JET Brand Strategy and Re-Launch - JET Magazine, MYJET247.com, JET Branded Content; Melvin Young-Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, Johnson Publishing Company, Inc., EBONY and JET Corporate Branding and Strategy

JET Unveils New MyJET247.com, Magazine, Content and Logo

JET has introduced MYJET247.com, a new multimedia website dedicated to providing a unique point of view on the latest Black take in news and entertainment.  As part of JET’s new and evolving brand strategy, MYJET247.com will offer consumers a unique experience through an array of stories, video, and branded channels that will entertain, engage and connect the audience to what’s happening now.  The new site fulfills a long awaited void in the Black community and will be of tremendous value to both consumers and advertisers.

“Earlier this year, we reintroduced the iconic JET Magazine through a new redesign and layout and are now extending our brand with MYJET247, a new digital platform fulfilling a consumer need for ‘snackable’ and credible content from a trusted source,” said Linda Johnson Rice, chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, parent company of JET. “This is another defining point in JPC history as we continue to expand our content offerings.”

MYJET247.com will include original and aggregated content.  The site will keep consumers in-the-know through JET exclusives, news stories, current events and blogs on a range of topics including entertainment, life, money and sports. Look to MYJET247.com as the go to source for examining today’s most relevant information — often missing in mainstream media.

Visitors can look forward to innovative signature content through the JET INSIDER, JET BUZZ, JET MUSIC, JET STYLE, JET VIDEO and JET PERSPECTIVES sections, where they can use interactive tools, participate in polls and comment on articles. Users can also actively participate in reader favorites such as JET BEAUTY and JET LOVE (formerly LOVE & HAPPINESS).  Contributors to MYJET247.com include national radio host Warren Ballentine, celebrity bloggers Monica Barnett, Kelley Carter, Celena Gill and entertainment reporter Miki Turner.

“Our new strategy clearly underscores how we continue to differentiate JET within the marketplace as a premiere destination for connecting Black consumers to information that matters most to them,” said Anne Sempowski Ward, president and COO. “We have repositioned JET as a brand and not merely a print vehicle to create a platform that allows consumers and advertisers to connect, interact and create compelling content.”

One example of this new strategy is the JET BEAUTY channel, featuring Expressions of Beauty, where Black women of all ages are invited to sign up and participate in an environment, called the Beauty Wall, where they can upload their photos and express  how they define Black beauty. This channel will also feature signature JET Beauties; an array of gorgeous Black women; the Beauty Columnist; up-to-the minute beauty advice from experts; and the current trends in What’s New in Beauty; where sponsors and advertisers can share their latest products, services and beauty tips, and insights from JET Beauty Bloggers. The new website has already started to attract the attention of major advertisers. Starbucks has signed on as an inaugural sponsor ofMYJET247.com.

“MYJET247 is a completely new value proposition with a distinctive brand identity for JET,” said Melvin P. Young-Lewis, acting chief marketing officer. “It is our quest to expand our brand presence and become more relevant to the Black community, specifically, Digital INFOSEEKERS, ages 21-34, as we continue to rollout MYJET247 digital products.”

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If you need expertise in strategic planning, branding, re-branding, brand identityor re-positioning your brand or organization, please feel free to contact Melvin Young - Lewis.

Email:  MyStrategyHouse@gmail.com
Contact Melvin on Twitter @Hollywood1906

The EBONY EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: Public Schools, Private Innovations - Addresses Education In the U.S.; Melvin Young-Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, Corporate Branding and Strategy at Johnson Publishing Company, Inc., EBONY and JET Brands

EBONY Magazine, University of Chicago Urban Education Institute and MSNBC partner to take on education in a EBONY EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: Public Schools, Private Innovations

Leading experts on education, including representatives of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, joined other national leaders in discussing the challenges of urban education on August 11 during the Ebony Education Roundtable.  The partnership culminated in a two-hour education special, "Making The Grade" which aired on msnbc on August 15, 2010. The Ebony Education Roundtable was part of integrated marketing platform that featured President Obama in a Education Special edition of Ebony Magazine.

More than 400 people sat in Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Chicago to listen, frequently applauding the panelists as they discussed improving education.

Cosponsored by Ebony Magazine and the University, the roundtable came as the nation discusses ways of improving education for children from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, such as “Race to the Top,” the federal initiative intended to boost college readiness.

In his introduction, President Robert J. Zimmer underscored the University’s commitment to school improvement, praising the students of the University of Chicago Charter School for their success. “The education of our youth is one of the most important things we do as a society,” said Zimmer.

The panelists presented statistics that identify the challenges facing students of urban public schools and how UEI is working to address them. Elaine Allensworth, Director of Research for the Consortium on Chicago School Research, pointed out that only 6 percent of students in Chicago actually attain a four-year degree, while 85 percent cite the aspiration to do so. Allensworth said that the work of UEI through its charter school campuses, research, and teacher training programs can provide a model for improvement for urban schools across the country.

Julianne Malveaux, President of Bennett College, cited time in class is an issue. She added that Chicago Public Schools students have 25 percent less class time than their counterparts in other cities, like Austin.

“Teachers need more time with them, time to find a solution,” agreed Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education.

Student interest also is a factor the experts noted. “Somehow, schools have turned young people off of learning,” said Shayne Evans, Director of the University of Chicago Charter School, Woodlawn secondary campus.

The establishment of charter schools has been controversial; many believe that charter schools exacerbate existing problems in the educational system. Mary Richardson-Lowry, President of the Chicago Board of Education, said, however, “Charter schools are part of the solution.” Richardson-Lowry also noted other solutions such as technology in the classroom, improving parent-teacher relations, and better teachers.

“If we encourage technology, we speak the language of our children,” said Evans. “Maybe then they will speak back to us.”

Ali said a major component of ‘Race to the Top’ is pinpointing what makes a good teacher and bringing more of them into the system. The panelists agreed that one thing all good teachers know is how to formulate constructive relationships with parents. “Schools that work best are where teachers and parents are partners,” said Allensworth.

Tim King, President and CEO of the Urban Prep Academies, said including parents creates “a positive school culture.”

Evans said the Woodlawn charter school campus works hard to facilitate those partnerships. “What our schools need is to invite people in,” he said. “We should be calling to celebrate, not just to complain.”

A positive culture develops when adults – teachers, school leaders and parents – remember to “remind our young people that they are fantastic,” said Evans. When educators set high expectations for young people, they rise to those expectations, he added.

The roundtable discussion was moderated by MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall. The panel included the following participants:

• Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
• Shayne Evans, Director, University of Chicago Charter School’s Woodlawn Secondary Campus
• Elaine Allensworth, Research Director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research
• Tim King, President and CEO of the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men
• Julianne Malveaux, President of Bennett College
• Mary Richardson-Lowry, President of the Chicago Board of Education

Melvin Young - Lewis:  This is one my most proudest moments. I am extremely passionate about education and the dissemination of information to the underserved, at-risk youth/children and those in urban markets.  I really enjoyed leading and managing this entire process (strategy, creative executions and production) associated with the EBONY EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE.  


Most important, the residents of Chicago, influencers, state and local government officials, NGOs, non-profits, educators and members from surrounding communities overwhelming supported the EBONY EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE.  Once we started to promote the event, we literally had exceeded capacity within 48 hours. Johnson Publishing Company in partnership with the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute and MSNBC delivered a great event. Great partnerships if managed and nurtured correctly can lead to something very valuable for all parties involved while creating something special for the communities they serve. 


If you are interested in contacing Melvin about strategy and or to how effectively leverage content into signature branded event and integrated marketing program, please: 


Contact Melvin on Twitter@Hollywood1906
Email: MyStrategyHouse@gmail.com

Trey Songz Interview with MyJet247.com at the 2010 Taste of Chicago