The Evolution of Jones Magazine
You mentioned social media. What role does new media play in your strategic plan?
LM: It’s central. JONES is a guide, so getting our information out is very important. Our new media strategy includes the key components: web, mobile, and social media.
With the merger between JONES and The NorthStar Group finalized, what’s the strategy going forward?
LM: This merger was truly a merger of traditional print media and entertainment new media. Our recent launch was 360 degrees, with print, website, and television. The only platform missing is radio and we’re looking into some kind of radio engagement.
Our model is business development. We don’t have to be the only game in town. We want to partner with different organizations where our brands connect such as with Centric. We’re not trying to be all things to all women. We stay in our lane, but we do it across multiple platforms.
What does NorthStar bring to the JONES brand?
LM: JONES still has its core team and the magazine remains under the direction of Tracey on the creative side. Now that it’s been integrated into NorthStar, we’ve more than quadrupled the number of hands involved. We have people in sales, distribution, advertising and creative. One of the benefits of a merger as opposed to staffing up is an increase in resources. But this merger has been equally beneficial to NorthStar because we needed another product that was fresh and exciting.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced expanding JONES from a regional platform to a national one?
TF: It’s a totally different operation. It’s not, “Oh we have a great magazine; we’ll just make it bigger.” The stakes are higher and so are mistakes. Our scope is bigger. We have people coming at us from everywhere. [Before] we had to approach designers, now we have designers asking us to be covered. We’ve changed the size of the magazine from that of a digest to being the same size as a Teen Vogue. The paradigm has shifted completely.
LM: You can even notice the differences by just looking at the cover. When it was regional, JONES featured a beautifully simple cover of an upcoming model. Now you see cover lines to let consumers know what’s in the issue. You’ll see celebrity models and perhaps celebrities gracing future covers.
How did the deal for Keeping up with the Joneses develop?
TF: I wasn’t looking for a show. In 2008, I received a call from an LA-based production company that had a copy of the magazine. We talked about what I do, my struggles, and my family life. Part of me thought it was a joke. They flew out to Houston and spent about four days shooting a reel to promote the show and sell the concept to a network. They went away and we forgot about it. Then two years later, the reel found itself in the hands of BET, who was looking to build a new network with Centric for a smart, fresh, stylish, conscious African-American audience. It was a perfect fit for where we’re going.
Your staff and cast members, Bryce Hairston Kennard and Tamara Brock, seem to be characters on and off television. How do you leverage strengths and balance egos while running a business?
TF: I’m still learning. Over the years, it’s been challenging because it’s a small business and we work very intimately together especially towards the end of the production cycle when it’s time to close the issue. I have a looser management style. I let people move and flow to make their own decisions.
Bryce has been with me for about for years, so we’ve grown comfortable with each other. Tamara, is fairly new to the staff, and has a stellar background from another Houston publication. She’s a go-getter who’s also very demanding. She enjoys her freedom at JONES to run with her ideas. Because of her long history in publishing, she sometimes thinks she’s the expert and boss. So we do have our power clashes, but we’re amicable and respect each other. The show does a good job of capturing those struggles.
What can viewers expect to learn about managing a magazine business in episodes to come?
TF: To value and reward loyalty. To give people space and rope. To keep your cool. To manage yourself in becoming a business owner. To be a responsible brand.
Felicia Pride is a writer-entrepreneur and author of The Message. Follow her on Twitter.
