Week 13 - Developing and Managing Products

Every business needs to innovate to stay ahead of the competition. 

Essence magazine has launched a new digital extension campaign from essence.com.  Hot Hair's digital extensions speaks to essence.com's track record of leading the way in innovation for the African-American audience.  They will offer a robust digital platform to enhance both consumers and advertisers buying into the issue.  The digital program will include an application for the IPod/Iphone, 2D bar codes, and a Hot Hair database which will be launching in June.  This will allow women to try on hairstyles featured in the special with subsequent themed updates available for seasons or special occasions.  These styles can also be activated using 2D barcodes by either launching the application - which will allow you to purchase the application - or by accessing additional content such as video or text tips on how getting and maintaining a particular hairstyle.

Week 12 - Customer Relationship Management

For 40 years, Essence has delivered cutting edge information on health and relationships, personal finance and careers, arts and entertainment, world news, food, fitness, fashion and beauty as well as the personal challenges and achievements of Black women. Yet ESSENCE is more than a magazine. The information that ESSENCE provides is life-changing: Black women are empowered and, in the process, they advance not only their individual lives but also the quality of life for others.

Which brings us to the question as to how does Essence collect information on these topics? Through an initial registration online you consent to the collection and or processing of your personal information. 
While on the Website, you can order products, enter contest, vote in polls or otherwise express an opinion, subscribe to one of many services such as their online newsletters, or participate in one of the online forums or communities.

Essence use the information you provide about yourself to fulfill your requests for products, programs, and services, to respond to your inquiries about their offerings, and to offer you other products or services that they believe may be of interest to you.  For all these reasons, ESSENCE has evolved into an institution that embodies the hopes and aspirations of Black women and continues to thrive because they have built many forums of communication with their customers.

Week 11 - Integrated Marketing Communications

To keep up with the way customers can access and filter information about products and services in today's marketplace Essence magazine must take an integrated marketing approach that asks how and when consumers wants to receive product or service information.  The Internet has been the main form of communications for Essence.  By putting information technology into the hands of the consumer, it has given the readers greater control over the communication that is coming toward them.
Essence Magazine have partnered with several other businesses such as Elite Model Management, CNN and Soft Sheen Carson, etc.

In an effort to address the lack of diversity on the runways, ESSENCE and Elite has conducted a nationwide search for the new African-American "It" model. 

Essence has also teamed up with CNN, to develop What Matters, a series of weekly news segments focused on issues of importance to the African-American community as a platform to inform, educateand define the cultural discussion.

Week 10 - Product Concepts

For 35 years, Essence magazine has been a household name, projecting the image and voice of a proud and independent black woman.  And that powerful brand is more than just the flagship of one of the nation's largest black-owned businesses.  It's one of black America's enduring institutions.

The Essence Music Festival and the city of New Orleans have designed an inextricably entwined brand and style.  The festival originated as a 25th birthday bash for Essence magazine 15 years ago.  It is always held in New Orleans which now attracts more than 420,000 attendees and comprises three full nights of performances by top-shelf African-American artist such as Beyonce, Bill Cosby and Bishop T.D. Jakes etc.

As the festival continues to grow it takes a team of liaisons to get involved.  The team consists of New Orleans Metro staff, representatives of the mayor, politicians, state officials that come together and meet to discuss how they can elevate the brand recognition and think about an integrated approach- which includes the events Web site, e-mail distribution lists, local readers, radio partnerships and hotels.


"When you think music festival, you think New Orleans.  You think Jazz Fest.  You think ESSENCE," quotes, Jesse States.