Case Study: Rick Rome Creative’s Involvement in Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine

Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine May-June 2025

Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine March-April 2025

Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine Dec-Feb 2025

Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine December 2023

DTPR Magazine - A case study by Rick Rome Creative

Background

Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine (also referred to as Discover The Region Publications or DTPR) is a bi-monthly lifestyle publication focused on the greater Phoenix area and surrounding regions such as Tucson, Sedona and the Verde Valley. It covers culture, arts, outdoor recreation, dining, events, local businesses, real estate, wellness, and community stories.

It launched digitally in 2008 under founder Jodie Wilson (inspired by a sister publication in the Dayton, Ohio region “Discover The Dayton Region Magazine & Discover The Northeast Ohio Region Magazine”) and produced its first print edition in 2010. Today it combines high-quality print issues (typically 100–128 pages) with a robust online presence at https://discovertheregion.com. Print runs are often limited and sell out; digital versions are released more broadly afterward, with free subscriber early access.

Rick Rome has served as Creative Director at Discovertheregion.com and Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine since 2008. In 2011 he founded **Rick Rome Creative**, a full-service agency specializing in branding, digital marketing, public relations, advertising, print/web design, and multimedia production. Rick Rome Creative is a strategic creative partner of the magazine.

Challenge / Opportunity

Regional lifestyle magazines face ongoing challenges: standing out in a competitive media landscape, maintaining high production values on a bi-monthly cycle, attracting advertisers and readers, evolving visually and digitally, and authentically reflecting a fast-growing desert metro area while balancing local storytelling with broader appeal.

The publication needed consistent creative leadership to unify print, digital, branding, and marketing efforts so the magazine itself functioned as a strong brand experience.

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Solution / Role of Rick Rome Creative

Rick Rome’s dual role (long-term Creative Director + agency founder) created tight integration between the magazine and Rick Rome Creative. Key contributions include: Creative Direction — Overall visual and editorial vision for issues, including cover selection, photography direction, layout aesthetics, and thematic cohesion. Recent examples credit “Creative Direction by Rick Rome” (e.g., the Fall 2025 issue). Branding & Identity — Development and refinement of the magazine’s brand elements. This includes a 2025 logo modernization described as a refresh/reboot to revitalize the publication’s look. Content Strategy & Production — Oversight of multi-channel content (print features, digital articles, calendars, guides). Rome himself authors or contributes pieces on topics such as arts (e.g., Rhonda Towns, James Muir), regional lifestyle, and community stories. He also writes the Creative Director’s letters introducing issues. Print & Digital Execution — Production of substantial issues (112–128 pages) featuring high-quality photography, event calendars, hiking guides, cultural profiles, and advertiser content. The agency supports print, web, multimedia, and advertising cohesion. Marketing, PR & Distribution Support — Amplifying reach through digital marketing, public relations, and promotion of issues (including sold-out print runs and free digital/subscriber access). The agency’s broader expertise in brand development, multi-channel campaigns, and media placement benefits the magazine. Rick Rome Creative is positioned on the magazine’s site as the partner that “unifies various facets—advertising, print, web, and multimedia—to establish a cohesive theme.”

Notable Examples & Outcomes

15th-anniversary milestone (2025) Fall 2025 issue (112 pages) featured country artist Rhonda Towns on the cover—returning 15 years after appearing on the debut issue. Content included an Arizona hiking guide, expanded event calendar, Halloween features, fitness, and water conservation stories. Creative Direction by Rick Rome; limited print run sold out. Other 2025 issues

March/April (128 pages) covered celebrity vineyards, Cactus League baseball, Bike Week, and Easter events. May/June featured violinist Tyler Carson (“Fiddler on the Rock”) from Sedona. Issues regularly highlight local artists, museums, outdoor activities, and community organizations (e.g., Childhelp, which has also been an agency client).
Ongoing digital presence: discovertheregion.com serves as a complementary hub with full or select issues, articles, subscription management, and archives.
Agency–magazine alignment: Rick Rome Creative’s work with clients (including nonprofits and corporations) and its capabilities in branding/PR reinforce the magazine’s positioning as a high-quality regional lifestyle authority.

Results visible from public materials include consistent bi-monthly publication for over 15 years, sold-out print editions, strong visual and content quality, reader engagement via free digital access and subscriptions, and the magazine’s role in promoting Phoenix-region culture, businesses, and attractions.

Key Lessons

Long-term creative leadership (Rome’s continuous role since 2008) provides continuity and deep institutional knowledge that external agencies often lack.
Integrating an in-house creative director’s own agency creates efficient alignment of branding, production, and marketing without the friction of pure third-party relationships.
High production values + limited print runs + free digital access can drive both exclusivity and broader reach.
Authentic local storytelling (artists, outdoors, community) combined with professional creative direction sustains a lifestyle magazine in a competitive market.

Rick Rome Creative’s involvement is not a one-off project but a foundational, decade long partnership rooted in Rick Rome’s dual identity as Creative Director (since 2008) and agency founder (2011). The agency supplies branding, design, multimedia, advertising, and PR expertise that support the magazine’s bi-monthly print/digital output, visual identity, content strategy, and market presence. This has helped Discover The Phoenix Region Magazine maintain quality, mark milestones such as its 15th year, and continue serving as a lifestyle guide to the Phoenix region.

Our 3 Step Approach To Campaign Development

STEP 1 – Gathering A Comprehensive Business Understanding:

At Rick Rome Creative, we embark on a journey of profound exploration into the heart of your business. Our mission is to foster a holistic comprehension that enables us to connect with your target audience effectively. This necessitates a multifaceted grasp of your market dynamics and the diverse audience profiles that constitute your customer base. We are dedicated to unraveling the intricacies of their motivations, concerns, and professional challenges, spanning various aspects of their lives, both personal and occupational, where your product or service plays a pivotal role. This meticulous exploration serves as the bedrock of what we refer to as segmentation.

How do we embark on this journey? Through a rigorous and systematic process of research that extends to engaging in enlightening conversations with your key personnel, trusted partners, and valued customers. We appreciate that what propels your customers to choose your offerings may often diverge from your own perception. Embracing this vital disconnect is a fundamental step for small business owners seeking to thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of customer expectations. Upon the successful completion of our comprehensive research phase, we stand poised to furnish you with actionable recommendations, meticulously tailored to optimize the allocation of your marketing budget for achieving the most potent impact.

STEP 2 – Developing A Strategic Marketing Plan:

Rick Rome Creative stands as the torchbearer in the craft of sculpting bespoke marketing plans tailored to the unique identity of your organization. Our journey commences on the foundation of insights gleaned through comprehensive market research.

Precise targeting takes center stage in the realm of efficient marketing, particularly for small businesses. Even in instances where you perceive your target market as an expansive entity, the stark reality seldom adheres to the “one-size-fits-all” principle. Should you be operating under finite budget constraints, the endeavor to persuade individuals who harbor no intention of engaging with your offerings can precipitate resource misallocation. In this context, we ardently advocate for concentrating your efforts on specific audience segments that exhibit a heightened propensity for conversion. In cases where segmentation groundwork has been executed meticulously, pinpointing the optimal audience groups emerges as an intuitive course of action.

STEP 3: Efficient Planning To Production:

The more precise your targeting and positioning, the more seamlessly the orchestration from planning to execution unfolds. As you gain a comprehensive insight into your target audience’s preferences, communication style, and shared attributes, the tactical plan inherently takes shape with an innate synergy.

While it is undeniable that marketing tactics such as content marketing, advertising, and social media constitute critical components of the overall strategy, we deeply comprehend that there exist foundational considerations that transcend tactical deployment. Our foremost objective resides in the art of crafting messaging and communication that resonates harmoniously with your target audience, resonating through the most compatible marketing channels.

At Rick Rome Creative, we fervently endorse the perspective that it is not solely the journey itself, but rather the destination, that warrants profound attention and meticulous navigation.

With Rick Rome Creative as your strategic partner, you are invited to embark on a comprehensive journey characterized by thorough market understanding, astute strategic planning, and the efficient execution of initiatives designed to catapult your online visibility and engagement to unprecedented heights.

Get Started…

If you would like to find out more on how we can help you promote your product(s) or service(s), please complete the form below or call us today at (424) 204-5750.

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At Rick Rome Creative

We build advertising that people actually notice and remember. Not just campaigns—stories that fit your brand and stick with your audience.

Our focus is straightforward: help your brand cut through the noise. Whether you’re an established company or just getting started, every business has something worth saying. We dig into what makes yours different and turn it into work that lands.

Our team mixes creative thinkers, marketing strategists, and digital specialists. We handle everything from the initial idea through final execution, with an eye on results that move the needle—stronger connections with your audience and measurable impact.

Rick Rome Creative works with clients on-site in several key markets across the U.S. We have people in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah, so we can deliver advertising, digital marketing, public relations, and web design with local presence and practical support.

In the Phoenix area, we know the local market well—both the West Valley (Surprise, Sun City, Glendale, Peoria, Litchfield Park) and the East Valley (Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, Tempe). We build strategies and campaigns that fit the region, from advertising to clean, user-focused websites.

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In Salt Lake City, our team understands the Wasatch Front and Park City markets. We support clients with advertising and data-informed digital work that helps them stand out in a growing, competitive region.

Wherever you are, we combine local knowledge with hands-on access. That means strategies shaped for your specific market, plus the creative and practical approach we’ve built our reputation on. We’re here to help you grow.

Rick Rome Creative—solid creative work that helps your brand go further.