New Year, New Design, New Features
By Charise Swanson
Over the past year, the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperatives staff have been thinking about how we can redesign enchantment magazine to fully engage our readers. It was last redesigned in 2013, and much has happened during the past 10 years. We conducted a communications survey over a two-month period in 2023 to better understand our readers’ perceptions of the magazine. The results indicated that the time was right to refresh our content.
Through the survey, our readers indicated three types of content they would like to see. “Energy-related articles” that discuss how cooperative members can save energy and money through home improvements ranked highest on the list. “Living in New Mexico” and “local community information and event calendars” were close behind.
We are excited to put this feedback in motion. Look for the addition of these enchantment features throughout 2024. They include Plugged In, Energy Matters, Adventure Awaits, Around New Mexico, Up Close & Personal, In The Kitchen, Legislative Review, Picture Frame, Reader Exchange, Safety Spotlight, and an updated Marketplace along with several dynamic features still in development. You will start seeing these changes a few at a time with each monthly edition. We will still have 10 issues this year, with no issues in June or December 2024.
While we are excited about the new features, enchantment will miss Book Chat by B.A. Kelly. She is retiring her column and returning her books to the bookshelf. The NMREC staff would like to acknowledge Ms. Kelly for her contributions to enchantment and for sharing her book reviews with our readers in New Mexico and beyond. Thank you, B.A. Kelly!
The first feature, Plugged In, debuting in this issue, focuses on New Year’s energy resolutions. This enchantment monthly feature will focus on ways our readers can save energy and money, beneficial electrification, and new energy efficiency technologies.
The second feature, Energy Matters, highlights smart breaker boxes with integrating smart home technology. In the future, you will have a behind-the-scenes look at the generation and transmission of electricity, current renewable energy projects, future energy generation and storage technologies, the cooperative business model, and careers, to name a few of the enchantment topics we are working on for you.
In February, we will introduce Adventure Awaits, identifying those out-of-the-way locations that should be on everyone’s list of places to visit. Another feature premiering in February is In The Kitchen, which is designed to serve as the new home for our recipe coverage—a true celebration, as it contains some of your favorite chef’s recipes. It is sure to continue to be a favorite among our readers. Around New Mexico will provide enchantment readers with a monthly calendar of local events from the different regions of New Mexico. March, April, and May will see several new features added each month to engage our print and digital audience.
Though we are making some changes, we have not changed our commitment to a dynamic mix of remarkable stories, informative equipment reviews, educational energy-efficiency articles, stunning photography, and more.
Thank you to those who participated in our recent survey. Your perspectives helped shape our vision of enchantment magazine.