The History of KC Parent
For 30 years, KC Parent has been the go-to source for local parents seeking information on raising children. So how did it all begin?
Then:
The idea for a parenting magazine began with local couple Bob and Barbara Unell. The publishing business wasn’t new territory for them. Bob has a background in advertising and marketing and Barbara was already the author of numerous parenting articles and books, including The Kansas City Kids Catalog and Discipline Without Shouting or Spanking.
In 1984, they launched a national magazine for parents of multiples called Twins. At the time, “magazines were going through a kind of renaissance, with lots of segmented titles coming out to serve very segmented audiences,” Bob explains. They were raising twins and found there was no magazine on the market specializing in multiple births.
Between Twins and Barbara’s books, the Unells were doing a lot of media; they did interviews and held lectures and workshops around the country. Multiple births were on the rise, and they became the go-to media contact for multiple births, along with other parenting topics.
“We worked with editors and publishers of what we noticed were these new city parenting magazines. We started talking to these people and thought, ‘If Boston can have their own parenting magazine, and Los Angeles and Chicago, too, Kansas City deserves its own parenting magazine.’”
Thus the seed was planted, and in 1985 the first issue of KC Parent was published. It began as a monthly tabloid-sized newsprint publication of between 36 and 40 pages, with Barbara serving as editor. Writers were not difficult to find, nor were parenting experts; the Unells tapped into their resources from Twins, as well as science and medical contacts.
“We were driven by the mission to help families raise responsible, caring young people to become self-sufficient adults,” Barbara says. “On the business side, there was an entrepreneurial spirit we both had.”
Early editorial content revolved around hot topics of the time: families with two working parents, women’s roles and childcare issues. With no Internet, finding information on raising children was not as easy as it is today.
“The audience was Baby Boomers,” Bob says. “They were real information-seekers. Laptops and desktops were a few years away. It was an exciting time for parenting.”
The Unells owned the magazine for nearly a year before they sold it to another married couple so they could focus on other projects and publications on a national level.
Today the Unells stay busy with a nonprofit organization they started 14 years ago, Back in the Swing USA (BackInTheSwing.org), which is dedicated to helping breast cancer survivors actualize their care plans and to help them protect and improve their health 365 days a year.
Barbara still writes parenting books. One book, Uncle Dan’s Report Card (UncleDansReportCard.org), details the discovery of the 1914 report card of Barbara’s uncle, which included not only a “school report” but a “home report,” as well. She also helped start the “Kindness is Contagious: Catch It” character education program.
The Unells pick up copies of KC Parent when they are out and about. “We still feel a connection, a sense of pride for launching it,” Bob says.
Now:
In December 2005, three years after successfully starting KC Baby magazine from scratch, Michael and Susan Gimotty bought KC Parent. They were looking for ways to expand their reach, and the purchase made perfect sense.
“My prior job had me on the road a good amount, and I knew this wasn't something I wanted long-term once we started a family,” Michael says. “After Susan and I had four kids in six years, I was eager to put myself in a position where I could be around for my kids seven days a week. I have always been an entrepreneur by nature and enjoy taking on new challenges.”
The Gimottys jumped right in with making their own imprint on the publication, launching numerous modifications right off the bat and in the succeeding years. One of the first things they did was change the publication from a tabloid-sized newsprint to a magazine-sized glossy product, making it easy for on-the-go moms to grab and stick in their purse for later.
Michael also made some changes to the way the magazine was distributed. “I think the most daunting task initially was completely revamping the distribution model,” he reflects. “In order to be successful, the magazine needs to be highly visible to readers. After the acquisition, we instantly purchased retail distribution through the grocery stores and individually set up 600 distribution locations.”
In addition, they converted the editorial to a local slant, with nearly all the stories coming from local writers.
With constantly-evolving technology part of everyday life, KC Parent has launched a strong digital presence that has been a huge part of its success in recent years. KCParent.com gets more than 2 million page views annually, the weekly eNewsletter goes to nearly 24,000 people, and the Facebook page has more than 17,500 fans.
One thing that has not changed over the years is the timely, useful information the magazine provides. “The reason why Kansas City parents turn to our magazine for advice and tips is because the content has stayed relevant and local. Our calendar, both in print and online, has remained incredibly popular with our readers,” Michael says. “It is a real joy to know that we play some role in connecting families together in Kansas City.”
So what does the future hold for KC Parent? More timely content, relevant stories and a commitment to stay ahead of the curve.
Michael sums it up: “Our staff is all about looking to the future and how to best continue to serve our readers with information that they want and need on their parenting journey. Here’s to the next 30!”
Tisha Foley has been writing for KC Parent for about seven years. She enjoyed penning this piece and gathering information from the Unells and Gimottys.