Two and a half years after the new Rendez-Vous City Magazine Luxembourg was first published, with MKE in charge of production, the Ville de Luxembourg is preparing to launch a new look city magazine. “The idea behind the city magazine was three-fold,” says Mayor Paul Helminger. “To communicate with city residents and those from outside who work in the capital or visit for leisure, to enhance integration and to promote the image of the City of Luxembourg.”

Rendez-Vous took its name from the city’s well-established, but rather dated, cultural listings publication. That allowed for some continuity, although the new magazine encompassed a far wider range of content than its predecessor. Furthermore, the magazine was not only well-received by readers and decision-makers in Luxembourg but also gained international recognition when it won the Gold Award at the Best of Corporate Publishing awards in Germany in 2008. “Rendez-Vous mirrors the diversity and dynamism of society in the capital city,” says Helminger. “So why should we change what is a successful format?”

Reflecting innovation

The answer to that question, says the mayor, is that the city wants to even further develop the professionalism of its public relations, and improve the symbiosis between the image it wants to communicate and the publication. In addition to feedback from the first two and a half years of Rendez-Vous City Magazine Luxembourg, the team around City Manager Geraldine Knudson conducted analyses, via a questionnaire, of how the magazine could better meet their needs of its broad target readership. New values for the magazine were also established during a creative workshop involving the participation of experts from both the Ville de Luxembourg and MKE. The result was a firm conviction that the magazine should have a strong identity and reflect the city's general aim to be innovative. “The plan was not to re-design the existing magazine, but to create a new one. Many important changes were necessary,” says Mike Koedinger.

The new publication will continue to provide information, identity and integration, but with what Knudson calls “less glitz; with a more humble approach.” The new magazine will feature more succinct articles and people profiles, as well as a fresh layout, format and structure. Knudson also says that a change of name was also necessary. “Because even after two and a half years, many people still thought that Rendez-Vous was a purely cultural magazine.” The teams from the Ville de Luxembourg and MKE say the new publication will help readers – be they long-term residents, new arrivals or visitors – understand the complexity of the city, as well as take advantage of its rich cultural programme. “Luxembourg is a very cosmopolitan city, especially for its size, and too many people, both inside and outside of the country, don't know this,” says Knudson.