SELF Redesigns and Repositions to Grow the Iconic Brand to a New Generation

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SELF, for over thirty years, the leading women’s active lifestyle brand, has revamped and rebooted its look, feel, approach and architecture to reach beyond the 13 million current users and readers to a new generation of young, healthy living, active women who embody the SELF lifestyle.

“We’ve rebooted the entire brand to build on our recent successes, especially double-digit growth on Self.com this year to 6.9 million unique visitors in January”

The new SELF launches with the March issue, which carries a triple cover of Julianne Hough, and has a fun, fresh look and messaging for women who know that being active and healthy is beautiful, being strong is sexy and being healthy is in fashion. When women think about their lives, the topics of diet, fitness, health and beauty are all naturally integrated. Being healthy is a lifestyle, and SELF is their go-to guide.

Transcending the “body” category, the redesigned SELF brand, which includes a new look and voice across print and digital properties, as well as new marketing initiatives and an expansion into licensed products, focuses on key areas of a woman’s life—the physical, the emotional and the social self, and where these areas intersect.

“Healthy is chic, strong is beautiful, fit is fashionable!” said Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF. “The new SELF helps women navigate the moments that lead to feeling awesome right now, and to achieving larger life goals. SELF’s message: You Got This!”

“SELF started the active lifestyle movement that’s now the mainstream,” said Laura McEwen, vice president and publisher of SELF. “Today’s women have a keen focus on body consciousness. This cultural phenomenon means that the body becomes inextricably linked to beauty and fashion. This shift is reflected in our beauty advertising, which has gone up about 20% year over year. With the reimagined SELF, and our highly affluent audience, we offer more targeted opportunities for beauty and luxury marketers than ever before.”

The magazine features a restructuring of the content into four sections that takes an integrated approach in covering fitness and health; nutrition and diet; beauty and fashion; and happiness and relationships.

The first is an upfront section called FLASH, with news-related/trend-driven content that keeps a woman up-to-date so she can be the first to share repeatable tips or ideas to try (or skip) with her friends.
“YOU+”—three main sections that talk directly to the reader and put her in the center of the conversation:
- YOU + LOOKS—offers readers beauty and fashion trends and how to personalize them, including hair, makeup, skincare, fragrance, fashion and accessories
- YOU + BODY—new workouts, fast, delicious food and everything a woman needs to live her healthiest right now
- YOU + LIFE—covers her keys to happiness: friendships, relationships, sex life, work, travel and money
A conversational voice, addressing the moments where women need advice pronto, notably in new branded franchises like “You Look Awesome in That,” “Did You Do Something Different?” “Want It Now” and “Awkward!” These headings capture the way women speak to each other.
Revamped visuals: photographs that reflect how young women photograph themselves in today’s digital age
New cover treatment and bolder, cleaner layouts developed in collaboration with renowned international design studio Pentagram

With the March issue, SELF introduces the new smartphone app called “SELF+” which opens up dynamic digital content from the pages using image recognition technology that enables readers to unlock bonus digital content.

SELF.com, SELF on tablet and mobile devices have been redesigned along with the magazine, starting with the home page launching February 12 with the March issue and SELF’s tablet editions.

“We’ve rebooted the entire brand to build on our recent successes, especially double-digit growth on Self.com this year to 6.9 million unique visitors in January,” said Danziger. “The next generation of millennials has more than $200 billion a year to spend, and they are likely to spend it investing in themselves. They are active, healthy, fitness- and health-minded, and we’re engaging with them—in words and images they can identify with—in order to grow SELF to a much larger audience.”

“For marketers, the reimagination of SELF provides a premium advertising and sponsorship environment. We are focusing on the fashion, luxury and beauty categories,” said McEwen. “SELF will deliver print, digital, social and real world touchpoints that allow more creative and immersive ways for brands to connect with highly engaged consumers. The magazine’s increased interactivity drives readers to other platforms, and thus creates additional advertising opportunities.”

Additionally, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the SELF Workout in the Park series, SELF is extending the popular franchise—which recently expanded virtually with the introduction of the award-winning SELF Workout in the Park Social/Mobile Game—to the college market with the first-ever SELF Workout on the Quad. This inaugural program will award one college the opportunity to host the event. SELF is also developing licensed products including fitness gear, healthy food and more.

SELF’s March issue features a triple cover of Julianne Hough, on stands February 19, and online February 12. The April issue will feature Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover.

For more information, visit www.Self.com.

About SELF:

SELF is the brand that dares women to take life up a notch. SELF puts the power in a woman’s hands to live her most awesome life—emotionally, physically and socially. By placing the reader at the center of the conversation, we talk to her directly about the vital moments of her day, the ones that drive her happiness that instant, and build toward bigger, bolder goals. With inspiring visuals and a supportive, trusted voice, SELF helps the reader be her most satisfied and her healthiest, and to look as great as she feels. Named to the current Adweek Hot List, SELF is the founder of the Pink Ribbon, and an ASME National Magazine Award winner for excellence in journalistic achievement in print and digital. SELF reaches a total print and digital audience of 13 million. SELF is published by Condé Nast, home to some of the world’s most celebrated media brands. Visit www.Self.com and follow @SELFMagazine on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Foodily and Google+.