With a New Publisher, a New Chapter for Wrightsville Beach Magazine.
After 25 years in publication, the much-loved Wrightsville Beach Magazine has a new publisher. Justin Williams, CEO/Publisher of Carolina Marketing Company (CMC), acquired Wrightsville Beach Magazine from Founder and Publisher Pat Bradford in January.
Wrightsville Beach Magazine will join CMC’s impressive collection of quarterly publications and titles, including North Brunswick Magazine, South Brunswick Magazine, SPT OKI Magazine, and Topsail Magazine, among other annual and custom publications.
CMC has been publishing free, advertiser-supported community-focused lifestyle publications in southeastern North Carolina since 2005, and the legacy Wrightsville Beach Magazine is the perfect fit for CMC’s brand of hyper-local publications.
“Wrightsville Beach Magazine was the first magazine I picked up in the area when I visited southeastern North Carolina in 2004,” Williams said. “It has been a long-time staple in the community, and it is an honor to continue the magazine on its journey.”
Bradford co-founded Wrightsville Beach Magazine in October 2000 and served as publisher of 290 consecutive monthly editions. She will continue to create “Stories That Matter” for Wrightsville Beach Magazine and will also take the opportunity to focus more attention on the needs of New Hanover County’s school children. Several of the magazine staff members will participate in the new Wrightsville Beach Magazine as well.
“Our common goal is to continue publishing the magazine you all love and have depended on for the next 25 years and beyond,” Bradford said.
The magazine’s longevity speaks to its well-loved reputation in the community.
“I deeply appreciate our readers, advertisers and staff for their unwavering support of the magazine,” Bradford said. “It has been tremendously rewarding and fulfilling. My staff and I have been extremely privileged to steward this beloved magazine all these years. This has been a labor of love.”
Williams looks forward to bringing the magazine under the CMC umbrella of publications and continuing to tell the stories of Wrightsville Beach and the surrounding New Hanover communities.
“I am deeply passionate about print media and publishing engaging lifestyle stories that celebrate the communities of southeastern North Carolina,” Williams said. “Each community is unique, and one of my favorite things about what we do is finding the people who make these communities tick and telling their stories.”
Bradford’s last issue as publisher was the January 2025 issue, which can be found now at local Harris Teeter locations. Many years’ worth of past Wrightsville Beach Magazine issues will remain on the website. A limited number of print back issues are available for those who desire a hard copy issue.
Williams and his CMC team will take a few weeks to implement the transition, with a return to publishing Wrightsville Beach Magazine in the spring.
As with its other publications, CMC will incorporate deep digital content, digital storytelling and an e-newsletter and employ its successful model of highly targeted distribution for Wrightsville Beach Magazine.
CMC will move to quarterly publication starting with the re-launch of Wrightsville Beach Magazine in May. CMC will increase the number of copies printed per issue to bring even more eyes and exposure to Wrightsville Beach Magazine’s advertising supporters.
More info:
Justin@CarolinaMarketingCompany.com
Read back issues of WBM: https://wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com/archive/