing the magazine in about 70 ofits stores.Lisa Robinson started Urban Dog Magazine as an alternative to publications geared to owners of purebreds.As the magazine grows, it has beenattracting more national advertisers and e-commerce pet sites. Robinson is toyingwith the idea of putting out Urban Dog sixtimes a year,depending on her advertisers.In any case,she knows there’s an audiencefor more dogginess.“I’m a dog nut,” explained Robinson,who signs her e-mails with a ‘Woof.’“There’s a million of us out there.”— Henry K. AlpertIn the unpredictable world of businesstravel, it’s good to have ESP.Take your meeting straight to thetop at the Omni Royal Orleans.Business travel isn’t always the easiest thing to plan. That’s why Omni Hotelscreated our Executive Service Plan (ESP), designed to ease travel planning.Whether you choose the Omni Royal Orleans, winner of the Pinnacle Award forten consecutive years, or the Omni Royal Crescent Hotel, ESP is a great way toexperience luxury that’s surprisingly sensible. To learn more about how yourcompany can benefit from ESP, call our specialist, Julie Yates, at (504) 527-0006.Nobody works harder to arrange the perfect business event thanthe staff at the Omni Royal Orleans. All right in the heart ofyour favorite French Quarter. So you’re free to focus on business!It’s no wonder we’ve earned the prestigious Pinnacle Award for tenstraight years. To learn more about how to plan the perfect businessevent, call (504) 529-7010 or visit omniroyalorleans.com.2004 Innovator of the Year 17A