Wondering what’s happening to that same old Jet Magazine you’ll usually find in your grandparent’s house? Well, it’s moved over to the Web. And both the magazine and the site have updated and upgraded to appeal to younger audiences.
MyJet247.com provides a comprehensive look at black America, including Jet favorites like the “Beauty of the Week” and the week’s nuptials. A Fashion section includes interviews with several contemporary black designers, and video includes behind-the-scenes scenes with Jet cover subjects like Trey Songz.
“Earlier this year, we introduced the iconic Jet Magazine through a new design and layout and are now extending our brand through MyJet247.com, a new digital platform fulfilling a consumer need for ‘snackable’ and credible content from a trusted source,” says Linda Johnson Rice, chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, the parent company of Jet Magazine.
While Ebony and Jet have fallen onto hard times recently, shedding ad pages and fighting off rumors of an impending sale, apparently the company has rebounded and is trying hard to upgrade their iconic brand before it’s too late. A deal that reportedly would have had the magazines acquired by Magic Johnson Enterprises either fell through or was never truly on the table.
These moves by Johnson Publishing Company seem to indicate that they want to compete in what has become a crowded Web and magazine marketplace for African-Americans. While magazines may not feel as viable as a web property these days, both Ebony and Jet have the head start of being a strong, recognizable, long-term brands. MyJet247.com is but an extension of that brand, with the hopes that it will bring new audiences to the properties that have long been perceived as out of touch with the younger consumer.
“Our new strategy completely underscores how we continue to differentiate Jet within the marketplace as a premiere destination for connecting black consumers with the information that matters most to them,” says Anne Sempowski Ward, president and chief operation officer of JPC. “We have repositioned Jet as a brand and not merely a print vehicle to allow consumers and advertisers to connect, interact and create compelling content.”
It looks like the strategy is on its way to success as JPC, has already signed on coffee behemoth Starbucks as a sponsor of MyJet24.com. With a mix of original and aggregated content, if a community can be built around it, Johnson Publishing may have a winner on its hands, despite their late arrival to the party.
