Pittsburgh Avenue West is a relatively new magazine to the Pittsburgh scene. Eric and Michele Gaines, co-publishers of the magazine, had a digital magazine for five years before launching this contemporary product. Both Eric and Michele were thrilled at the opportunity to provide “this upscale publication to showcase the community in a positive, professional and enjoyable light.” While many publication outlets are turning digital, they saw a demand for hard copies, which are now available all over the Pittsburgh area. Whether you are looking for a distributor or looking to become one, visit here for more information on distribution.
Starting a new business is no easy task, but for the Gaines duo, they already had a good foundation in the form of a Modeling and Talent Agency the couple owns. This provided them with a source of talent to be featured in the magazines, however, they are always looking for aspiring and established talent to work with them! When asked how they got started they gave a very enthusiastic response:
“Very prudently. We are builders, so just as you build a house starting with a blueprint, then you choose the location, the building materials, the foundation, and so on…we did the same with this publication. The blueprint was the audience, which is called your market, then we built everything else around our expertise and how to deliver to this audience. The location, was the West End of Pittsburgh, thus Pittsburgh Avenue West…the scene was set!”
Because their passion focused around showcasing the community in a positive light, it only made sense to focus their magazine on people, “one of the greatest resources on the planet,” Eric says. “[…]people relate to people. So our focus is really the people, then we connect people to businesses, products and services that people need to know about. This is accomplished in many different ways from a catalog section to feature stories in other languages, in order to reach the expanding Pittsburgh audience.”
Pittsburgh Avenue West is always on the lookout for stories that highlight the Pittsburgh community, if you have a story you’d like to see featured in the next issue of Pittsburgh’s premier metropolitan catalog, submit it to editor@pghavenuewest.com.
