• Mediaweek, Thursday, December 7, 2006 11:30 AM

In 1898, the Southern Pacific Railroad opened new routes to California and needed to change the state's image from a place to get rich quick to a one more family-oriented. So the railroad started Sunset magazine, filled with pictures of wonders like Yosemite and picturesque streets of Los Angeles.

Now, the 108-year-old monthly wants to capture the West again and will undergo a makeover to build awareness of the brand while slicing its rate base to push a higher-end image to advertisers. It will also go from saddle stitch to perfect-bound, and adopt a wider trim size and richer paper stock.

Under Kevin Lynch, senior vice president, the magazine began to use more and bigger photos, and pump up its Web site with community forums and day-specific content. "People are looking to the Internet for the information. In print, I think they want to relax a little more, luxuriate with the photos," explains Katie Tamony, Sunset editor-in-chief. They hope the changes will help the book get more credit for its well-heeled readers, who have a median household income of $79,501.

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