ALABAMA STATE PORT AUTHORITY UNVEILS NEW LOOK FOR MAGAZINE

The Alabama State Port Authority has introduced a new look for its monthly publication, Alabama Seaport.

The redesigned magazine debuted with the October issue, to mark the beginning of the fiscal year.

“The magazine has changed its look, even its name, a number of times since it was first published in December 1927,” said Judith Adams, manager, Media Relations and Economic Development, Alabama State Port Authority. “We want to keep the magazine fresh and relevant to our customers and potential customers.”

The magazine last revamped its look in January 2000.

“It was time to evolve the design of the magazine,” said Scott Rye, executive vice president, Sullivan-St. Clair Marketing/PR, the agency of record for the Port Authority since 1999. “The design we introduced in 2000 served the magazine well, but, it’s looked basically the same for nearly five years. We didn’t want the magazine to get stale.”

Agency art director Kelley Beville redesigned the magazine’s cover and page format to make it more reader-friendly.

Adams noted that the content of the magazine has evolved, as well. “We’ve adjusted the format of the magazine,” she said. “While we still focus on the capabilities and facilities of the Port Authority, there is a greater emphasis on our many business partners throughout the state and the shift in the state’s industrial base. This is an exciting time for business in Alabama, and the Alabama State Port Authority serves as a strategic resource for businesses throughout the state and the region.”

One feature that won’t be changing is the “Of Men and Ships” article. “Men and Ships has been a regular piece in the magazine since the mid-1970s, and we get more customer feedback on that story each month than any else we run,” Adams said. The monthly feature is a historical piece that recounts stories of pirates, sea battles, explorers and more.

Alabama Seaport magazine is the oldest continuously published port publication in the United States. Originally appearing as Port of Mobile Bulletin in December 1927, the magazine was little more than an eight-page sailing schedule that also ran an article or two about what was then the Alabama State Docks. By July 1928, the magazine had a new look and an expanded format, running to 12 pages. The magazine switched to a news format in June 1933, the first issue that carried advertisements.

By 1935, Port of Mobile Bulletin had expanded to 20 pages and within two years was being published 12 times a year, rather than 10 times. The name of magazine changed over the years, becoming, in turn, Port of Mobile News and Shippers Guide, Port of Mobile News and Port of Mobile. The name changed to Alabama Seaport in August 1988 1998 to emphasize the fact that the public seaport facilities in Mobile and the public inland port facilities were state assets, not local assets.

Color photography on the cover became the standard in 1941. During the war years, the magazine continued to be published, but sailing schedules were no longer included, due to national security. A number of cargo ships sailing to and from Mobile were torpedoed in the Gulf of Mexico during the spring and summer of 1942.

The magazine measured 7 3/8” by 10 5/8” from 1927 through the December 1998 issue. Beginning with the January 1999 issue, Alabama Seaport adopted its current 8 1/2” by 11”, full-color format. The magazine is distributed to members of the maritime community throughout the United States and 60 nations overseas.