MarketInk: Ranch & Coast Magazine Celebrating 60-Year Anniversary

Bob Stefanko, publisher of Ranch & Coast Magazine, admits he doesn’t know the exact month in 1964 when the Rancho Santa Fe-based magazine began publishing.

But that hasn’t stopped him from celebrating the magazine’s 60-year anniversary in the November 2024 issue.

“At least, I do know it was April 1998 when I bought the magazine out of bankruptcy,” Stefanko told Times of San Diego.

A native of Detroit, Stefanko, with a background in graphic design, relocated to San Diego in 1985 to join his brother Gerry Stefanko, who co-owned an advertising agency called Stefanko and Hetz.

“We were Qualcomm’s first advertising agency-of-record,” Bob Stefanko said. “Later, in the mid-1990s, our agency spent roughly three years helping Jack Flanders produce Ranch & Coast Magazine. Flanders was a former TV anchor in Sacramento who had retired to San Diego and bought the magazine. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about print.”

According to Stefanko, Ranch & Coast was founded by Richard Rosenblat and Ruth Godley, both Rancho Santa Fe residents. Its origins are connected to Psychology Today, a national magazine with headquarters in Del Mar at the time.

“An art director for Psychology Today came up with the Ranch & Coast name and created a style guide,” Stefanko said.

But it was Flanders’ lack of business acumen that gave Stefanko an open door to his current job as a magazine publisher.

“A lot of very talented and creative people have made us successful over the past 26 years,” said the 64-year-old Stefanko. “They have been amazing and passionate about lending their skills to make our magazine and our community better. I’m grateful to all of them.

“Of course, it hasn’t been easy. Some months it’s been a struggle, while other months we’ve had record revenue. Overall, this job has been a highlight of my life.”

Stefanko credits his niece Mia Park who has been with the magazine for 19 years and has served as its editor-in-chief for the past decade.

“Mia is an acclaimed concert pianist who played with orchestras when she was 9 years old,” Stefanko said. “Her ability on 88 keys is similar to her ability to manage 88 things at the same time. She’s phenomenal.”

Ranch & Coast’s November issue includes a spread highlighting San Diego-area community organizations also celebrating anniversaries in 2024.

“We see Ranch & Coast as a reflection of San Diego’s lifestyle, culture and philanthropy,” said Stefanko. “We wanted to shine the spotlight and share our milestone celebration with others in the community.”

The other organizations in Ranch & Coast’s November issue include the San Diego Natural History Museum at Balboa Park at 150 years, Scripps Research and Balboa Theatre at 100 years, University of San Diego at 75 years, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego at 70 years, Rancho Santa Fe Rotary at 65 years, Belly Up Tavern and Taylor Guitars at 50 years, George’s at the Cove at 40 years, Karl Strauss Brewery at 35 years, and Petco Park and the Switchfoot Bro-Am at 20 years.

As part of the 60-year anniversary, Ranch & Coast is hosting a public event from 6 to 10 p.m., Monday, Nov. 25 at the Belly Up Tavern.

Guests must be 21 years and older. The event will include food, a brief program celebrating the magazine’s anniversary and live music by Ryan Hiller and the Bonnie Foster Productions band. Tickets range from $55 to $105 per person.

More information can be found here.

MindgruveMacarta Names Victor Camozzi as Executive Creative Director

MindgruveMacarta, a San Diego-based marketing agency, has named Victor Camozzi as executive creative director.

A statement said Camozzi will lead the creative and ideation team for MindgruveMacarta’s global client roster.

“The hire signals an official marriage of digital specialities with traditional branding, rounding out the agency’s capabilities to include big brand, full-funnel creative experience,” the statement said.

“Victor is a creative visionary with nearly three decades of experience working with some of the most recognizable brands in America,” said Chad Robley, chairman and chief executive officer of MindgruveMacarta.

“His ability to foster collaboration and mentor creative talent makes him an exceptional leader. We are proud to have him lead our creative team as more brand marketers seek a performance marketing partner with big brand, full-funnel creative experience.”

MindgruveMacarta said Camozzi’s work includes the iconic Walgreens “At the Corner of Happy & Healthy” campaign, award-winning commercials for Southwest Airlines, and the re-launch of AT&T as a consumer brand, as well as the merger of AT&T and Cingular. His expertise spans various industries and high-profile accounts such as BMW, the U.S. Air Force, AARP, Pacifico Beer, and Hallmark greeting cards.

“I’m honored to step into this role at such a pivotal time for MindgruveMacarta when we get to redefine what it means to be an integrated agency,” said Camozzi. “Traditional branding and digital specialties have been broadly bifurcated in the past, and that’s changing. Creativity and strategy must work hand-in-hand to be effective, and our clients deserve efficacy and measurability without compromising bold branding that transcends all mediums.”

MindgruveMacarta, a performance marketing, retail media and data-tech company, has more than 300 employees in offices worldwide.

Taxpayers Group Honors La Prensa as Media Watchdog Winner  

The San Diego County Taxpayers Association has announced that La Prensa San Diego and its publisher and editor-at-large, Arturo Castañares, have received its 2024 Media Watchdog Award.

It is the second consecutive year that SDCTA has selected La Prensa for the award.

“Art Castañares and La Prensa have remained dedicated to holding public officials and institutions accountable, particularly when it comes to the misuse of public funds,” said SDCTA in a statement.

“For example, the publication uncovered a National City Councilman’s attempt to get $7,000 reimbursed for a publicly funded turkey giveaway, despite not contributing any personal funds. La Prensa also exposed how Democratic candidates in Chula Vista, National City, and the County Board were gaining an unfair advantage by receiving extensive campaign support from consultants, which obscured the actual cost of their campaign expenditures.”

SDCTA said finalists for this year’s Media Watchdog award included two staff writers with The San Diego Union-Tribune: Kristin Taketa for reporting on rural school districts, and Jeff McDonald for reporting on county settlements.

Marketing Groups Meet for Mingle Bells Party

Four local marketing communications professional and networking groups will meet together for the 2024 Mingle Bells holiday party, to be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The groups include the American Marketing Association San Diego chapter, International Association of Business Communicators, One Club for Creativity, and Public Relations Society of America’s San Diego-Imperial Valley chapter.

Admission is $60 for members, $80 for nonmembers, which includes two drink tickets and complimentary parking. Refreshments will include fresh fruit bar and tray-passed hors d’oeuvres. Wildlife encounters are scheduled throughout the evening.

The Mingle Bells event dates its roots back to 2004, when the event was first organized by the San Diego Advertising Club.