by Kristin Todd Stires
1983 marked the introduction of the first mobile phones to the public, the release of the Apple Lisa personal computer, and the debut of “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.” Ronald Reagan was president, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was the best-selling album. The year also marked the launch of the Baylor Business Review (BBR) as the flagship communication of Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, and we are proud to celebrate 30 years of the magazine this year!
The Baylor Business Review (BBR) communicates stories about how the university’s mission and values manifest in the lives of our alumni, faculty and students, as well as other business leaders around the world. The magazine also serves as a forum to discuss current business issues from the perspectives of academics as well as practitioners.
The publication was launched under the leadership of Judith Corwin, who dedicated 20 years to serving as the magazine’s first managing editor. Beth Barbee Hubbert served as managing editor from 2003 through 2007. The magazine’s current editor, Kristin Todd Stires, has managed the magazine since fall 2007.
Published twice each year, the magazine averages 60 pages per issue and reaches more than 40,000 subscribers, alumni and friends of the business school. Each issue of the magazine has a designated theme. Past themes include The Workforce; Customer Service; Small Business; Hankamer’s Faculty, Graduate Programs and Undergraduate Programs; Innovation; Sustainability and Social Responsibility; Real Estate; Energy; Entrepreneurship; Sports Marketing; and Technology.
As the business world has evolved, the BBR has evolved with it. The magazine was first published as an 8.5” x 11” glossy, two-color magazine. Under the direction of C.J Jackson, director of Communications and Marketing, extensive research was conducted in 2002 and 2003, which resulted in the introduction of the Baylor Business market position and brand. In conjunction with the school’s re-branding, the magazine underwent a major redesign with the fall 2003 issue. The magazine is now a colorful 9.5” x 11.75” publication with creative photos and graphics, and it is easily distinguished from other collateral mailed to our readership.
In 2005, the BBR was offered online for the first time. As for the printed publication, the magazine went green with the fall 2007 issue. The magazine is currently printed on FSC-certified 100 percent postconsumer waste entirely with non-polluting, wind-generated energy and contains 100 percent postconsumer recycled fiber. In 2011, the magazine’s website was redesigned for more readership engagement and moved to the domain bbr.baylor.edu. We became digital trailblazers in 2012, as we launched the BBR iPad app, which serves as an additional content platform and a way to further connect with our audiences while expanding our readership. The free BBR app offers readers an enhanced experience through videos, audio podcasts, interactive features such as hot spots and flip pages, and additional photos not published in the magazine.
httpv://youtu.be/mQFKC3pP3Ww
The BBR has proven itself as a reputable publication on a national and international level, earning more than 40 awards over the last 10 years. In 2005, the redesigned publication won the Gold Circle of Excellence Award for magazine improvement from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Most recently, the magazine earned an Award of Excellence from the 2012 Communicator Awards sponsored by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA). The publication earned a 2012 Award of Commendation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) as well as two 2013 ADDY awards in a local competition sponsored by the American Advertising Federation-Waco chapter (AAF).
Additionally, the magazine’s website and the BBR app both earned a 2012 Silver W3 Award from the IAVA. The app has garnered over 1,400 downloads from more than 43 different countries. The BBR app was ranked #65 out of all free business iPad apps in the U.S. on the iTunes App Store shortly after its release and holds a near-perfect 4.5-star rating on iTunes. The app was also featured in the November/December issue of BizEd, the magazine of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. All awards were shared with Pollei DesignWorks and Baylor University’s Photography Department, and the app awards were also shared with App Studio (formerly PressRun).
We thank you, our readers, for your support. While we won’t be covering “front room” versus “back room” computers in our next issue (as discussed in our fall 1983 issue), we hope you look forward to reading the Baylor Business Review and that it continues to prove insightful and stimulate discussion.
Baylor Business Review, Spring 2013