Golf Retailing
Branding, editorial and marketing design for the golf retailing trade
2013 - 2017
In 2013, during my time at Miles Publishing (now Robel Media), I was a key member of the team that led a major diversification of the company into the sports retail publishing sector. Until then, the business had focused exclusively on Comms Business Magazine and associated telecoms industry events. This strategic expansion was a bold move to future-proof the company and broaden its market presence.
From 2013 to 2017, I was solely responsible for the design and art direction of GOLF RETAILING magazine, from its initial dummy issue used as a sales tool for potential advertisers, to launch and then production of the first 30 monthly issues. I created the magazine’s branding and visual identity, designed both print and digital editions, and developed all associated marketing materials.
My role involved close collaboration with editorial and advertising teams to design 50–70 pages per issue, including news, features, and advertorials. I sourced and created imagery, liaised directly with advertisers, and coordinated with external printers to ensure each issue met tight deadlines and was delivered to its 20,000-strong subscriber base.
Launching a new magazine was an exciting challenge, particularly for me as it was my first time doing so. The early stages were intense; the first issue, for instance, went to print at 2am on deadline day due to editorial delays - around half the issue I designed on print day, designing at pace like this is not ideal but really helped me develop my project managing skills. However, the experience was incredibly rewarding, and it was good to see how we improved on the delivery, and the design, every issue.
In 2014, the teams efforts were recognised when GOLF RETAILING won the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) Award for Magazine Launch/Relaunch of the Year - at the time this was unheard for a small B2B magazine. The PPA praised it as “an impressive publishing effort, combining both print and online channels to great effect,” and described the magazine as “a great breakthrough which is totally right for its market.”
Publisher Miles Bossom commented at the time: “When we launched GOLF RETAILING, we set out to raise the bar and deliver a magazine of real value to our readers. We invested heavily and worked extremely hard, and I am extremely proud of our achievements. This award demonstrates our efforts have been worthwhile and solidifies our position as the market-leading—and now award-winning—magazine for the golf trade.”
Over the following 18 months, GOLF RETAILING quickly established itself as the market leader in the golf retail sector. This success enabled our publisher to acquire and incorporate one of our key competitors, Pro Golf Europe, significantly expanding the magazine’s reach into mainland Europe.
