My husband and I used to read The Marco Review when we first came to Marco Island as tourists seventeen years ago. We fell in love with Marco the moment we drove over the bridge. When the magazine came up for sale a year or so later, we jumped at the chance to buy it. We moved here with our two teenage daughters and our Marco Island vacation became a permanent state of mind.
The Marco Review was only 30 pages then and was printed on newsprint. We had limited publishing experience but we understood what visitors to Marco needed to know. We set about providing a publication which answered all their questions, and then some!
We are now printed on glossy stock and have an average of 128 pages each issue. We have around 150 advertisers and cover all aspects of what you want to know when vacationing on Marco Island. Because we publish new editions five times per year our information is always bang up to date. With maps, coupons, local tide charts, shelling guide and features on advertisers, as well as regularly updated eco related articles, The Marco Review is the only visitor guide for Marco Island you will ever need.... the island concierges call it their "bible"!
We also now have an extensive knowledge of the advertising market on Marco Island and we strive to share our experience with our advertisers. We provide them with an excellent personal service, which includes photography, design and advice on marketing. If there is one thing we'd like to impress upon businesses who are deciding where to advertise, it's the importance of distribution... they can have the biggest and most beautiful ad in the world but if the publication they are advertising in doesn't have good distribution, it's not going to do them any good at all. Distribution is the key!
The Marco Review is the island's only privately owned visitor publication run by Marco Island residents.
Debbie Barker - Publisher
PUBLICATION DATES AND DISTRIBUTION
The Marco Review is a free publication which is published five times a year and has an annual readership of 500,000. We come out more frequently in season because we print approximately the same number of copies each edition (between 26,000 and 34,000) and we go through copies much faster in season when the island is busy.
Our publication schedule is:
Holiday edition: late October to the beginning of January
New Year edition: early January to mid February
Season edition: mid February to late March
Spring edition: late March to late June
Summer edition: late June to late October
Copy dates are generally one month prior to publication.
Copies are distributed from more than 150 Marco Island locations, including:
- Marco Island Chamber of Commerce
- in the rooms at Hilton Grand Vacations timeshares as well as Sunset Cove and Lakeside Inn condominiums
- rental home welcome packs
- Marco Island Residents' Beach
We restock at least once a week (twice a week in season) and in some locations we restock daily when it gets really busy.
If you are out of town or you're having trouble finding a copy please either call us at 239-642-0251 or e-mail us at marcoreview@comcast.net and we'd be delighted to send you a magazine or arrange to supply you with bulk copies if you are organizing an event on Marco.