Ebony not only has a new home but also a new cyberspace makeup. Launched on Jan. 17, 2012, to regain their advertising and social swag, former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers administered some significant alterations to its online look.
“Shepherding the revamp is Ebony editor in chief Amy DuBois Barnett, who was hired away from Harper’s Bazaar last June,” wrote Adweek magazine. “Before Bazaar, she served in editorial leadership roles at Teen People and Honey. She arrived shortly after Ebony got a major redesign, with a new logo and more articles about lifestyle, wellness and business success stories.”
Ebony.com commissioned the help of Code and Theory, whose work on the relaunch of Vogue.com was followed by massive traffic gains for that site.
Barnett said she tried to help the legendary mag step up its online game since competitors have sprung up like weeds.
“The site has been very utilitarian,” she said. “The new site has a very different mission. We’re really aiming to be at the core of the African American conversation online. African Americans over-index on everything digital, so I think the opportunity for us is tremendous.”
–terry shropshire
