new look, and lots to worry about
Now let's see, there's B. Smith and Oprah and...
By Jeff Bercovici
"When they take over for someone else, people usually talk about their predecessor leaving them a strong foundation to build on," says Monique Greenwood. "Well, I didn’t inherit a foundation. I got a skyscraper."
The architect in Greenwood’s metaphor is Susan Taylor. After 19 years as editor in chief of Essence magazine, Taylor is moving up to a new post as publications director for Essence Communications.
Greenwood, previously the executive editor, has been named to succeed her at the 1 million-plus-circulation monthly.
Says Greenwood, pursuing the conceit, "Now if I can add on a skylight, or a penthouse suite, I’m happy to be able to do that."
She may have to do more than that, however, to defend Essence’s position in the marketplace. To date, Essence has enjoyed the benefits of existing in a category largely of its own making--there are no other major black women's lifestyle titles with which to compete.
But now other edifices are sprouting up all around in different but related categories, threatening Essence’s prominence in the skyline.
Posing particularly potent threats are the recently launched B. Smith Style and Hearst’s new O: The Oprah Magazine, which launches April 17.
Barbara Smith’s magazine, which infuses color into the whitewashed formula of Martha Stewart Living, has the potential to reach deep into Essence’s core readership of African American women age 18 to 49.
Media queen Oprah Winfrey appeals to a broad demographic, as her 33 million TV viewers can attest, and Hearst is gambling that her "women’s personal growth guide for the new century" can do the same in print. If O takes the market share many expect it to, its success will also doubtless cut into Essence’s territory.
Then, of course, there’s Real Simple to reckon with. Due out in March, the Time Inc. simplification-themed lifestyle book, like O, is sure to be a mass-market vehicle of the highest order.
So where does all this leave Essence?
Adapting.
Greenwood’s first issue as editor in chief will incorporate something of a redesign when it arrives in June. Though Greenwood maintains that Essence is in a category of its own, elements of the redesign seem clearly intended to address challenges from competitors.
Coverage of home and cooking will be expanded, with plans for the addition of a new entertaining page. One new section, "NOW!," will serve up a potpourri, including regular do-it-yourself advice articles. New style pages will also be added.
Further, Greenwood notes that the public appetite for celebrity chatter has swelled of late, as evidenced by the tremendous success of Time Inc.’s In Style. Accordingly, Essence will beef up its star coverage for the June issue. "The Mix," another new department, will feature arts and entertainment stories and reviews.
As far as advertising goes, Greenwood inherits Essence in good condition. Ad revenue for 1999 was $53.7 million, up 15 percent over the previous year, and ad pages were up 8 percent to 1,167, according to figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. But that growth could flag as rival titles draw off advertisers.
Perhaps as daunting as the threats Essence faces from competitors, however, is the challenge Greenwood faces in living up to the legacy of her predecessor.
"She’s an excellent role model for all black woman in what she does and what she stands for," says Greenwood of Taylor.
Greenwood came to Essence four years ago as its lifestyle director, covering food, home, parenting, and travel. She was previously at Fairchild, where she launched Children’s Business magazine.
-Jeffrey Bercovici is a staff writer for Media Life.