New name reinforces editorial direction, executive-level audience
BRECKSVILLE, OHIO — UIM: Water Utility Infrastructure Management, the leading professional journal covering the municipal water and wastewater sector in North America, is changing its name to Water Finance & Management.
The partial rebranding will include the name change, a new logo, redesign of the print journal and a new website, waterfm.com, all launching in June 2016.
While the editorial direction of the publication is not changing, the new name will bring a more focused title to the content covered in the journal and redefine what the publication was initially built on – the finance and management of water systems. The journal’s distribution and audience of executive-level utility managers, decision-makers, elected officials and consultants will also remain the same.
Originally launched in 2004, UIM was initially branded by publisher Benjamin Media as Underground Infrastructure Management. Soon after, the emphasis became all about water and the name was tweaked to UIM: Water Utility Infrastructure Management.
“Our journal has always been about finance and management, so in that respect, nothing has truly changed,” said Bernie Krzys, CEO of Benjamin Media. “We felt there was an opportunity to improve the identification of our brand with a more direct name that emphasizes what we’re all about. So circling around in a matter of speaking, this well-regarded journal’s name has evolved to become Water Finance & Management.”
The new name will better outline the editorial coverage of the journal. On the finance side, coverage includes traditional sources of utility funding, private financing and P3s, rate setting, affordability, regional cooperation and more. On the management side, coverage includes asset management, implementation of new technology, data management and application, smart water networks, water loss, leak detection and more.
The name change also streamlines other initiatives within the UIM brand, namely its two conferences – the Water Finance Conference and Water Asset Management Conference. The new Water Finance & Management logo has also been redesigned to convey the executive-level tone of the brand and reincorporates the goldfish from the UIM logo, representing the ecology of clean water and its importance to quality of life and environmental progress.
Be on the lookout for Water Finance & Management in the coming weeks as we look forward to continuing to serve the water market!