Essence Mag, Apparently, No Longer Needs A Black Perspective
by Charing Ball
There is definitely a shake up happening at the headquarters for the black communities longest running fashion magazine.
First Susan Taylor left than Mikki Taylor followed suite. Then there was the sustainable layoffs reported in November 09, which had folks speculating if Essence was on its last pages. But now it appears that the publishers are looking forward in a universal way with the hiring of Ellianna Placas, former editor of O Magazine and US Weekly, who will now begin her tenure as the new fashion editor at the magazine. Oh, one more thing: Placas is white.
Yes, in this post-racial America, Placas will cross the cultural divide in fashion to take the helm of presenting what’s new, what’s hot and what’s next in the world of Sista-girl style. But not everyone is taking the news harmoniously.
On Friday evening, cultural critic and writer Michaela angela Davis tweeted: “It is with a heavy, heavy heart I have learned that Essence magazine has engaged a white fashion director, this hurts, literally, spiritually.” Her feelings were followed by a series of trending topics throughout the blogosphere of both outrage and indifference about the decision.
First, let me say that I haven’t had a subscription for Essence magazine since the earlier part of this decade, so I don’t really have a horse in this race. However, from the few issues that I had skimmed through during my monthly visits to the hair salon, I can tell you that I don’t think I am missing much. Unlike its history of uplifting and honoring the holistic experiences of the black woman, I began to find much of the magazine trite and full of regressive articles much inline with the Cosmo woman of the 18th Century (think Celia advising Harpo on how to handle his Sophia problem). And with the exception of a few featured articles, great covers editorials, and the recipes in the back, I find Essence to hold little relevance to this 21st Century woman of color.
Like the rest of Essence’s faithful flock, I do wonder how a non woman-of-color will handle the responsibility of communicating and interpreting beauty to a racial group, which has been historically marginalized in the fashion industry.
While Vogue may skirt away from the dark and the curvy, one thing I give Essence’s credit for was its ability to present true body diversity on its covers and in its editorials. Which is what most faithful readers feared would be sidelined when the magazine officially became part of the family of Time Warner in 2005. Since then, the magazine has experienced a series of cultural missteps and faux pas including the infamous Black Love issue, which featured Reggie Bush, former beau of Kim Kardashian and chronic interracial dater, on the cover.
Unfortunately, Essence is not alone in this irrelevancy and it’s not just about a white-ownership thing either. I have the same criticism of Ebony and Jet magazines, whose subscription comes courtesy of my grandmother, who reasoned that it would make a great Christmas gift. Like Essence, I always felt that Ebony/Jet was the quintessential go-to guides for anything related to and about black life. However, today the magazine is mostly fluff pieces about how much we adore the First Black Family and offers very little in the way of critical thinking and in-depth analysis on real issues facing the millions of black families outside of the White House.
Now Johnson Publishing is finding itself in the position that Essence once was in 2005 and desperately trying to rebrand its flagship publications. Part of the reason cited was that advertising sales were lagging but I also suspect that the magazine realizes that it is failing to reach the newest generation of Blacks, who have evolved past glossy cover pictures of Prince and Ibris Elba and Jet’s Beauties of the Week.
Thanks in part to the digital revolution, younger blacks now consume information differently and have a full range of thoughts in opinions from the likes of The Root, The Grio, Black Snob, Jack and Jill, Racialious, Clutch, What about Our daughter and dare I be self-serving to say, The Atlanta Post. Most of these publications still manage to speak from a black perspective yet also are impartial and thoughtful in both its critique and praise of black life.
Despite all its flaws and shortcomings, I would hate to see Ebony or Jet fall victims to the same perils as Essence, or for that matter, the other long standing Black institutions. However, wistfulness of the good ole’ days alone cannot fully account for why these publications failed to keep up with the changing times.
And as to the issue of Placas, I will take a wait and see attitude on how this change in guards will affect the quality of a magazine. In my honest opinion, it can’t get any worse.
Wooooow!!! Great article. Unfortunate content but a well told story.
In “post-racial America” you need a Black perspective . . . a “white” perspective et al. I am hopeful that essence is broadening its direction because of the multitude of lifestyle that women have in common whereas the color of their skin is the only thing they don’t. I’m also sure essence is purely numbers driven. Perhaps 60% (if not more) of black female consumers do not consider race in how they spend their money or the lifestyle they wish to acquire. The 10% to 30% that don’t make for a profitable demographic.
Good Article. The only time I read, or skim through, an Essence Magazine is when I am standing in the line at the super market. I find the magazine to be boring. I liked what the writer said, “trite and full of regressive articles.” Each edition seem to focus on “how to keep a man, how to find your baby’s daddy, or my favorite ” what are the Smiths having for dinner tonight.” The magazine needs a new and different prospective. What’s wrong with change? I say “shake it up.”
This is an interesting point but I think the key problem with black magazines/media is the business behind it.
Ebony/JET are iconic brands, so Johnson need to get in there and save them. This idea that blogs will replace them is not wholly true — they can work in tandem.
If I was Time Inc right now, here are a few things I would be doing for Essence:
1. Hire a black fashion director to quell the controversy and because it is the right thing.
2. Push subscriptions harder and perhaps include the Essence Music Festival bundled in with a subscription and make it only a subscriber event, where subscribers can meet the singers/celebs afterwards.
3. Sort out the content as well.
I also suggest Essence, Ebony and JET to look to emerging markets with high populations of black people such as Brazil and Nigeria.
Aulelia
Charcoal Ink
I love the idea of . . .
“2. Push subscriptions harder and perhaps include the Essence Music Festival bundled in with a subscription and make it only a subscriber event, where subscribers can meet the singers/celebs afterwards.”
This goes for a number of products trying to find their way in today’s marketplace with overwhelming competition and “freebies” etc. It’s time to add more value for the dedicated customer.
Case in point, Prince giving away his cd knowing if you love the music he’ll make the money (all the money) elsewhere.
@DryerBuzz, thanks for picking up on that. I personally think a subscriber-oriented viewpoint is what will make ESSENCE a favourite again for black women.
As you say, dedicated customers. I love digital media and I love the Internet, but paying customers always beat out roaming visitors who want things for free all the time.
ESSENCE should be taking advantage of this.
In addition to bundling the Music Festival, I noticed in their latest issue that they have their own brand of brushes, combs, Afro picks. They should bung those in a subscription as well, and perhaps have a premium subscription where a higher price gets you specially designed Afro hair products signed off by a black celebrity like Beyonce, Jada.
These are just ideas, but I think ESSENCE have to work hard to convince people to subscribe.
The concept that all media outlets can provide £millions of pounds through advertising is outdated, at best.
The subscription economy is the future and this is particularly true for ESSENCE. I mean, lookat Black Enterprise, I heard they have over 400.000 subscribers.
Um, Dryerbuzz & Aurelia, you really need to be working at Essence with those ideas!
The sad part is, unfortunately, they probably wouldn’t listen to you until it was too late.
I’ve come across a few people that have worked at some of our “flagship publications” back when the internet was first “getting noticed”, and many of the articulated a desire to integrate the internet into their publications early on, but were admonished for the suggestion.
It’s unfortunate that traditional Black publications had to be so late in the game to embracing the digital media age.
If I were working at Essence, I’d be looking to reach out to you two and bring you in for a brainstorming meeting! In fact, I don’t even have a magazine (yet), but I’m still considering bringing you both in as my publication/PR team!
What do you say? Let’s give Essence some competition! LOL.
@Exclusive_Multiplicity I’ve been reading back over the comments myself. Taking the advice and implementing. I remember approaching radio to help forge its way online years ago. They couldn’t see. Now look at Johnny come lately.
Richard Rodriguez (Noted Author & Essayist) was the name I was trying to remember in the other post who talked about looking at why certain mediums were born i.e radio, newspapers, magazines. I wish I had recorded more of his keynote. I make reference to it all the time. But I only have a snippet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qOtqYI2Qnc
When I started there was no way I was going into debt trying to compete in print. A friend suggest a unique marketing tip. We used CD’s back in the day to drive traffic online. Was a big hit because most of our readers did not yet have internet at home let alone broadband. May revert to the idea for the audience that has yet to grasp the mobile concept. As Rodriguez said, we must remember why our mediums were born. My medium was “blogging.” Judging by what’s going on at Essence, blogging will be around a while. There is always the under severed.
[...] Essence Mag No Longer Needs A Black PerspectiveThe Atlanta PostWas Essence Wrong To Hire A White Fashion Director?Styleiteall 5 news articles » AKPC_IDS += "35754,";Popularity: unranked [?]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Essence’s White Fashion Director Ellianna Placas Causes Controversy – Huffington Post (blog)", url: "http://www.fashionista365.com/2010/07/27/essences-white-fashion-director-ellianna-placas-causes-controversy-huffington-post-blog/" }); Share and Enjoy: [...]
[...] Charing Ball of The Atlanta Post doesn't think Essence even needs a black perspective anymore: From the few issues that I had [...]
[...] Charing Ball of The Atlanta Post doesn’t think Essence even needs a black perspective anymore: From the few issues that I had [...]
[...] What’s Happening to Black Magazines | The Atlanta Post says: July 27, 2010 at 11:01 am [...]
[...] Backlash EnsuesNew York MagazineControversy Surrounds Essence Hiring White Fashion DirectorNews OneThe Atlanta Post -Styleiteall 6 news articles » AKPC_IDS += "35768,";Popularity: unranked [...]
[...] Backlash EnsuesNew York MagazineControversy Surrounds Essence Hiring White Fashion DirectorNews OneThe Atlanta Post -Styleiteall 6 headlines [...]
“The concept that all media outlets can provide £millions of pounds through advertising is outdated, at best.”
I hope everyone is reading this. @aulelia is dropping science. I was consulting with a baker. When asked how much to charge for her cupcakes, told her to give them away to “members.” Subscribers is how the internet began and made millions/billions. Its time to come full circle.
@DryerBuzz, thanks for the kind words. My glasses just saw your excellent point about Prince. Prince is a great example of a black man using the subscription-business model to great effect for his business. Instead of just putting him on the cover, they should have done a tour with him, and taken a commission, and generated extra revenue through brand association!
I 100% agree with your baking point. Installing the subscription mentality is key here. When you buy a TV Box set, you are subscribing to the show and what it is about because you have paid to receive a product.
I love talking about the future of black media, so I have rambled a bit but just want to make a few extra points about ESSENCE, EBONY, + BE.
1. Black Enterprise is in a different situation to the other two for the simple fact it deals directly in making others successful. I subscribed to BE last year but because I moved countries had to cancel my subscription, but once I go back to the UK, I will be resubscribing to BE. Excellent product, excellent content and just brilliant all around.
I believe that ESSENCE’s core problem is instead of focusing on how to make black women more successul, it sees itself as a beacon for the black woman. With so much media choice these days, I think ESSENCE has to change its content to deal with what black women want.
Now we can’t generalise that all black women love celebrity etc, but I do think they need to cut out the celebrity content they put in the magazine and instead feature more ‘exclusive’ type stories that blogs will not be able to match or keep up with.
Exclusive type content could be:
–Investigative features
–Reports on black women in business etc
I also think ESSENCE are missing a trick by excluding the black women of non-African American descent. African-American culture is so ingrained in a large part of the African diaspora. ESSENCE could have digest editions that are localised to key sectors such as ESSENCE Brasil or ESSENCE Nigeria, as I alluded to in another comment. Brazil and Nigeria have a combined population of more than 100 million black people.
It’s time to think outside the box. Perhaps the readership of black females lies outside the US, perhaps it doesn’t but what is absolutely mint is that it lies in making the black woman a subscriber of the idea of what the brand is.
Make the person successful, and the pounds should follow.
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts DryerBuzz on whether you think it is Time Inc’s fall that ESSENCE is crumbling or whether we as black people do care about these things like media etc.
I think most people don’t care how a product comes to market as long as it is there to be consumed, and perhaps it is time for businesses to re-educate the consumer.
Media just has to be paid for. Cold-calling for advertising is some of the most brutal work ever done on this earth, and I know that pain as I am sure the publishers of the Atlanta Post do.
As a Tanzanian girl who studied in England, I always always read ESSENCE. It was just habit to buy it but never subscribe. The fact they have hired a non-black woman shows me the management are going to alienate their core readership and lose money.
Is the return on investment worth the risk? You be the judge.
Aulelia
Charcoal Ink
“I’d be curious to hear your thoughts DryerBuzz on whether you think it is Time Inc’s fall that ESSENCE is crumbling or whether we as black people do care about these things like media etc.”
@aulelia we have to remember reason for the sale of Essence and why the original owners could not (admittedly) help it soar to new heights. Somewhat mirrors the sale of BET. It goes back to the consumer where you said “most people don’t care how a product comes to market as long as it is there to be consumed.”
In watching Essence since the sale, I’ve wondered if Black women would remain prominently in the demographic. Essence is in a position to transcend audiences, especially with the name. Who would remember its history if the consumer doesn’t care.
On the news stand Essence has began to blend in rather than stand out. Literally have to search for it. If its transcending audiences then that’s a good thing. If not what does it or should it say about the audience of Black women? — are Black women blending in not wanting to standing out. Essence has been a key part of our history and our uniqueness to stand out.
In talking about the lost and changes of publications, one expert (can’t recall his name) said we have to look at why these sources were born. Newspapers and magazines were born to help us imagine worlds and parts of the world that we had no knowledge. In order to survive, time to take imagination to new heights and stop competing with blogs like you said.
Case in point on imagination. When I launched DryerBuzz.com in the 90′s offline and online in 2002, you would have been hard press to find information about “Atlanta” online let alone a stories about Black Women. I remember a top jeweler asking me if there was “that much urban news” while at his urban/hip hop product launch/party. He couldn’t imagine then, but look around now.
Yet and still stories about Black women are still somewhat lost online. Checking Google daily, top Black woman trending topic this year has been Shirley Sherrod. Says a lot about the formula for building buzz for Black women.
The questions remain, does Essence still want to peak our imagination? As well as, do Black women still want to imagine a world where they are the trendsetters?
I am done with Essence mag. I might as well go buy Cosmo…
Kiss My A** Essence…I faithfully bought this magazine every month…never again…
[...] no longer the little girls eyeballing the glossy giant who taught us how to love ourselves.However, Charing Ball of The Atlanta Post doesn't think Essence even needs a black perspective anymore:From the few issues that I had skimmed [...]
@DryerBuzz Who were the old owners of ESSENCE? I remember reading a piece (ages) ago by Black Enterprise about the Essence sale but my memory is so thin these days.
Again, astute points made in your comment. I’d like to flag up a few key issues I found in your comment.
This is exactly where the problem lies. It should not have to transcend audiences, because that is not what the core aim is about, and I know you understand this since you cleverly mentioned it, but what I want to know is do the management understand this? Did you ever read that magazine TRACE? It was supposed to be a multicultural magazine but it was started by a Togolese bloke and he had an annual ‘Black Girls Rule’ issue, which was controversial. Here is the problem: multicultural magazines do not work in general.
Look at Latina magazine. Really successful from what I hear with loyal leadership — why should they transcend if at all? Like you said, “Newspapers and magazines were born to help us imagine worlds and parts of the world that we had no knowledge” — as black people, we will never know enough about ourselves worldwide, Essence is still relevant but the execution is irrelevant.
To this, I would like to bring up that perhaps and just *perhaps* there has been a slight false dawn on how black women are consuming media online. I read concrete loop, natural hair blogs of other people etc but I feel like I do want something really authoritative, if that makes sense.
Perhaps the browser experience does not cater to this sort of personal reach? Is mobile the answer to find black women online then?
I don’t believe the iPad or Kindle are the saviours of the print magazine industry, but I do think what they herald is it is time to do things differently. If The Times reports on a story over a nameless WordPress blog, I will be more likely to believe it based on track record.
Essence does have a track record before the acquisition so I think now it is time to go back to basics.
This is redundant to hypothesise, but I love it, LOL so I will. If I was management, here is what I would do:
1. Construct a questionnaire for at least 25,000 Essence readers to ask them what can be improved about the publication. Door-knocking if necessary, go to salons everything and anything.
2. Come up with an ancillary, revenue-generating product immediately. One idea I thought of was Essence could create a nationwide competition to find the next black female entrepreneur. This market is thriving on Ning and do we need to remind ourselves the colossus that is the incredible Oprah Winfrey? To generate turnover, Essence could charge a small stake of equity in exchange for prize money and a spread in the magazine. This could increase engagement for black women with the brand, showing that Essence really does care, but also provide a way for Essence to realise on its investment. Blockbuster companies have been created in many ways, but a Pop Idol version in a magazine — why not?
3. Or perhaps it is time for the inevitable — Time Inc should sell the magazine. I think this is probably for the best.
DryerBuzz, how much do you think Essence is worth? This article: [http://www.targetmarketnews.com/storyid06181001.htm] highlights that Essence dipped pages this year but at a slower pace than BE, Ebony and Jet.
I think right now the only person with sizable cash and nous to even consider purchasing Essence or Ebony for that matter would be Oprah Winfrey.
I think she is basically the only person who could pull this off. Essence going to private equity who don’t understand the core consumer wants would be a disaster, so PE is a no go.
This topic really fascinates me, can’t wait to see where it all turns out.
And just for guessing, I think anyone who can buy Essence for £10m would be getting a deal. If Newsweek can get sold for $9m as the Business Insider claims, then I don’t see why it can’t be bought in the low millions as well.
Aulelia
According to wiki info “the magazine was founded in 1968 by Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth, Jonathan Blount, and Denise M. Clark.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence_%28magazine%29
The info also goes into details of the sale and how much essence may be worth. I don’t think Time should sale. Since you mentioned Oprah, I think Essence might be the one to compete with the Oprah brand encompassing other forms of media and outreach to include radio, TV and movies.
The mobile experience has exploded over the last year. Where African Americans were slow to adopt and become “Internet” junkies, its amazing to see the growth with mobile devices – again just in the last year. Essence website leaves much to be desired. They should widely promote an app with broad partnerships.
When you think of the Essence festival, perhaps like you said, Essence should extend its brand beyond “African American” women to international festival(s) and women of color. Perhaps they should take Essence Festival on the road and across the pond, broadening and satisfying the imagination.
Lastly it comes back to profits and authority. I think before Ebony founder Johnson passed, there was some discussion about what to do print issues. Even with an top secret exclusive, its hard to come with original content and be the only source. The “subscription” is now beyond the magazine. Readers want to subscribe to a lifestyle – especially an exclusive one.
Hmmm if Essence is not the one to do it. I know a buzzing source that should.
I am really glad you brought up profits, such a key point seriously. I think the Essence festival is something I can seriously see working in the UK as a once every few years thing. Black people in Europe live disparate lives so it would be a great way to tie everything together.
I also had no idea Essence was founded by most black men! Learn something new every day. Where are these men now, are they working on Wall Street?
The growth with mobile is a fabulous point; in Africa, there are 400 million mobile users. Staggering but it must be said those are not smartphones.
In your last point about readers wanting 2 experience a lifestyle, does this mean print is dead then?
I don’t know that I would say print is dead. I think there is still an audience for print just minus the online/mobile audience. I usually check the news stands to see what print covers and its find stories I’ve already browsed online. There has to be a difference. Should print be a summary driving the audience to the internet? “Finish reading this article online. . . . ” If used in that manner should the print version be free and the online become subscription base. Flip the script make more money since printing is such a high cost.
The reality is that most magazines cater to white america. The one or two black magazines that cater to blacks should have people who can identify with and understand black americans. I doubt that Vogue or any similar magazine would make the same decision to hire a black person for that position
Essence need to hire Aulelia and DryerBuzz.
That’s what I’m saying! I’m officially making myself their manager/agent now! We need to make this happen, plus I need my 20% “finder’s fee”. LOL.
Let’s talk ladies!
@DryerBuzz, the cost of print is so high, that is true, but it is still seen as more prestigious by the general public and ther eis this assumption that if it is printed, it *means* something.
Essence is in trouble. I mean, look at Bebo. A company bought for £500m was sold for £7m. I still find that staggering.
It just proves that loads of people on one platform does not mean anything unless it is making money.
Essence has a better chance of surviving than Vibe. Vibe is a complete mess (sorry, Quincy, no offence but I don’t even know where to begin).
Your point about radio is something I also agree on. And the CD Roms too.
This controversy should be good 4 Essence’s sales to a certain degree, but I would not be surprised if Time, Inc decided to close the magazine.
***Okay just after I wrote that above, I found this interview with Ed Lewis, who sold Essence to time where he says:
WOW!!!
1. The old owners of Essence never went to BE to ask if they wanted to be acquired.
2. The Johnsons invested in Essence, which means they probably saw a return on their investment when it was sold.
Learn something new every day!
@aulelia you have wet my appetite so much for an international Essence. When i checked Essence placement on the news stands this weekend and saw Janet Jackson on the cover I was almost disappointed. I want to go beyond.
Even the internet stops at the border unless clicking international option (which now I’m doing more of especially in youtube, google and news sites).
The good for us, where Essence can’t make the quick flip – blogs can
@exclusivemulticiplity: thanks for the love
@dryerbuzz: checked out your site. lots of interesting features there!
I think once we move from the discussion of the place of black media, we are faced with a conundrum >> which black people are going to pay for XYZ media?
Advertising is just not enough.
Would readers of Concrete Loop or Necole Bitchie pay for a subscription to those sites? If the answer is yes, paywalls *could* work to a certain extent.
Perhaps a ‘digital subscription card’ to online celebrity blogs catering to black people (like Concrete Loop, NB, YBF) so these bloggers can get paid for their content, not page views.
I still don’t get why Ebony have not bought at least one of the big online black website. Concrete Loop readers could have transitioned to Ebony and paid subscriptions.
Hindsight is 20/20!
Radio One/Syndication One (News One) not sure how its branded, but seems they purchased Black Planet which was a majorly popular site in the 90′s (before myspace) and one of the first in “social networking.” Blackplanet dropped the ball trying to go the advertising route instead of subscription. They also did not advance to newer technology such as audio/video networking which attracted their users to mainstream sites. Plus I think the creators gave up ownership to take on j-o-b’s when the investor didn’t come.
We are at a turning point.
PS: I guess the title of the article should now more from “Essence Mag, Apparently, No Longer Needs A Black Perspective” to
“Essence Mag, Apparently Needs A Broader and International Black Perspective”
More on the digital subscription card (or how it could work)
–Blogs sign up to a paid content website (this would require all of them to sign up)
–It could be like £10 for one year. Even if only 100,000 people signed up for subscriptions, that is already £2m generated from subscriptions.
Paid circulation translates to deeper engagement with advertisers too.
I think we just have to try and come up with fresh ideas all the time and try and figure out how to make digital content for black audiences work.
These subscription cards could feature exclusive one-off career interviews with celebrities like Tyler Perry or Beyonce too, and ones done on Brightcove so they are impossible to copy and distribute on YouTube.
Just some ideas!
@DryerBuzzz, are radio one black owned?
Just don’t understand why they didn’t go the subscription route. It doesn’t make sense. Advertisers for *decades* have been hesitant to embrace ethnic advertising.
You can’t build a business model of ads based on 10 companies in a certain niche. It’s absurd.
Another idea: If Black Planet could create special ebooks or video as you mentioned and cross sell that to their audience.
I noticed Black Voices have a specific money section. Personal finance is massive online > anything that helps to make someone more successful is worth paying for.
We all need to step our game up before we end up just writing for page views.
I blog for pleasure with my Charcoal Ink blog, but I have a website for careers in marketing called vox-popPRcareers and I am figuring out that I either have to produce a certain amount of ebooks to cross sell throughout the year or make it subscription only.
Adsense as a profit/loss projection is just not enough.
We are deffo at a turning point. Couldn’t agree more but I think the free ride is over you know. Look at what the Times are doing with their paywall.
In a few years, most stuff will be behind a paywall.
It makes far more sense to have less users who pay for a product than have loads who don’t.
People are obsessed with numbers, but it is the pennies that count.
‘Pennies make pounds, pounds make profit’
When Essence removed the historical tag line: “For Today’s Black Woman” I knew it was all over.
For those who state that a Black perpective is not necessary…take a stroll through the most popular magazine and let me know how many feature folks of color. Keep fooling yourselves.