A New Year Message from Jamuna of Playacommunity

We are two weeks into 2014, and the year is beginning to settle in. A happy and prosperous New Year to everyone. Thank you for reading us, supporting us and helping us gain momentum in an expanding beach community. 2013 has been a challenging and growing year for Playacommunity. In February 2013, we launched a monthly print edition of playacommunity.com, called 'La Playa’. Our upcoming edition will mark the one year point for La Playa. Through the 12 editions we have learned about the publishing industry and what it takes to meet print commitments and deadlines. In other words, 'how to deal with a high stress job'. I am happy to say the experience has grown us in many ways. Through it we have managed to put out some useful issues and to reach a local audience that the website missed. Most of all, I am proud to say we are still standing, and the Playacommunity team is excited and ready to meet 2014. Our success and survival is due to the fact that some truly remarkable people are helping us do what we do. Our team, made up of staff, volunteers and freelancers from around the world are dedicated, hardworking, willing to sacrifice and ready to go 10 extra miles to help meet goals. Not only do they bring their skills to the job, they bring their wisdom and understanding. They stand beside me, give me courage when I have doubt, forgive me when I lean on them too hard. They teach me and help me define what we are doing. I am truly fortunate to have great people working with me.

Our awesome clients, are the growers and seeders of new beach area communities. They are courageous leaders who break new ground and have chosen us to be part of their marketing efforts to get thier messages out to the community and the world. We are very grateful for their support.

Our readers have cared enough to offer their valuable feedback, suggestions and advise. Through it, we have learned when to stay the course and when to change direction.

When I started La Playa last year, a number of people asked me why a web portal would choose to go to print. It seemed like a backward move. I asked myself the same question, many a night while I struggled to get content written, ads layed out and spots sold with 2 days left to submit to the printer - knowing it would all have to be done again in a few weeks.

La Playa proved things I had suspected. Print is still king. The printed message conveys the idea of a solid foundation and dedication to the cause. The businesses who put their ads in print, are taken more seriously. In the changing landscape, a print ad tells the story that, that business is going to be there tomorrow.

The paper publication has also allowed us to extend the reach of the website to tourists and weekenders. People can now know about a new business presence in the area. Client events are more populated, because people are aware of what is happening and where to go for it.  

Another audience we are managing to reach is a Spanish speaking market. Many of our articles are written in English and Spanish to help bridge the cultural gap between expat and Panamanian.

Together with the website, Playacommunity.com, we are now able to deliver our client’s messages to an audience already in Panama, as well to those outside the country looking in. We feel we have got the ball rolling in doing what we set out to do at the beginning of last year. In 2014 our goal is to make the endeavor efficient and profitable.

We look forward to an exciting year!