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Using a digital publication to connect Black & Latinx women in Los Angeles

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Using a digital publication to connect Black & Latinx women in Los Angeles

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USING A DIGITAL PUBLICATION TO CONNECT BLACK & LATINX WOMEN IN
LOS ANGELES

By: Darlene Lopez

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
[STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS]

December 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL 1

Section I. BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION 1
Section II. BUSINESS GOAL/MISSION STATEMENT 4
Section III. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM OR OPPORTUNITY 4
Section IV. COMMUNICATION GOALS 6
Section V. RESEARCH 6
Section VI. SITUATION ANALYSIS (SWOTS) 41
Section VII. OBJECTIVES 43
Section VIII. TARGET AUDIENCE 44
Section IX. KEY MESSAGES 45
Section X. STRATEGIES 45
Section XI. TACTICS 46
Section XII. EVALUATION 57
Section XIII. TIMELINE 58
Section XIV. BUDGET 60
BIBLIOGRAPHY 62
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USING A DIGITAL PUBLICATION TO CONNECT BLACK & LATINX WOMEN IN
LOS ANGELES

I. BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION

According to Fortune’s 2015 article “Print readership is still plummeting, and paywalls
aren’t really helping,” print magazine readership has been in steady decline for the past decade.
This trend in readership for print magazines continued into 2017, prompting major magazines like
Teen Vogue and Time Inc. to end their print publications, instead opting to publish their content
digitally on their websites.
The increasing demand for digital content has brought on this shift, along with the high cost
of production/printing, demand for digital content for social media formats and the continuous
decline in ad revenue. Despite these factors, the number of independent magazines has been on the
rise, even though major consumer magazines like Condé Nast’s Glamour, which reported a 26%
decline in circulation year-over-year, according to Campaign, have declined significantly.
Both digital and print “indie” magazines, specifically those targeting women, have thrived
in today’s digital age, most notably locally-based, niche publications that print seasonally. A major
reason for this is the increasing demand for specialized content for target audiences and the low
costs of having content on free online platforms, such as Instagram. As Ruth Jamieson, author of
the 2015 independent magazine study “Print is Dead. Long Live Print,” explained in an interview
with Huck Magazine, “It’s never been easier to start your own magazine and find an audience.
There’s never been a better time to be a magazine fan. The whole “Print is dead’ narrative has
turned out to be only half true. The Internet has killed, or is killing, print, but only print of the 10-
minutes-of-distraction-before-you-chuck-it-in-the-bin variety. This timely death has cleared the
way for crafted, covetable, collectable print. The indies have been at the forefront of this.” In the
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last decade alone, magazine circulation fell from $4.9 billion in sales volume in 2007, to an
estimated $2.0 billion in 2017, according to Forbes’ article “Big Ideas For A Magazine Newsstand
Industry In Distress.” Niche magazines with unique content are thriving in this era where consumer
magazines that target the general public are seeing a decline year-after-year in circulation and
revenue.
Despite the growing number of such niche publications, there are no magazines focused on
both African-American/Black and Afro-Latinx/Latinx (hereafter AA/Black and AL/Latinx)
women in the Los Angeles market. This is due, in part, to the historical separation of AA/Black
and AL/Latinx groups socio-economically, and also in audience segmentation in marketing.
Additionally, there has been little to no recognition of an Afro-Latinx identity within Latinx
groups. Throughout the last few decades, however, these groups have overlapped and intersected,
finding common ground on issues such as politics, society, education and more, as outlined in Ken
and Pulido’s “Black and Brown in Los Angeles: Beyond Conflict and Coalition.” This growing
intersectional overlap of Black and Brown has created an emerging market where this new two-
part demographic is untouched in the magazine industry.
Simultaneously, the shift to high-demand digital content consumption coupled with the
growth in social media platforms, has allowed this same two-part demographic to connect in the
digital space and in various industries, like fashion and entertainment. Online Facebook groups
like, “Black Love, Brown Pride” have created a space for Black and Latinx groups to discuss
current events and politics affecting both communities. A more personal online group, “Sis, Is This
Your Man?,” reached over 50,000 members on Facebook and was created as a way to connect
women and catch cheaters, as detailed in BET’s 2017 article “Women Created 'Sis, Is This Your
Man?' Facebook Group to Catch Cheaters.” Black- and Latinx-owned businesses have had an
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increasing number of support from both groups, and media outlets are taking notice. Articles like
Buzzfeed’s “44 Amazing Black and Latinx-Owned Brands You Won't Be Able to Stop Shopping”
and Hello Giggles’ “11 Latinx-owned businesses you can support on #ShopSmall Saturday” are
also focusing on these groups and helping to develop and proliferate a digital, multicultural
community where AA/Black and AL/Latinx women connect.
Given the digital development of this intersectional community and the developing
relationship between Black and Brown in Los Angeles, can there be a digital publication that
targets both Black/AA and AL/Latinx women ages 18-35 in the LA region to further connect their
communities? Could a cooperative enterprise or “collective” business model help to maximize
intellectual capital (contributing content creators) to minimize costs? If so, can this publication be
monetized to create a profit while remaining free to consumers in the target audience?
Elixir Magazine is an independent digital publication focused on Black, African-American,
Afro-Latinx and Latinx women ages 18-35 in Los Angeles. The goal of Elixir Magazine is to
become a digital platform that provides content relating to business, politics, lifestyle and
entertainment with an emphasis on local women who have their own businesses, create their own
content, host events and/or make an of impact in the Los Angeles community. This publication
will serve as a resource for the community to connect and support African-American, Black, Afro-
Latinx and Latinx women.
Elixir Magazine will also provide the opportunity for community members to contribute their
work to the magazine as free content. This collective method of obtaining content for the magazine
for free while promoting local businesses, projects and content creators, will also allow Elixir
Magazine to be offered free and will provide an incentive to members of the community to follow
the publication and contribute to it. Due to the nature of the content, Elixir Magazine will post on
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Facebook, Instagram and Twitter but will also feature a website to archive content and hold long-
form content not easily accessible on social media platforms.
To help Elixir Magazine achieve these goals, the author has prepared a comprehensive PR plan
based on the Strategic Planning Model (SPM).

II. BUSINESS GOAL/MISSION STATEMENT

• To provide resources, value and a platform for representation for African-American/Black,
Afro-Latinx and Latinx women ages 18-35 in Los Angeles in the form of a digital magazine
• To employ a self-sustaining business model on support and contributions from members
of the community to build Elixir Magazine’s reach organically to keep production costs
low
• To extend Elixir Magazine’s reputation with corresponding companies and investors as an
effective platform to reach Black/AA and AL/Latinx women ages 18-35 in the Los Angeles
region
• To generate a profit through events, sponsorships, merchandise, ad revenue and exclusive
content sales while remaining an independent magazine that is free to readers

III. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM OR OPPORTUNITY

Currently, there is no digital publication targeting both AA/Black and Latinx women in Los
Angeles. Both groups have integrated more within the last few decades, sharing common insights
and consumer habits in various industries (business, politics, lifestyle, entertainment, etc.), creating
an intersectional, two-part demographic that is an overlooked, but vital, part of Los Angeles. There
is no existing publication that bridges the gap between both groups in one magazine. This creates
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a larger gap in representation for members of both groups who intersect, such as Afro-Latinx
women and “Blaxicans.” Additionally, Elixir Magazine provides the opportunity for community
members to promote their businesses and projects, and contribute content to the publication as
well, offering an incentive to the target audience to support Elixir Magazine, while keeping costs
to create content low.
Due to the rise in independently owned magazines, there is a unique opportunity for Elixir
Magazine in the independent magazine market in Los Angeles. Elixir Magazine is the only
independent publication in Los Angeles that is focused on providing curated content for both
groups and seeks to address the underrepresentation Afro-Latinx women while maintaining low
costs for content. Also, the rise in independent publications helps to address the increasing demand
for niche content—particularly the kind that is available on social media. This provides the
opportunity for Elixir Magazine to thrive digitally, keeping costs low, but with the potential to
reach more people online.
The aim of this campaign is two-part: first, it is to convince the target audience that they
should support Elixir Magazine because it is a platform made for them and, second, it is to persuade
the target audience to contribute content to the magazine for free and to influence them to share
Elixir’s content with their peers. The goal is to express that Elixir Magazine caters to a special,
two-part demographic by providing the opportunity for audience members to have a voice in the
magazine. Beyond providing curated content in areas of interest (Business, Politics, Lifestyle,
Entertainment, etc.), Elixir Magazine wants contributors from the community to serve as the
platform that amplifies their voices.

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IV. COMMUNICATION GOALS

• Convince AA/Black and Afro-Latinx/Latinx women ages 18-35 in the Los Angeles region
that Elixir Magazine is an effective resource for the community and will help to promote
their projects, businesses and goals
• Persuade the target audience to follow and support Elixir Magazine on social media, share
the magazine’s content online and recommend it to their peers
• Encourage members of the community to contribute to the magazine for free because Elixir
Magazine wants to amplify their voice and provide representation
• Influence followers and readers of Elixir Magazine to consider paying for Elixir
Magazine’s exclusive content and merchandise, and attend non-free events to support
Elixir Magazine

V. RESEARCH

RESEARCH GOALS

• To verify how millennial women of color ages 18-35 consume digital content
• To identify key areas of focus for the publication’s content to develop content according
to the audience’s needs and interests
• To determine effective methods for monetization of this publication while providing free
content to the target audience

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• QUALITITATIVE: INTERVIEWS
• QUALITATIVE: FOCUS GROUP

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PRIMARY RESEARCH (QUALITATIVE): INTERVIEWS

For this Strategic Planning Model, the author is creating a digital publication focused on
Black/African-American women and Latinx (Latino/a) women ages 18-35 in Los Angeles. The
author’s goal for this publication is to provide a platform covering relevant topics in Business,
Politics, Lifestyle (Fashion, Beauty, Food) and Entertainment (Music, Film, Television). The
content for this publication will be provided by the same people that it seeks to reach—millennial
Black/AA and Latinx women 18-35 who live in Los Angeles. In this way, the publication will also
provide a space for these women to contribute their own work and will be self-sustaining.
This project involves three parts: the creation of the publication and its content based off
primary research to determine key messaging and audience interests, determining effective
monetization and feasibility for this publication based off interviews and secondary research, and
creating an effective communications strategy through digital outlets and word-of-mouth to launch
the publication and secure an audience of readers and contributors.
To determine the most effective tactics for reaching the intended audiences, as well as
developing relative content for Elixir Magazine, methods of monetization and tactics for
distribution, the author interviewed three experts: Laura Castañeda, Gabriel Kahn and Brian
Newton. These experts reside in the Los Angeles region and specialize in journalism for diverse
audiences, monetization for publications and marketing and distribution, respectively. Following
are the three interviews, each with a background description, main take-aways, and excerpts from
the interviewees used to craft this Strategic Planning Model.

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INTERVIEW WITH LAURA CASTAÑEDA
PROFESSOR OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, USC
November 21, 2017

Interviewee Background
To determine if there was a viable landscape for Elixir Magazine, as well as the content that would
be most effective in attracting the target audience, the author interviewed Laura Castañeda, a
Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Southern California, who specializes in
journalism, media and Latino issues. Castañeda’s work has been featured in The New York Times,
The Atlantic, and Columbia Journalism Review magazine. Currently, she teaches social media
storytelling, reporting, and advanced writing for magazine courses at USC Annenberg.

Objective
• To determine effective publication style and content for target demographics

Main takeaways
• Independent magazines have a lot of potential in a landscape where major publications
are suffering.
• Most of the money from publications still comes from advertising.
• Investing in promotional materials for major events (goody bags, t-shirts, tote bags, etc.)
may be effective for this particular audience when promoting the publication.
• Tone must be determined by the target audience and there must be critical topics that are
discussed because they are relevant to the audience currently (racism, sexism, socio-
economic topics).
• It is more challenging to target more than one demographic.
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• Email newsletters are another effective communication material for publications.

Interview Questions

1. What is your opinion about independent publications (magazines) and their feasibility
in today’s digital landscape?
“I think if they have the right idea in the right market, they have a lot of potential. Barriers to
entry are much lower than they have ever been.”

2. Is it better to have a website for a publication or is it better to exist solely on social
media?
“That’s an interesting question because I’ve been hearing from colleagues that it’s going to
be more social media. There are a lot of benefits to social media like cost; websites have to be
constantly updated, you have to work on design, you have to be responsive and you need experts
so it’s going to cost a lot of money. Social media is a lot less expensive-it doesn’t cost anything.
Maybe just a website for archives. Filing the stories.”

3. What are the most effective methods to monetize a digital publication?
“Most of the money still comes from advertising, so that needs to be a main part of the picture
but also, I’m seeing more and more events. You’re seeing all kinds of parties, events, “A Night out
with ___.” Goop did an event for that: subscribers paid a large amount of money and merchandise
too. You could copy write stuff and depending on your publication everything from “How To’s”
to cookbooks to lifestyle stuff, tote bags, t-shirts. Think Target and Walmart. Target always has
that hip thing-it could easily be a Christmas Table Book. Why not have (and this is a long-term
thought) cookbooks, makeup line, fashion through these Latina influencers?”
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4. What do you think are distinct requirements of a publication that caters to women of
color in order to be successful?
“I think it depends on the tone of the magazine and that idea from the get-go. It can also
develop as you go. I would say for that age [18-35], a little more edgy because you want to be able
to cover the recipe stories and the serious questions about racism and misogyny-the critical topics.
You want to be able to cover those topics honestly. The tone would be like ‘Teen Vogue’ in a way-
they cover serious topics but also fun topics too. You need to think about the tone and then very
specifically, you need to look through this lens of race and ethnicity, that is lacking out there. Look
at the landscape today-a lot of the sexual harassment stories are being told through the lens of
white women. You have to look at a cross section of race and ethnicity and sometimes socio-
economic.”

5. Do you think it is possible to successfully create a digital publication that can identify
with both Black/AA and Latinx women?
“I think it’s more of a challenge. It’s almost like three groups-Latinas, Black and Afro-
Latinas. They’re different. I think it would be easier to focus on one.”

6. What are effective methods for distribution for a local publication?
“I think you have to have your preference nowadays. You have to have your Instagram
account, Snapchat, Twitter, and you have to feed stuff to it on a regular basis. People have to know
it’s a magazine they can click on and go directly to the magazine.”

7. What about email newsletters?
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“Those are great! I think they’re growing: they’re very efficient, and an efficient use of my
time. What’s great about newsletter is that you can focus in.”

8. Are there any other alternatives to a digital publication that you would suggest?
“Ann Friedman. Podcast-every week you can have your contributors, influencers or anyone
else come and be a part of the discussion. Influencers, for the annual coffee table book (Top Shop,
Forever XXI, ModCloth).”

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INTERVIEW WITH GABRIEL KAHN
PROFESSOR OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM, USC
November 13, 2017

Interviewee Background

Gabriel Kahn is a Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism at the University of
Southern California. He specializes in entrepreneurship, monetization and new media. Prior to his
time at USC, Kahn spent 10 years at The Wall Street Journal and his work has been featured in
Slate, The New York Times Magazine and The National Law Journal.

Objectives

• To determine methods of monetization of digital publications

Main Takeaways
• Kickstarter campaigns to fund publications are an effective method to test for interest, but
not an effective method for monetizing a publication.
• Social media creates a barrier between a publication and its audience—the platform
controls the communications, but having an independent website is demanding.
• If the goal is to increase the reach, a social media-based publication is better. This also
applies to paid promotions through social media.
• If the goal is to create a home and an organization, the publication needs a home base.
• Effective methods to monetize a publication are: membership/next generation
subscription models where certain content is available online for free, but more content is
available for members and subscribers, and also advertisements (Google and Facebook
are the only effective platforms for this).
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Interview Questions

1. What is your opinion about independent publications (magazines) and their feasibility
in today’s digital landscape?
“Quarterly. It’s a strange category to create where it’s all digital. Kickstarters are a good
way to test hypotheses of who you are and how that resonates with people, but not a good method
for monetization.”

2. Is it better to have a website for a publication or is it better to exist solely on social
media?
“There’s no simple answer. Advertising based to social media is good to scale. Social media
is problematic because it is a layer between you and your audience and it’s controlled by the
platform and ability to monetize is compromised because someone is in between you and your
audience. Being just a website involves a massive amount of work, also—branding, history. How
do we claw back some of our control when these platforms have tremendous power? If the goal is
reach, social media is better. If the goal is to create a home and an organization, you need a home
base.”

3. What are the most effective methods to monetize a digital publication?
“Kickstarters: that’s almost like a membership model, next gen subscription model. People
with some affinity for your product to kick in some money and as a result be part of your
community. In publishing, it’s a move away from advertising-no money in it, except Google and
Facebook.
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“Publications want to have tighter and more direct relationship with their audience. It’s
increasingly less about social SCO to capture audiences “driving by” and instead are much more
focused on defining their audience and people who come back.
“People that had some intent coming to the publication, coming back and have a relationship
with it. Serving communities that already exist—that’s important. Two form communities worked
in another environment—this project would be harnessing communities that already exist and
serving them.
“Regarding generating revenue: Look closely at the community, figure out its need and how
to best serve them. Revenue might emerge from that. Do those people see themselves as a
community? Strive away from describing people as “demographics.” How do they see
themselves? Organic and powerful identifiers that go with them—which terms do they identify
with?
“In traditional marketing, you would try to hit those same groups with seven different
methods. One example is: ANGRY ASIAN MAN—a latent frustration of a particular ethnic group
that is often referred to and not thought of as angry or male. This sentiment emerged to drive
traffic amongst people. Almost in the hidden attitude that hit this on the head.
“Talking about these attributes-what are the emotions tied to that? That’s important too. You
want to be hitting the right tone. Consider emotions that these groups will have to the “and” of
Black and Latinx as together, not separate. The intersectionality.
“Something that is giving voice to an identity. Publication is a backward-looking way of
understanding things.” Magazine is a convention of a previous economic system that doesn’t
necessarily relate in the way that content is monetized and so forth.”

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4. Do you believe that paid promotions on social media are worth the costs? If so, which
platforms are the most effective for promoting a publication as niche as this one?
“No…Yes or no, because it depends on how you’re defining your goal. If it’s to grow traffic,
then yes. Read the New York Times magazine Facebook advertising algorithm article from 10 days
ago.”

5. Are in-print magazines outdated?
“Yes, it’s tricky to answer, but yes they are. The New Yorker is worth it though.”

6. Are there any other alternatives to a digital publication that you would suggest?
“You need to do a deep dive. Lay out your goals, map out how to achieve them, the
methodology, and it will all change as you test hypotheses. Understand your audience. You have
to learn as you go.”

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INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN NEWTON
VP OF DIGITAL AND OPERATIONS MARKETING, EL REY NETWORK
November 29, 2017

Interviewee Background
Brian Newton is the Vice President of Digital Distribution and Operations Marketing at El
Rey Network, a Univision television channel founded by film director Robert Rodriguez. Before
his time at El Rey Network, Newton served as the Head of Affiliate Marketing and Digital
Distribution at The Africa Channel and the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Behind the Hustle,
a digital video and experiential platform created to help entrepreneurs build businesses. He
specializes in entertainment marketing for diverse audiences.

Objectives

• To determine methods for distribution and target audience development

Main Takeaways
• Treating a publication as a product will lead to revenue—either through subscriptions
from the audience or through advertisement revenue.
• A digital presence is necessary for a publication—it allows for discovery, promotion and
can drive subscription.
• The digital market is oversaturated, so a publication must understand its audience.
• Age and race demographics are antiquated approaches to segmenting an audience or
group of people.
• Focus on psycho-graphic identifiers to determine the likes and interests that bring specific
groups of people together.
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• Build a brand first and the publication will be an extension of that.

Interview Questions
1. What is your opinion about independent publications (magazines) and their feasibility
in today’s digital landscape?
“Independent publications… if they don’t already have a presence in digital, they’re dead. But
the challenge is monetization. Digital helps with discovery, promotion and can in some ways drive
subscription, but the downside is you become one of many in an oversaturated marketplace.
What’s important is truly understanding your audience. Age and race demographics are an
antiquated approach to segmenting an audience or group of people. Instead, they should focus on
psycho graphic-identifying the likes and interests that bring specific groups of people together.”

2. If you were building a niche magazine of your own, what would be an effective way to
monetize a niche magazine like this one?
“Focus on building a brand. The magazine just being the first extension of that brand. I would
look to products, magazine being one of them—the physical, in-print magazine being one of them,
that we can print on quarterly or bi-annual. The other would be small everyday tools or swag that
aren’t just for promotional purposes but actively speak to the group that I’m serving. Pins are
great because they’re inexpensive, they typically make a statement but they’re an easy way to start
to unify that community. Think breast cancer, think live strong, think substantial movements that
have had some kind of little chotsky that have allowed the community to identify.
“Consumers have so many choices to make, and anybody who is looking to monetize any
product or get someone to subscribe to anything is in competition with this person’s Netflix, Hulu,
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Spotify, because there’s only a finite amount of money and so for a person to have to decide to
spend their money with you, your brand, your product has to serve some utility.
“If it’s going to be that niche, you need to look at how big is your audience—what is that
population and does it benefit you to take a city like LA or Southern California? Because at least
that way it opens you up and gives you a broader range of people. What’s your foundation? How
big is your community?”

3. What are effective methods for distribution for a local publication? Tactics to build
marketing campaign?
“Events are always a good draw. Location, location, location of those events. How you market,
how you talk to your consumer--they all need to be on brand. Typically, where people would do a
talk type series or some sort of reading at a coffee shop or book store, is it more on brand to do it
at a collective boutique, somewhere the speak to the audience. Let them see the voices and the
minds behind the product, and even if they don’t buy it, the quality of the interaction is much richer
than seeing something on Facebook. Word-of-mouth is always first and foremost.”

4. Anything digital that’s effective for low-cost?
“I personally like Instagram. Something about the ability to have still living next to video in
one eco-system. You can tell a more meaningful story. Instagram has the carousel feature, but also
to be able to do a single spokesperson that you feel is the physical embodiment of the brand and
doing daily vlog, like an Afro-Latina spokesperson to help unify perspective. Having a really dope
someone who walks that line and is like “Yeah, that’s my life,” and somebody who can sit down
and facilitate conversation and can relate to both sides.
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“Psycho graphics transcend race as a part of the product. If the goal is “we got a seat at
the table” at the core I’m starting to talk with my Black and Latin sister, but there are people who
empathize and relate and are inspired by them and you’re welcoming additional people to the tent
outside of who you’re targeting.
“With a regional mag, your interest is location. Women in this particular geographic
location is step one. If we’re using LA as an example, who is my girl going to see at the Hollywood
Bowl? Is she going there? Is she going to Slauson Swap Meet to get …? If you allow interests and
likes to shape the target, it doesn’t have to be an outward facing conversation. Keeping interests
and likes in the center gives you a broad enough spectrum. So, you’re doing women in LA, the
editorial team will be a mix of Brown and Black women, then it’s about how it’s all curated.”

On “woke” millennial Black and Brown women in the region:
“You have to think of your publication as a product. The reason I ask about the mission
and the ‘why’ is because treating it like a product is going to lead you to a place of revenue.
Streams of revenue are subscriptions from an audience or ad revenue from brands that want access
to that particular community.”

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PRIMARY RESEARCH (QUALITATIVE): FOCUS GROUP

To determine the best content for Elixir Magazine and the most effective social media
tactics to reach the target audience digitally and attract potential contributors, the author conducted
a focus group comprised of 10 Millennial women of color ages 18-35. Following is the objectives
of the focus group, in addition to main takeaways and the full transcript.

FOCUS GROUP WITH WOMEN OF COLOR, AGES 18-35
March 4, 2018, USC Leavey Library, Los Angeles, CA

Objectives
To determine:
• Best platform(s) to grow a following and attract readers
• Content for the publication
• Best way to attract contributors to create content for the publication

Main takeaways
• Participants believe Instagram is the most popular platform to reach the target audience
• Main incentives to support an independent publication are:
o Content that caters to people of color
o Content is high-quality, relevant and consistent
• Existing independent publications targeting women of color are not inclusive enough and
do not represent Afro-Latinx women.
• AA/Black women are reading and following publications focused on Latinx women and
AL/Latinx women are reading and following publications focused on Black women.
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• Websites are necessary for publications because:
o Social media platforms control the content posted.
o Having a website is more legitimate and professional than existing solely on social
media.
• Women in these groups are willing to pay for print magazines because they like physical
magazines to read and carry with them.
• Women in these groups are willing to pay for content if it is curated and personalized.
• This audience is willing to support and pay a subscription fee for a magazine dedicated to
women of color in Los Angeles if it:
o Moves away from stereotypes
o Promotes businesses, artists and events in the area
o Focuses on various cultures
o Can be intersectional
o Provokes new thought instead of pushing trends
• Email newsletters are only effective when they have quality content and updates.

FOCUS GROUP TRANSCRIPTION
A. GROUND RULES
1. This session will be recorded. Please speak loudly, so that the microphone is able to pick up
everything you say. The reason for this is so that we can focus more on the discussion and less
on taking notes. The recording won’t be included in the thesis and everything is confidential.
2. There is no wrong answer to any of these questions. Answer them however you see fit. All
viewpoints and feedback are much appreciated.
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3. Be respectful of the other people within the group. Though we want you to feel free to speak
up and express your opinion, please don’t speak over one another and avoid side conversations.
4. It is important to us that you feel safe to express your opinions without consequence.
Everything said today during our discussion will remain anonymous. Your name will not be
associated with anything that is said tonight.
5. If you have any questions or need clarification on anything during this focus group, feel free
to ask. We don’t want to hinder you from answering a question due to confusion.

B. INTRODUCTION
MODERATOR (Q1): Please introduce yourself by first name, favorite magazine or outlet
and your preferred social media platform and magazine.

AT: Hi, my name is A---- T------. I am a first-year in the M.A. Strategic Public Relations program.
I would say my favorite social media platform probably would be Instagram and second Snapchat
and in terms of maybe favorite magazine, I would look at Essence and in terms of online, I don’t
know if that really counts, but Buzzfeed.

NN: I’m N-------- N---, I don’t read a lot of magazines but the ones that I do remember liking is a
magazine called I-D. Social media platforms: I am only really on Facebook, so I would say that
one.

ME: I’m M----- and I am in the school of cinematic arts and I like Instagram, and in term of
magazines, I really like all woman’s magazine. Probably the one that I read the most often now is
Vanity Fair. And then probably Elle and Vanity Fair.

EG: Hi everyone my name is E-----. My favorite social media platform would be Twitter. In terms
of physical magazines, the only one I am really subscribed to is Allure, but online I get—I visit—
Washington Post and Jezebel. That’s it.

GF: Hi, I’m G---. I am a senior undergraduate Journalism major. My favorite platform is
Instagram followed by Facebook. And I felt like I haven’t really read a magazine in a long time,
but I actually follow Teen Vogue on Snapchat like a lot surprisingly, I’m not a teenager but they’re
really woke. My favorite online presence for sure is Buzzfeed.

ABN: I’m A----- and I have not opened a magazine in a while, and it’s because the ones that I do
follow have an online version too. so just the case for most of us but I would say Hype Beast or
Hype Bae. There’s the male version or generic version, and then a female version that focuses on
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like more female orientated things, whether fashion, style or whatever. Social media platform: I
would say Instagram and then Twitter.

EL: Hi, my name is E--- and one of my favorite social media platforms is Instagram, followed by
Twitter. Magazine: I like the Oprah magazines, but online I follow Time.

EE: Hi, my name is E----- and I’m at undergrad at Annenberg. Ok, so magazine that I like a lot: I
like Elle and I like Dazed and then The New Yorker. And online, The Fader is really good.

SR: Hi everyone my name is S-------. I am a graduate student in the Strategic Public Relations
program. Favorite social platforms would be Instagram and Snapchat and on Snapchat I am
subscribed to E news and on Instagram, I follow Betches. My favorite magazine, I am subscribed
to Vogue, so I still get them in the mail.

SM: I’m S--- M-------- and I’m in the Master’s in Communication Management. And then my
favorite social media outlets would be probably Instagram and Facebook. And then, in terms of
magazines, Washington Post, that’s more of a newspaper. And then outlets, I would say I really
like Mitú and Hello Giggles and Broadly by Vice.

MODERATOR (Q2): Which platform or outlet do you think is most popular? So, we said
Instagram a lot, but do you think that any of them are pretty much up there? It’s like you’re
losing out if you’re not on that platform or on that outlet?

ME: Wait, do you mean like Twitter? I would say Twitter. Is Twitter a right answer?

EE: I agree.

ME: I miss everything on Twitter.

EE: I think Everything is on Twitter first and then Instagram, then Facebook.

AT: Yeah.

MODERATOR (Q3): What the one thing that you use Instagram or Twitter the most for, is
it like to follow friends, is it news, recipes? What do you think is the top reasons to use these
platforms?

EL: I think Instagram to follow friends and to see what is going on and what events that people
post. And Twitter is to see what is going on overall. Like you can get everything there.

SM: I feel like Twitter is…I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but I think Twitter is to talk shit.
Like to see what other people are saying about a topic, but not necessarily to interact with people,
if that makes sense.

ABN: You wouldn’t put what you put on Twitter on Facebook.
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MODERATOR: Like anonymous interaction?

SM: Yeah, it’s like Gossip Girl.

MODERATOR (Q4): What kind of profiles do you guys visit or follow regularly that are
not like outlets?

ME: I follow a whole lot of meme pages because I’m like a 10-year-old. What I thought when you
first asked the question magazine that are online, I follow a lot of places that do not have
magazines ever, like Complex, the Fader, which has a magazine, Broadly all these places that do
not have a physical magazine. And then a lot of like WomanWeedWifi, like brands that maybe self-
post, but they have a lot of cool content, like Bella Doña, like a lot of places like that. I have like
10 actual friends on Instagram.

EL: A page I visit a lot on Instagram is FitMenCook, because he always has cool things.

MODERATOR: Anyone else?

EE: I follow a few or a good amount of editors because they post a lot of behind the scenes content.
I think it’s so interesting.

GF: I follow some of my favorite like a lot of my top, top favorite youtubers on Instagram. I am
like really weird and I am obsessed with those Mukbang videos where people eat and talk. So, I
just follow them. It’s really addictive, don’t start.

ABN: I follow most of the artists, not just main artists, but up and coming artists. I think now that
IG has the IG story feature, a lot of people use that instead of Snapchat. Snapchat just keeps
messing up. It’s a little bit more accessible.

MODERATOR (Q5): Do any of you follow any local businesses or content creators from
LA?

All: Yeah.

MODERATOR: What are some of those or which ones?

EE: I follow Simply Wholesome. They are like a health food store restaurant and they have a lot
of the cool content. They post the food that they have, what specials they have, and a lot of
celebrities go there.

SR: So, I follow Hija De Tu Madre Shop, which is basically like a local business owner in LA that
does denim jackets with the Virgen de Guadalupe on the back. She does other exterior designs as
well that are really nice, and she is actually up and coming. She has done a lot of cool interviews
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on the radio and other places and I follow Collective Avenue Coffee, which is work-your-own
cooperative that sells coffee, but in Lynwood.

SM: I follow the Hood Digest which is a lot of people of color from LA content.

MODERATOR (Q6): How did you guys hear about them or was it random?

SM: Friends.

EG: The person I follow on Instagram, her name is Cultura en su Ropa and I met her in an arts
event in Boyle Heights. And so, I follow her, and friends followed her. They buy clothes, they
make jewelry.

EE: I follow, in addition to Simply Wholesome, someone showed me the restaurant when I came
to LA, so I followed them. And I follow the DJ called Mia Karreuche and she’s pretty big in LA,
she does a lot of gigs. I found her because I followed Solange and she had a radio show with
Solange’s DJ.

MODERATOR (Q7): What would motivate you to follow an independent magazine or
publication on social media? Are there certain criteria that you need in order to follow them?

EG: Yeah, I think for me it would be the audience they are trying to reach. So, if they are trying
to create somethings of a product or whatever it is and if it’s catered to people of color, I usually
follow them immediately.

NN: I think the quality of the content and their perspective on it. Preferably if it’s something that’s
thought provoking, then I would probably follow them.

AT: I agree. Quality and also consistency because if I go on a page and I see that they are not
consistently uploading, then I’m going to be less inclined to actually follow them because I know
that they’re not going to continually generate content. Even if it is a good idea sometimes, you
almost forget about them. You’ll scroll on your feed and you’ll never see them, but they will have
one or two photos and then 10 minutes later they’ll decide to post one.

SM: Yeah, I think that also the quality of the information that they’re posting. I feel like I’ve seen
a few outlets where the information that they posted was incorrect. And it just felt like, “Oh, you’re
not even really looking at the quality that you are putting up.”

EE: To add on to that, I don’t like when it looks like a meme or it looks kind of cheaply done.

ALL: Yeah.

EE: That kind of bothers me. Like I get that The Shade Room has crafted their look, but I feel like
a lot of people have used the black text, white background and then a photo. And it doesn’t go
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along with the theme of your page, especially when you are mixing photos and graphics and some
information that you have is really boring. It kind of throws of your entire content. It doesn’t help
to create a cohesive look. It kind of really bothers me.

AT: That’s another way to look at consistency too. When I go on there, if it’s a personal page and
it’s maybe like a blogger, and they have an Instagram page and I see a ton of promotional stuff
and then I see your photos and I see your videos and it’s just a mess. It is not consistent.

MODERATOR: Like random content?

AT: Yeah, random content. So. if there is a theme, whether it’s an aesthetic theme or what you
post, if there is just consistency to that, that helps. And even if the mess is your whole way of doing
a page, at least make it good quality. Sometimes I will go on The Shade Room and they go from
taking about Fashion Nova to a celebrity, to advertisement.

EE: Yeah. The ads are really bad. They’re like overwhelming

NN: I follow some writers and columnists, like Juno Diaz. His page essentially talks about his
stuff, but if he’s talking about something else, then it’s contextualized, his thoughts are on it and
then you read the particular article. I think that type of curation makes you want to continue to
read the next post.

MODERATOR (Q8): Do any of you manage or run a social media profile for a business or
project that is not you?

All: Yeah.

MODERATOR: Would you care to share?

EE: Yeah, some clubs I am involved in on campus. USC has an official blog; I run that Instagram.
I designed a shirt with this…I’m from Washington DC. DC for Social Change has a clothing brand,
I run that Instagram too.

MODERATOR: Does it also have a website?

EE: Yeah! A website, a Facebook, an Etsy.

EL: I manage a band Instagram page and it’s a produce distributor. So, it’s cool, but I feel like
our voice as a company doesn’t correlate to our website or anything, so it’s hard to keep that
consistency. I would want to keep posting because they don’t quite understand the correlation of
giving your voice and quality image all together. They always want to advertise new business or
make it an outlet for our associates.

ABN: I manage two, one is for a nonprofit for Victims of Homicide. I’m always saying there is not
a lot going on, so it’s hard to keep a dialogue around that specifically. So, a lot of what I do post
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is a day of or in preparation of an event that’s coming up. Whatever. We do have a website, but
the social media and the website do not correlate because I do not touch the website. And a lot of
what has been existed is outdated per se. So, I just kind of focus on the Instagram account and
Facebook account as much as possible. The other one is for my small business called Home Girls.
We’re basically a creative agency around music, style, culture, community. We manage artist as
well as do social media marketing.

MODERATOR (Q9): What do you think is the most effective platforms for businesses like
that? Do you think Facebook or is website the way to go?

ABN: I think it depends.

All: It depends.

ABN: It depends on what your purpose is or what you are trying to achieve. I just discovered this
this year: one of my partners works for Golden Voice; she is the marketing manager for Golden
Voice and they have social media calendars. They are literally breaking down every post to the
day and everything for a month, two months, three months out as much as you can. We may post
some things on Instagram and other things on Facebook. One of the social mediums—one our
plans for the social media marketing is senior care. So, we are all over the place, so we wouldn’t
necessarily put everything on Instagram we maybe may push a lot more content on Facebook not
so much twitter. So, it really just depends what you are trying to achieve and your business as a
whole.

MODERATOR (Q10): Do you think Facebook is a good way to go about it? Like is it
important for a company to have a Facebook page?

EE: I think it is especially when connecting with older audiences, other brands too that might not
be as social media savvy. Especially international students or people; a lot of people navigate to
Facebook first. It’s kind of like the new directory to a certain extent. Like when a business does
not have a Facebook it’s kind of sketch.

GF: If I were to go on Facebook and it wasn’t there I would be like, “What the heck?” It’s like
the classic directory.

EE: Yeah especially now that they have reviews. I think that’s a big part of it. Because so many
places—their Facebook reviews are flooded. I didn’t know that was a thing, I thought Yelp was
the standard.

EG: I think the other thing about Facebook is that people go to look for events. I use a lot of
marketing with this organization at UCSB called Luna. And basically, we’re an association to
connect Latina to faculty and to create social events. So, the best way to reach people is through
our emailing campaigns and through Facebook. So, we create up an event on Facebook. We don’t
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post daily; we rarely ever post but the event pages always get a lot of hits because the people that
follow us are looking for those events.

MODERATOR (Q11): Do you follow any independent magazines or small publications on
social media?

ME: I use to work at an independent magazine and that might be why I follow a couple of them,
but I do follow a couple of those and then newsletters. Like places that have newsletters but nothing
else. There is one specifically called Words of Women that I follow.

NN: Is Vice considered super small?

All: No.

NN: I get Lenny’s... Lenny’s newsletter.

MODERATOR (Q12): What do you like about them?

ME: For me, there’s like niche content so one of them is called Woman Weed and WIFI. They just
do all these things, all girls, they take about weed, do shit with weed and its very niche and stuff
that I like, so I follow them. I don’t even remember how I found it, probably through somewhere
else. I probably clicked on it and followed it. One of the indie magazines: Fashion, I really like all
of the post that they put so I started following them.

MODERATOR (Q13): Do you follow any outlets or small indie things that don’t cater to
your demographic?

All: Yeah.

ME: What’s the motivation behind that? Are you like: I’m just a fan or is it really good
content?

ABN: I use to be part of this group where…I’ll be honest, I was the only Latina where it was all
African-American woman. And I was actually approached to be a part of this, but it was
entrepreneurs and she basically developed herself to partner with Asia Brown. So, they are
constantly doing all these events and she’s developing content on her own and this is something I
was originally part of., which I no longer am because of time commitment. She’s constantly
pushing out resources and creating these relationships between small business owners,
entrepreneurs, women of color who want to start their businesses, which I thought was really,
really awesome.

Lopez 29

EG: The one I follow is on twitter and it does have a website is Latinegras. Basically, women who
are of African Latinx descent and a lot of the push is in academia and woman who might get
published, but don’t quite fit into the publishers’ demographic. It’s pretty cool—I like it.

SM: I read The Root.

MODERATOR (Q14): Do you know of any publication or do you follow any outlets that
cater to both Black and Latina woman or are there usually divided?

ALL: Divided.

ME: I feel that the stated target demo is usually one or the other. I follow a lot of thing for Latina
women, but I am still in the target demographic because I consume images that I like, content that
I like that I don’t feel that it is not for me.

NN: No. I mean, I am South Asian; I follow if it’s good content.

MODERATOR (Q15): In regard to these publications of women of color, would you change
anything about them?

EE: Definitely just being more inclusive. We talked about how they are usually separated, and it’s
like, “Where do Afro-Latinas fit into that category?” Even people who just don’t portray that
traditional narrative of a Black woman or a Latina woman or even specific cultures that aren’t
really explored or underserved. I think that would be the best thing to explore like, “Let’s not paint
everyone with a broad brush.” People are different from state to state, country to country and
sometimes the platforms can make blanket statements or like post that kind of generalize.

ABN: And I think when they are inclusive, it involves politics. Not culturally.

ME: I follow a lot of…I follow a lot of IGs [Instagram] from people in New York and I feel like
they are typically more…like I follow Hood Witch, so I think like the woman I follow from there is
Afro-Latina and I feel like the things that come out from there have typically more of a cross
section. Maybe it is cultural and typical of the city, that’s my experience. But I feel like they’re
better at intersection.

AT: One of my friends, I was going to bring it up, but then I wasn’t because they no longer do it
anymore, it’s kind of been tabled so I wasn’t going to bring it up. She had an organization called
Bricolage, what she pretty much did was a group of women that got together cross culturally that
got together to put up art show. When it came into the form of art, it wasn’t just paintings it could
be spoken words, written down. It was just a bunch of different artists from a bunch of different
women, predominantly women of color. It was when she was at UCLA, but it was something she
did independently. Even though she moved on to doing mothing else, it’s still there.

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MODERATOR (Q16): Do any of you know of any outlets, resources, profiles, that connect
women of color in LA? That’s kind of a hub to bring together?

ABN: Viva La Monita, she’s been doing a lot. She started off as a clothing brand. She has been
expanding to do...I don’t want to say workshops or women empowerment brunches because I feel
like that is so saturated nowadays—but these meetings, where she’s encouraging people to start
their small business. Her motto, I guess you can say, is just—encouragement. Her latest thing is
like, “Mujeres can do anything,” but it is geared towards Latina culture, but she is inclusive to so
many other women of color. She is expanding her brand, not to just be clothing, but to tap into
other things as well.

MODERATOR (Q17): Going back to the website social media what’s best, do you feel like a
website is necessary nowadays for an outlet or business or just exist on social media?

AT: I think it is necessary. I mean just from a business stand point even though your users are not
going to go to your website, you still have business people that don’t want to touch social media
and want to get in touch with you. And they will go to that first before they log into Instagram,
Facebook or whatever it may be. And some people will go on the website, especially if it is an
online magazine, yeah, I am going to go on Instagram, I’m going to use that probably
predominantly to kind of look for posts. But if I need to read a longer post or more information,
there has to be a source to provides that. And sometimes Facebook, like how its organized, the
posts I don’t want to shuffle though the posts, plus the comments plus this. I just want to go straight
to source, read what I have to read and move on.

SM: I also think that when you are putting your content solely on social media platforms, you are
allowing social media to dictate where your content goes and if Facebook were to just crash one
day, that’s it, you’re out, you have no back up.

EG: I think the other thing to consider is demographics; not everyone is on social media platforms.
And we rarely ever consider older people who don’t participate in social media. So, I recently
build a website for this book club in Ventura and they don’t have a social media presence at all
because the people that live in Ventura and are part of this community—this little group of
writers—they don’t do the whole social media thing, so it was not necessary for them to have a
presence there. That’s when their website became really important.

SR: I think it provides a sense of legitimacy and professionalism as well. So, I think going back to
what you said earlier about Facebook. For us internally, I think if we find something on Facebook,
we feel like there is a little sense more of existence and legitimacy in its existence. I think for a
website, if you want to reach out to a broader audience whether it’s possible investors or future
contributors, I think it provides a sense of legitimacy and professionalism that you have a website,
you have a contact page, you have an about section, what you are about, what you are catering
for. And it just creates this culture, where, I think, it just comes off as more authentic and more
professional as an outlet to be more credible.

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NN: I also think Facebook and other social media platforms are censoring content based on what
they think is inappropriate and that’s really problematic for a magazine or anyone who is an artist.

EE: I was going to add that point, with the algorithms especially Instagram. If you are trying to
build your following, you really can’t unless you are already big and then you join Instagram
because they are going to cater towards what’s getting the most likes initially. So, I think that’s
going to hurt the business that is trying to build.

ABN: Or you are paying for it.

EE: Right! It is just like, “Why do that when you can have a website?”

AT: I would kind of lead with the website first and then go on those social media platforms because
it is like S------- said: you have a tangible, legitimate, professional space that you fix out of and
then build that from there. So, you have a source of information, like if Facebook crashes, it
crashes and if all you were on was Facebook, no one is going to be like, “Well where do I go? I
can go to her website!” If there is no website, then, “Oh well.”

GF: Yeah, I agree. And I think...just to touch on everyone’s point, the website I like the anchor
base kind of thing whereas social media is just an extension of it. So, you’re going to put different
stuff on Instagram than you might on twitter and Facebook. So, I think it is good to have a center
place where you can have everything there.

ABN: How many people do you know that you know wipe their Instagram accounts and start all
over again, then post and then delete? And post and then delete?

EL: It almost works like a database, because let’s say you have a business or some kind of cook
book and I see a cool recipe on my Instagram and I save it, but if I really want to look into it, I
could just go into the website, search and buy the item or get that recipe or whatever that you are
offering.

MODERATOR: So, it’s like an archive?

EG: I think the other aspect is ownership. On social media you don’t own your content. Your
website is your own, you pay for your domain. The content there is original.

AT: Another thing to add to that too is, I mean it’s kind of topic, but having an app too which is
pretty much the mobile version of the website because I follow Pitchfork or Pigeons and Planes,
which is an extension of the website. And I went to look for the Pitchfork app or Pigeons and
Planes app because I’m like, “I don’t really want to read the email version, but I have too.” I like
that when I went on Buzzfeed, I have the app and if news comes up, it will pop up as a notification
on my phone and I see it right away. All it is just the website on a mobile form, so having that
flexibility to where my notifications will pop up just like my text messages. I am more inclined to
read it versus to log in my email and check my newsletter or maybe even go on the website. But it
is the same thing, just the mobile version of it.

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MODERATOR (Q18): Switching back to subscriptions and all that, do any of you pay for
subscriptions or access to publications?

ME: I pay for physical magazines, but I always do the little coupons so it’s like eight dollars. But
I really like physical magazines and I take pictures and cut them out, so I like the physical part of
it. Do I pay for…I think I pay for the LA Times, the student one, and I used to pay for the New York
but not anymore.

AT: I have the free LA Times.

MODERATOR: Anybody else pay for any?

GF: I pay just for the New York Times digital subscriptions, the student one. It’s like 4 dollars a
month, I think.

SR: I pay for Vogue and I pay for New York Times.

AT: When I would buy paper magazines, because I just read whatever my mom gets, I used to pay
for W actually.

MODERATOR (Q19): Why do you pay for it?

ME: I felt like, I used to work in the news and I had to have the correct news. I couldn’t fuck
around on Buzzfeed or couldn’t do anything weird, so I had to have legitimate sources. I read so
much of it that they force you to pay for it; I wouldn’t pay for it obviously they gave the continuity
for free, but they don’t.

NN: You can read like 3 articles.

ME: Yeah, it is important to me to have reputable news.

EG: I don’t pay for subscriptions, but every time I am about to subscribe I’m like, “I need to
support this platform because without user contributions they do not have advertisements and they
don’t try to [inaudible]. Like Jacobin: an academic magazine that just writes a bunch of articles
and they publish. But they do not have advertisers because they’re socialist.

MODERATOR (Q20): Anyone else that loves things about physical copies?

SR: I love the actual physical copies; I have an entire collection of the Vogue magazines that I
have. So, I have them all in my room and love the look and feel of them. I personally like the
magazine, just because I like the story highlights that they have on certain celebrities because, I
think at times, yeah they will do the cover shoots and all that stuff. But after when you know a little
bit of their story they will become more humanized to you. So, I’ll read it for that purpose. I’m not
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really a big fashion person, but I definitely like reading about the story element, but I like how
Vogue has outlined their stories.

ME: And it’s different from digital? Like where you’re just scrolling or…?

SR: Yeah, I like just having the physical thing in front of me and just being able to sit on my bed
read through it casually.

ME: And they’re more curated—the physical ones. I’m the type of person that reads cover to cover
and it’s much more curated for you. It’s thematic, they’re all together, they’re talking about one
thing and pulls together.

MODERATOR (Q21): Have you ever contributed to an outlet or publication or wanted to?

All: Yeah.

MODERATOR (Q22): What kind of outlet? Or what motivated you to want to contribute?

EE: Seeing like a working for submission; this demographic that kind of bolstered me to why not
to submit if I had something to say. And then also, just knowing the outlet already has good content.
And that they’re going to be really careful in what they’re looking for. I don’t like when you can
tell that just anyone is submitting to it and it’s not really edited nicely. I feel—not more inclined,
but better about submitting to—not more reputable, but more curated outlets.

SM: I write for an outlet called Girls on Food, mainly because they send me to good restaurants
and I eat the food for free. They send me to events and stuff like that, so I’ve gone to some really
cool stuff just because they need coverage and I can write for them.

ME: I worked for some, but I never submitted for someone that I’ve never worked for.

MODERATOR (Q23): Have you ever wanted to?

R3: Like in a very passive way. Ike, “That would be cool!”

MODERATOR (Q24): In terms of digital landscape and just content for women of color,
what do you feel is missing? Or do you feel like something is missing? If so, what do you feel
is missing for content of women of color?

AT: I feel like you all, the point that we made earlier, was the inclusiveness. There really isn’t
anything out there that combines the two cultures together. So, I mean, I can pinpoint one single
outlet where I see even if there is, it’s maybe geared to one culture and brings along another
culture with that. There isn’t one that’s specifically saying we need a balance of both.
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ME: There are so many things on Instagram that I feel you can follow just for… pick your flavor.
I don’t personally, I’m different from most because I don’t use Twitter or anything. I don’t really
feel that everything needs to be directly about my experience; I kind of like that sometimes it’s not
about… you know what I mean. I don’t necessarily have to see myself in everything, but it has to
feel like something that’s open to me. But I will say that outside of Instagram, or social media
there is nothing else. I would love to have a physical magazine of a lot of the places that I follow
on Instagram or a newsletter or just something where I can access that content more though, like
physical events.

MODERATOR (Q25): Would you be willing to pay for that?

ME: Yes, I pay for a lot of stuff nobody else pays for.

MODERATOR (Q26): Would you be interested in following a publication that is for women
of color, three cultures: Black, Latina, Afro-Latina or any of that cross section? If so, what
type of content would you want to see in this publication?

All: Yeah.

SR: I would definitely want to move away from the stereotypes that exist because I feel like places
like Mitú, based from what I’ve seen, they focus a little too much on that. I’ve seen it even here at
USC with Dímelo We are still pushing out content that already exists in terms of stereotypes: kinds
of food that exist, which is all great and a great celebration of culture, but at the same time I do
think that there should be more focus on storytelling like: promoting more local business, telling
stories about people who have overcome adversities. It’s one thing to read about a celebrity who
has overcome adversities in Vogue but I would like to read about those stores in our own
community. If there is an outlet that did that, I would definitely pick it up and read about people
that story.

SM: Yeah, one thing that I don’t really like about Mitú as funny as their content is like they focus
on Mexican culture and I am Guatemalan, so a lot of it I don’t even know what this is. And actually
I grew up in the DC area and there is not a lot of Mexican culture so it’s not what I even grew up
with. So it’s just really weird to not see Central Americans, South Americans, Puerto Ricans, and
Dominicans being reflected in content. It’s like so many people being left out.

NN: I think when you say people of color or woman of color that’s really a broad range and that
includes I’m presuming Native Americans, all of Asia. I think that magazines that are really
targeting to make it specific to one target audience are in a way drawing people away from
entering it. I think there is also this sense that you only want to target that particular audience so
sharply that you are maybe making other people averse to engaging with that content. And I feel
that it’s sort of losing on being able to create a more inclusive dialogue across the board, not just
with people of color but also people that wish to engage with the same ideas. And I feel that it’s
important for it to be more intersectional, more curated in a way that it is provoking some sort of
Lopez 35

new thought, rather than pushing trends. That’s what I would think. I feel that a lot of international
people would find it difficult to engage with something that is quite narrow.

SM: In terms of LA content, I feel like one narrative that is really missing is the Korean American
community and it is the largest Korean community outside of South Korea. So it’s just so many
people that are being left out of content and I feel that they are a huge fabric of LA.

MODERATOR (Q27): If you were to see elements of this in a publication that was local,
would you be willing to pay a subscription for it? Like if it was two bucks a month, three
bucks a month?

NN: I mean personally, I see no real Asian American content at all and if I would see that I might
support it. Also because it is a fundamental problem with Asian cultures is that they don’t like to
call attention to themselves, so they are always invisible. And I think that is a huge audience that
is missing.

EG: I think I would definitely support something like if it were like promoting or pushing the work
of artists or local artists, since it is the type of stuff that I follow. So, give someone an exhibit and
they have a whole paper or a publication of that exhibit in that magazine, then I would most likely
subscribe to that content. It is always nice to support artists of color.

ME: I think if it is less than five dollars, I would definitely pay for it. Also, because I lived in DC
for a long time and one thing about—and LA is way there obviously, but like you feel like you are
part of a community, you know what the community move is. So, if there was an outlet that really,
really mobilized people like, “Not only are they telling me stories, but they are highlighting the
artist. Look at these galley shows that are going on Friday.”

SM: Like a call to action.

ME: If it was a little bit more than just entertainment or reading, but where I can feel like I can
participate in some way. I think it is something is missing a lot in Southern California, but I feel
like LA is a good gestation place to center it.

EE: I think there are a lot of companies and media companies in LA who host events or talks, but
they’re every general and they’re huge. If this outlet that would be hyper vocal and inclusive did
the same thing, I think it could be very fruitful because that’s how you could engage people. Rather
than just scrolling, it’s like, “I want to go to this. Or I want to be involved in this publication.”

AT: And I mean, if you are paying for a monthly submission, whether if it’s online and then you
get maybe a paper copy. Even though this is random, I shop at ASOS, which is an online website
that is from the UK. But sometimes they’ll send actual paper copies and they’re just an online
shopping store and I guess every quarter they will send out a paper magazine. So even if wasn’t
something that you have to push out monthly or weekly, because that’s a huge undertaking and
the way things are changing to actually pay for the cost of printing a paper, in terms of the quality
and what the person may actually receive may not work well in the way things are going. But that
Lopez 36

doesn’t mean you have to come up with one every month. What if you did something very curated
and had diversified topics in it? Maybe every quarter and even if it was once a month like
something that there is anticipation for and I can’t wait for the paper version because I will get
XYZ when I get it or whatever it may be. Just build the anticipation to that way, that way getting
the paper version is worth the follow.

SM: Or you can do the reverse like: Crate and Barrel sends me seasonal magazines and it makes
me go to Crate and Barrel. When I get them I am like, “Oh yeah, I do need spring things and I
don’t own any of this. I should probably go to the store.” And I feel like I don’t pay for the
magazine; it comes to my house and I’m looking through it and it has a lot of good content and so
then I end up going into the store and paying a lot of money.

AT: The magazine is included in part of the subscription or even if it is not, still you have the
flexibility depending on what your audience wants because I feel when you have a better idea of
what your audience is and what they’re interested in and how often they engage with your content.
That will help you figure out how would they want the paper version and how often they want it.
Or if that is something they would want. I mean, I prefer the paper version.

SM: I also think is hard to track paper versions. You won’t know if they are reading it or how they
feel about it unless there are different calls to action and you see people send something back or
whatever. I think that can make it really challenging if you are just starting out.

MODERATOR (Q28): Do you think that newsletters are effective for publications? Do you
read newsletters that you get from publications or is it spammy?

ME: It depends. I used to get a thousand newsletters and I would just delete, delete, delete. There’s
a couple that I feel have such a unique thing to say that I read it. But a lot of people do newsletters,
so I think you have to. You need to know if you have something worth sending once a week or not.
Because if you’re just sending bullshit or recycling articles, I’m just going to get annoyed.

EE: Yeah, you can really tell when something was just dropped in a newsletter. Like, “Ok let’s
just drop it in here and just not craft it for the newsletter.” And, of course, The Skimm is the most
popular one, but all the publications that follow that model and say, “Hey, we’re going to do this
weekly thing where this section is this and it fits nicely in the newsletter.” You can read a little bit
in the newsletter and it’s not just a blurb of the article that is right there in the beginning. They
really create it and craft it for the newsletter. Then of course I am going to subscribe. I can look
at it right in my phone and it reminds me of the publication in a good way rather than getting a
bad newsletter.

EG: I think that’s why a lot of people who use newsletters fail, because there’s this misconception
that you have to have a constant message that so like they have the pressure to something out every
week. But when you have that kind of requirement and you don’t have the content for it, you’re
going to annoy people and they are going to unsubscribe. So, I would much rather get something
every three months that is substantial and actually looks beautiful rather than something that is
the same template every week.
Lopez 37

EL: I quite haven’t figured out…Shondaland has a newsletter and they send it probably whenever
they have content but every single time I get it, it’s like content that I want to read and stuff I want
to check out. So, it’s about limitation, but it is not consistent by timing and I’m okay with that.

AT: In undergrad, I wrote for an online magazine called Nomo, and it was so hard to consistently
publish every week because it is also not the idea of…on top of the idea of being in class or
whatever it may be. It’s just finding content but what if there is nothing going on. So you’re just
pulling stuff out of your ass and then you are like, “Okay, well like I’m going to publish something
and it’s not really as great.” So, if you kind of think the newsletter in a sense in redefining what
works for you on your platform and not thinking of it in a traditional sense. But making sure that
it is consistent in whatever that model may be for your newsletter is and it doesn’t have to come
out every week or if it does, it just has to be consistent and quality content. I think people
underestimate it because you think, “I have this audience. I have so many topics to talk about,”
but it takes time to curate and put that stuff together and have it ready and edited and doing all
those things on all different levels. More than what you’ll write it and then another editor may see
it and the editor will send it back to you. Okay are your photos in line, did you get clearance and
there’s so many levels to it, that a weekly thing can become a hassle.

SM: I also think that the newsletter has to fill a need to really be read. The newsletter that I have
ever sent out that has been the most popular ever in my entire life was also the ugliest newsletter.
When I was working at the DC public charter board, we had this newsletter that I was not allowed
to change the template and it was essentially a listing of different resources that we had at that
point in time that were curated from different organizations throughout DC. And it had an insanely
high click-through rate—I think it was eighty percent. But it was because it was being sent out to
all the charter schools and they were really appreciative of all the resources that they were getting
even though it was the ugliest, hardest thing to navigate ever. They were just like, “We love this!
This is the best thing,” and it was the Tuesday bulletin and I would send it out every Tuesday at
8am and if it was 10 minutes late, I would get a phone call being like, “Hey are you going to send
it out today?” like people were really looking forward to it. And it was because it filled a need for
things that they needed.

Lopez 38

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: SECONDARY RESEARCH

Research on the target demographic in Los Angeles
• 2016 Report on the Status of Women in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County
Commission for Women
o Latina women make up close to 48% of population of women in Los Angeles County.
o Percentage of women ages 18-44: 39%.
o Median age of Latina women in Los Angeles: 30.9 years old.
o 42% of women ages 25-34 have earned an associate, bachelor or graduate degree
o There are close to 437,000 women-owned businesses in metropolitan Los Angeles,
which employ 396,900 people and generate $88.3 billion in annual sales revenue.

Black and Latinx Relations (Social Demographic Trends Studies)
• Ebony Magazine: “African-Americans and Latinos: Conflict or Collaboration?”
o With 150 million people of African descent in Latin America alone, there is a
massive population of Afro-Latinx people in the Americas. This giant population is
historically underrepresented in media.
o African-American and Mexican-American populations have both faced similar issues
like segregation, unequal access to education and health care, and over-representation
in the penal system. These similar struggles provide the opportunity for collaboration.
• Black Agenda Report: “Blacks and Latinos in the U.S.: Still an Evolving Relationship”
Lopez 39

o The 2008 election of Barack Obama created more unity amongst Blacks and Latinos.
Since then, both groups have been converging significantly on political and social
issues.
o The increasing number of Latinx people in the United States has an impact on Black
populations—their close socio-economic parameters has caused an overlap and
exposure to a new demographic.
o Both Black and Latinx groups have remained disproportionately represented in a
lower working-class that works for low wages. This has been influential in shaping
group identities, offering a socio-economic similarity between both groups.

Digital Publication Trends
• The Telegraph: “Why a New Wave of Independent Magazines are Thriving”
o In 2014, Stack, an independent-magazine subscription service, reported a 78%
revenue increase, with a 76% growth in subscribers.
o Most independent magazines that were launched in 2015 were focused on a niche
audience and attracted customers with specifically curated content.
o Demand for in-print content can develop as indie magazines grow but can be costly.
• Splinter: “12 Cool Indie Magazines for Women Who Know Better”
o New standards for independent magazines provide the opportunity to focus on
audiences that mainstream magazines rarely address. This makes the content more
diverse and inclusive, specifically for women of color.
• Fortune: “Print readership is still plummeting, and paywalls aren’t really helping”
o Print readership has been declining for over 10 years.
Lopez 40

o Digital paywalls or “metered subscriptions” are thought to be solutions for the decline
in readership because it supports print subscriber numbers and it more value to
advertisers. However, the paywalls are not as efficient in collecting information on
subscribers in comparison to platforms like Facebook or Google.
• Print Week: “Print continues to decline in latest magazine ABCs”
o Latest consumer magazine report conducted by the Audit Bureau of Circulations
(ABCs) reported a 5% decline in overall print circulation across the entire market,
while digital purchases only grew by 3%.
o Online readership for consumer magazines has increased, though, by 37%. This is in
line with the trend of digital content consumption.
o Women’s weeklies dropped 11%: Women’s general interest magazines: -9%,
women’s health/beauty -7%; women’s lifestyle/fashion -4%.

Digital Magazine Monetization
• David Plotz: “76 Ways to Make Money in Digital Media”
o This article lists 76 ways to build revenue in digital media. Of these methods, the
most relevant to monetizing Elixir Magazine are potential:
§ Ads from advertisers
§ Subscriptions/Memberships
§ Paywalls
§ Merchandise sales to the public and through companies
§ Public events—ticket revenue
§ Conferences for professionals—ticket revenue/booths/expo revenue
Lopez 41

§ Foundation/University funded journalism
§ Sell photo archives both digitally and as prints
§ Advertorials for brands/companies looking to reach target audience
§ Sponsored social media posts (Twitter/ Facebook/Instagram
• Publishing Executive: “What Does a 16% Decline in Magazine Ads Means for the
Industry?”
o In 2017, magazine ads went down 16% industry-wide since last year, following the
declining trend for the past decade.
o Newsstand magazine sales have declined by 55%
o Case Study: U.S. News & World Report successfully reinvented itself and its business
model from a print newsweekly to colleges/graduate school, hospital, mutual fund,
and automobile rankings. By providing specific content and useful rankings that can
be used by these various entities, U.S. News & World Report was able to survive and
adapt to the changing magazine landscape.

VI. SITUATION ANALYSIS (SWOTS)

A Situation Analysis, or SWOTS, is a strategy/planning technique used for campaigns,
businesses, projects, etc. to analyze the possible opportunities or threats that may be favorable or
unfavorable when executing a campaign or project. The Strengths section lists the characteristics
that give Elixir Magazine an advantage over competitors, while the Weaknesses section lists the
characteristics of Elixir Magazine that place it at a disadvantage to others. These two sections focus
on the internal features that Elixir Magazine possesses. The Opportunities section focuses on the
external opportunities in the industry, or landscape, that Elixir Magazine can use to gain an
Lopez 42

advantage. The Threats section focuses on the external challenges that Elixir Magazine may face
at large, or the trends that may adversely affect the magazine’s success. Lastly, the Strategic
Implications section provides an analysis of the four sections and discusses which factors work
best for the magazine’s success.
This SWOTS was determined through the conducted research (primary and secondary), as
well as the current trends of independent magazines and digital publications, and the changing
consumer/business trends of AA/Black and AL/Latinx Millennial women.

Strengths
• Elixir Magazine is an independently owned
magazine (no shareholders to consider)
• Specifically targets a niche community
• No major competitors
• Voluntary contributors eliminate need for
capital to pay writers
• Los Angeles is a large, solid market
Weaknesses
• Not an employer
• No capital to start with
• No financial backing/investors
• No proof that the market will want this
• No financial compensation for contributors
• Zero to few followers online
Opportunities
• Growing trend of Latinx/Black female owned
businesses online and in LA
• LA has many content creators who need a
platform
• Major publication competitors have
downsized and do not create content
anymore (ex: Latina Magazine)
Threats
• Growing trend of only following social
media accounts
• Dying magazine industry
• Decline in ad revenue year-over-year
• Plethora of digital publications
(oversaturation of free content online)
Lopez 43

• Independent magazine subscriptions are
growing
• Growing overlap of Black and Latinx groups
in Los Angeles
• Massive amount of free content online
makes it difficult to convince consumers to
pay for content
• Overwhelming number of content options
among the target groups

Strategic Implications

Although subscriptions to magazine-style publications are declining in the traditional market,
independent publications are thriving in digital spaces with strong social media presences and curated
content. With a specific niche demographic and a collective approach to acquiring content for free, the
largest challenge—capital, is no longer an issue for Elixir Magazine.
Additionally, the increasing overlap in AA/Black and AL/Latinx groups in Los Angeles has created
a two-part demographic that is overlooked in the magazine industry. Elixir Magazine has a unique
opportunity to thrive in the Los Angeles market as an independent magazine catering to both AA/Black
and AL/Latinx women in the region with little competition and overhead costs.

VII. OBJECTIVES

• By June 2018, increase the number of total reach of Elixir Magazine’s social media profiles
to 250 followers (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
• By July 2018, sell 50% of all available tickets for the Elixir Magazine Launch Party
scheduled for August 2018
• By August 2018, recruit three to five individual contributors for Issue II of Elixir Magazine
• By October 2018, increase the social media following of Elixir Magazine to 3,000
followers combined on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Lopez 44

VIII. TARGET AUDIENCE

• Readers, subscribers and followers
o African-American/Black females ages 18-35 in Los Angeles region
o Hispanic/Latina/Latinx/Afro-Latinx females ages 18-35 in Los Angeles region
• Potential contributors
o African-American/Black content creators, artists and business owners in Los Angeles
o Afro-Latinx/Latinx content creators, artists and business owners in Los Angeles
o Novice photographers, writers, artists, etc. that need experience to build their
portfolios, resumes and relevant work
o Students from the many colleges/universities in the LA area
• Potential featured members of the community
o Influencers (Beauty, Lifestyle, Fashion, Music, Art, Vlog/Blog, Film, etc.) with large
Black/African-American and Afro-Latinx/Latinx female followers (over 5K followers)
o African-American /Black business owners and entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles region
o Afro-Latinx/Latinx female business owners and entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles
region
o Local artists in the Los Angeles area that can also contribute their work to Elixir
Magazine
o Members of local non-profit organizations that are seeking to connect with the
Black/African-American and Afro-Latinx/Latinx community
• Potential partnerships for cross-promotion
o Independent magazine groups and publishers
o Groups that support independent magazines and publications
Lopez 45

o Subscription membership companies and services (ex: Stack)
o Local women of color owned businesses
o Local non-profit organizations focused on the AA/Black and/or AL/Latinx community
o Female collectives in the Los Angeles area
o Local thought leaders, tastemakers and influencers with large social media followings

IX. KEY MESSAGES

• For readers and followers:

Elixir Magazine is an inclusive platform created by women like you for women like you
to amplify your voice and celebrate the work of women in the community.

• For potential contributors:

You have the opportunity to become a contributor to Elixir Magazine and have your
work showcased in the magazine.

• For featured members of the community

You will be able to reach more followers, customers and/or subscribers through Elixir
Magazine while being featured in a publication that will promote your work.

• For potential partners

A partnership with Elixir Magazine will give you the opportunity to promote and
grow your business/project/organization digitally and in the Los Angeles area
through various events and promotions.

X. STRATEGIES

• Develop a strong digital presence to engage the target audience (Instagram, Twitter,
Facebook)
Lopez 46

• Leverage existing relationships within the AL/Latinx and AA/Black communities focused
on small businesses and content creation to promote the publication, attract potential
contributors and make it self-sustaining
• Appeal to readers/subscribers to support Elixir Magazine through events, merchandise
sales and exclusive content because the publication provides curated content for free
• Highight the social media followings of the contributors and featured influencers, artists
and content creators to grow the social media following organically
• Create partnerships with existing independent magazine groups, organizations,
subscription companies, platforms and publishers to further the magazine’s reach through
cross-promotion and subscription services

XI. TACTICS

ONLINE
• Develop a strong digital presence
o Build a website using insight from the focus group
• Create social media profiles and content to attract followers and promote upcoming
magazine launch on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
o Engage thoughtfully online through these social media profiles to garner support and
followers
• Establish an “Accounts to Follow” list for social media based on relevant content, creators,
audiences and possible collaborators
o Strategically follow relevant artists, content creators, outlets and organizations in Los
Angeles
• Produce a coordinated social media calendar
Lopez 47

o Specific calendar for social media posting with drafted social media copy pointing to
the publication’s social media sites
§ Contributors and community members featured in the community will be asked to
post curated assets and copy to drive traffic to the publication’s profiles on
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pending the debut of articles, features and issues
• Friends and Family: Invite friends and family on social media to have them like, follow
and repost/retweet Elixir Magazine on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
• Use the hashtag: #ElixThis for all posts to create tracking and consistency online
• Online contests and giveaways to encourage followers to suggest Elixir Magazine to peers
and share Elixir Magazine posts online

Lopez 48

LISTS OF ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

To build a social media presence, the author has created a list of profiles for Elixir
Magazine to follow on Instagram and Twitter. This list was determined by choosing influencers,
outlets, public figures and organizations that are relevant to women of color in business, arts,
entertainment, news and politics in Los Angeles and online. These profiles also provide relevant
information on resources, current events and opportunities that may be of interest to the target
audience.

ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW: TWITTER

Name Handle Following
Shaun King @ShaunKing 1.01M
Ta-Nehisi Coates @TaNehisiCoats 8.9K
Millennial Politics @MillenPolitics 84.3K
Homegirls LA @hmgrlsLA 25
Doris Muñoz @mijadoris 2.6K
Jade Phoenix Martinez @_Jade_Phoenix_ 1.3K
Mija Management @mijamgmt 732
The Fader @thefader 667K
Tammy Duckworth @SenDuckworth 486K
Essence @Essence 319K
Ebony Magazine @EbonyMag 391K
Code Pink @Codepink 54.2K
Shop Latinx @ShopLatinx 1.2K
Media Diversified @WritersofColour 58.2K
Like A Girl Productions @likeagirlinc 50.8K
Karen Civil @KarenCivil 395K
Women in Film-LA @WomenInFilm 37.7K
Official Black Wall St. @TheBlackWallSt 16.2K
Yesi Ortiz @yesiortiz 84.5K
Women Rocking Hollywood @WomenRockFIlm 25.1K
Slated @sl8d 18.4K
Ghetto Film School @ghettofilm 5.1K
Time’s Up @TIMESUPNOW 85.4K
Zahira Kelly @bad_dominicana 42.3K
Veronica Recinos @vrecinos1 4.2K
Daniel Alvarenga @_danalvarenga 4.5K
Alan Pelaez @MigrantScribble 2K
Gia Woman @giaawoman 9.2K
Queer Chicano Chisme @QueerXiChisme 19.7K
Curly Velasquez @CurlyVee 19.2K
Jenny Lorenzo @JENNIZZLES 13K
Remezcla @REMEZCLA 61K
Mitú @wearemitu 28K
Lopez 49

ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW: INSTAGRAM

Name Handle Following

Yesika Salgado @Yesikastarr 48.3K
Angela Aguirre @Angelaloves 6.3K
Chingona Fire @ChingonaFire 23K
Chachi Gonzales @chachigonzales 1.2M
Laura Mellado @lauramellado 104K
Kela Walker @kelawalker 68.8K
Espacio 1839 @espacio1839 21.1K
Rubén @QueerChicanoChisme 12.2K
Bitter Brown Femmes @BitterBrownFemmes 9.5K
Cassandra @Xicansima 103K
Angélica Becerra @angelicaisaibecerra 7.2K
Sesali Bowen @badfatblackgirl 8.4K
Ava Duvernay @ava 992K
Munroe Bergdorf @munroebergdorf 76.6K
Issa Rae @issarae 2M
Liza Gonzalez @eisagonzalez 4M
Isabela Moner @isabelamoner 1.3M
Undocumedia @Undocumedia 401K
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ocasio2018 205K
Maxine Waters @repmaxinewaters 262K
Kamala Harris @kamalaharris 455K
Lena Waithe @lenawaithe 459K
Shaun King @shaunking 380K
SZA @SZA 4.7M
Latino Muslim Unity @LatinoMuslimUnity 1.6K
Donas @Donas__ 25.6K
Viva La Bonita @vivalabonita 89.3K
LA Taco @lataco 12.8K
Fierce by Mitú @fiercebymitu 17.9K
Mitú @wearemitu 420K
Remezcla @remezcla 77.4K
Blavity @Blavity 259K
Complex @Complex 3M
Doris Muñoz @mijadoris 4.5K
Twisted for Sugar @TwistedForSugar 13.1K
Concha Con @Concha.Con 16.8K
Stephanie Orta @StephiesDoodles 3.4K
Gloria Toscano @Siempre_Viva 3.6K
Oh Comadre @ohcomadrescandles 23.2K
Fuchila Fresheners @fuchilafreshenrs 27.6K
Tamarindo Podcast @tamarindopodcast 3.5K
Lopez 50
The author has created a three-month social media calendar to outline optimal days for posting, launch party promotion, online
contests and attract new contributors.

JUNE 2018 SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1
ELIXIR TO POST
ISSUE I TEASER
(FB, IG, TW)
2
3 4
“ABOUT ELIXIR
MAGAZINE” POST
(TW, IG, FB)
5 6

7
CONTRIBUTORS +
FEATURED ARTIST
POST TO TEASE
FEATURE FRIDAY
(TW, IG)
8
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #1
(FB, IG, TW)
9

10 11
“MEET A
CONTRIBUTOR”
POST #1 (TW, IG,
FB)
12 13 14
CONTRIBUTORS +
FEATURED ARTIST
POST TO TEASE
FEATURE FRIDAY
(TW, IG)
15
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #2
(FB, IG, TW)
16

17 18
“MEET A
CONTRIBUTOR”
POST #2 (TW, IG,
FB)
19 20 21
CONTRIBUTORS +
FEATURED ARTIST
POST TO TEASE
FEATURE FRIDAY
(TW, IG)
22
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #3
(FB, IG, TW)
23

24 25
“MEET A
CONTRIBUTOR”
POST #3 (TW, IG,
FB)
26 27 28
CONTRIBUTORS +
FEATURED ARTIST
POST TO TEASE
FEATURE FRIDAY
(TW, IG)
29
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #4
(FB, IG, TW)
30

FB= Facebook, IG= Instagram, TW= Twitter | Feature Fridays: One post across all socials highlighting featured artists/community members
Lopez 51

JULY 2018 SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2
LAUNCH PARTY
ANNOUNCEMENT
POST (FB, IG, TW)
3 4 5 6
POST TO
ANNOUNCE
TICKETS ON
SALE NOW (FB,
IG, TW)
7
8 9
ANNOUNCE
CONTEST TO WIN
LAUNCH PARTY
TICKETS (SOCIAL
MEDIA REPOST +
FOLLOWS)
10

11

12
CONTRIBUTORS
+ FEATURED
ARTIST POST TO
TEASE FEATURE
FRIDAY (TW, IG)
13
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #5
(FB, IG, TW)
14

15 16
REMINDER FOR
CONTEST TO WIN
LAUNCH PARTY
TICKETS
17 18
REMINDER TO
BUY LAUNCH
PARTY TICKET
POST #1 (FB, IG,
TW)
19
CONTRIBUTORS
+ FEATURED
ARTIST POST TO
TEASE FEATURE
FRIDAY (TW, IG)
20
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #6
(FB, IG, TW)
21

22 23
“MEET A
CONTRIBUTOR”
POST #4 (TW, IG,
FB)
24 25
REMINDER TO
BUY LAUNCH
PARTY TICKET
POST #2 (FB, IG,
TW)
26
CONTRIBUTORS
+ FEATURED
ARTIST POST TO
TEASE FEATURE
FRIDAY (TW, IG)
27
FEATURE
FRIDAY POST #7
(FB, IG, TW)
28

29 30
REMINDER FOR
CONTEST TO WIN
LAUNCH PARTY
TICKETS
31

Lopez 52

AUGUST 2018 SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2
CONTRIBUTORS
+ FEATURED
ARTIST POST TO
TEASE FEATURE
FRIDAY (TW, IG)
3
FEATURE FRIDAY
POST #8 (FB, IG,
TW)
4
5 6
REMINDER FOR
CONTEST TO
WIN LAUNCH
PARTY TICKETS
7 8
REMINDER TO
BUY LAUNCH
PARTY TICKET
POST #3 (FB, IG,
TW)
9
ANNOUNCE
ONLINE
CONTEST
WINNERSS
10
LAUNCH PARTY
(TBC)
11

12 13
POST LAUNCH
PARTY
PICTURES +
RECAP (FB, IG,
TW)
14 15 16
CONTRIBUTORS
+ FEATURED
ARTIST POST TO
TEASE FEATURE
FRIDAY (TW, IG)
17
FEATURE FRIDAY
POST #9 (FB, IG,
TW)

18

19 20
POST LOOKING
FOR NEW
CONTRIBUTORS
FOR ISSUE II
(FB, IG, TW)
21 22 23
CONTRIBUTORS
+ FEATURED
ARTIST POST TO
TEASE FEATURE
FRIDAY (TW, IG)
24
FEATURE FRIDAY
POST #10 (FB, IG,
TW)

25

26 27
POST LOOKING
FOR NEW
CONTRIBUTORS
FOR ISSUE II
(FB, IG, TW)
28 29 30 31

Lopez 53
The author has created suggested social media copy and assets to promote Elixir Magazine, contributors, and featured individuals.

SOCIAL MEDIA COPY + ASSETS: EXAMPLES FOR ISSUE I
POST TYPE SOCIAL MEDIA COPY ASSET

Issue I Teaser Post

Elixir Magazine’s first issue is almost here! Make
sure to check out our Summer Issue available this
Friday! Link in the bio

Meet A Contributor

Meet A Contributor: Milana! Milana (follow her at:
@milanalchemista) is a second -year graduate
student at the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
When she’s not working on film projects centering
Black women in cinema, she’s writing about critical
issues in film, such as gender, race and economic
disparities. Check out her article on whitewashing
and erasure in the 2018 movie “Sicario: Day of the
Soldado” in this season’s issue of Elixir Magazine
available online now. #ElixThis [link to article]

Lopez 54

Feature Friday Post

Loan Girl, Lone Wolf

Magaly Zapien is all things LA: she grew up in
Boyle Heights, went to UCLA and now she’s fighting
against gentrification one real estate transaction at
a time. Learn more about how Magaly and her
lending business Loan Girl are helping our
community fight gentrification through buying
homes and getting financially set to invest. Read now
in Elixir Magazine: [link]

Contributor/Featured
Artist Post Pointing to
Friday Feature

Suggested social media copy for Magaly:

Amigas, I’m in Elixir Magazine! Check out their
latest article “Loan Girl, Lone Wolf” where I share
more about my work in lending and how to prepare
for homeownership in a world of gentrification.
Check out the article now at @ElixirMagLA!
#ElixThis

Lopez 55
LAUNCH PARTY
• Elixir Magazine Launch Party will introduce Elixir Magazine to the Los Angeles
community by providing the opportunity for the public to learn more about the magazine
and possible collaborations, as well as encouraging guests to follow Elixir Magazine on
social media and online.
• The event will be hosted at a collaborator space that is known for local artist collaborations:
ESPACIO 1839, 1839 E. 1
st
St. Boyle Heights, CA
• To maximize the number of attendees, we will:
o Promote the Launch Party online, emphasizing low cost of entry
o Emphasize free appetizers and/or drinks at the event
o Partner with local musicians, artists, content creators to provide free performances
or attractions (i.e. art installations) at the Launch Party in exchange for promotion
o Host a social media contest to give away 2 free tickets to the Launch Party

MONETIZATION
• Provide a “freemium” subscription model where content is free, but exclusive content and
perks are available for a small price
• Partner with existing organizations to attend and promote at events in the area
o Sell merchandise and exclusive content at the events
o Give promotional materials for free

PARTNERSHIPS
• With AA/Black and AL/Latinx female thought leaders in the community to promote their
products/content through feature articles Elixir Magazine will also having them point to
the publication on their profiles
o Chingona Fire
Lopez 56

o Patty Rodriguez
o Nalgona Positivity Pride
o Xicanisma
o Zahira Kelly-Cabrera
o Talking with Timaiah
• With Latina-owned businesses in the community to promote their products and work online
through feature articles while having them point to Elixir Magazine:
o Hija de tu Madre shop
o Tamarindo Podcast
o Latinos Who Lunch
o Bitter Brown Femmes
o Locatora Radio
o Mujeres de Maiz
o Angelica Becerra
o Molcajete Dominguero
o Twisted for Sugar
o Mexican Cupcakes
o Celia Moscote
o Shades of Afrika
o Menogu Designs
o Nails by Colvon
o Lola Ade
o LOT XI
Lopez 57

XII. EVALUATION

Evaluating the success of the Elixir Magazine Launch campaign will be determined by social
media, event attendance and interested contributors.
• Social Media/Online
o Monitoring change in social media following (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) from June
2018 to August 2018
o Measure total social media engagements (Likes, Reposts, Shares)
o Website analytics (Traffic, CPMs)
o Participation of online giveaways and contests
o Merchandise and exclusive content sales (online and at events)
• Magazine Launch Party
o The number of guests who attended the Magazine Launch Party and signed up for the
Elixir Magazine newsletter, followed the social media profiles following the event,
reached out to collaborate/contribute
o Partners for the event (music, artists, attractions, etc.) who promoted the event on their
own online and social channels, recommend Elixir Magazine to their peers and friends,
and who are interested in collaborating on future projects or contribute to the magazine
• Future Contributors
o Interested contributors for the following issue (Fall 2018)
§ Photographers, writers, artists, creators, musicians, etc.
o Interested featured community members for Fall 2018

Lopez 58

XIII. TIMELINE

The Elixir Magazine Launch campaign will run for 10 months, starting in October 2017 and
ending in August 2018. This is a five-part campaign; the first three phases are pre-Launch
Development and are each three months long. The fourth phase will center on the Launch of the
magazine and the actual Launch event. The last phase will focus on recruitment of contributors for
the second issue.

PHASE I: Research
To determine digital media consumption habits of the intended audience, monetization methods of
independent magazines and securing three to five contributors for the first issue.
• October 2017: Research local content creators, digital media consumption habits, Black
and Latinx relations in Los Angeles, viability of independent magazines, methods of
monetization
• November 2017: Conduct research interviews with experts on monetization, journalism,
and marketing
• December 2017: Search and recruit three to five contributors from the LA area for the first
issue

PHASE II: Development and Branding
To develop Elixir Magazine as a brand, identifying key values of the publication and creating the
logo, first issue layout and social media profiles online.
• January 2018: Develop the branding for Elixir Magazine
• February 2018: Photo shoot, layout, logo and articles for first issue
• March 2018: Creation of social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Lopez 59

PHASE III: Content Creation and Social Media Plan
This phase will center on Issue I content and the Social Media Calendar with assets and copy
developed for the online profiles. A “List of Accounts to Follow” will also be created for the Elixir
Magazine accounts to follow in order to begin connecting online with relevant outlets and
community members.
• March 2018: Focus group to determine magazine content and target audience preferences
• April 2018: Conduct interviews with featured content creators and finalize content for first
issue
• May 2018: Set social media calendar and develop copy and posts for Elixir Magazine social
profiles and for featured artists/creators to post on their own social media accounts
• May 2018: “List of Accounts to Follow” for Elixir Magazine on social media is developed
and accounts are followed
• May 2018: Launch Party event details finalized and confirmed for July 2018

PHASE IV: Elixir Magazine Launch
In this phase, the website goes live and content is available to the public. The Launch party will
be promoted online and at events with partners during this time. The official Elixir Magazine
Launch party will take place in August 2018.
• June 2018: Elixir Magazine website is updated with content for first issue
• June 2018: Elixir Magazine, contributors and featured content creators post first social
media posts pointing to Elixir Magazine social profiles and website
• June—July 2018: Attend events to promote Elixir Magazine and Launch Party
• June-July 2018: Social media promotion and online ticket-sales for Launch Party
Lopez 60

• July 2018: Elixir Launch Party promotion at partner events
• Early August 2018: Magazine Launch Party

PHASE V: Post-Launch Recruitment for Issue II
This phase will focus on leveraging content from the first issue and the Launch Party to recruit
contributors for the second issue, scheduled to be out January 2019.
• August 2018: Elixir Magazine Launch Party recap content on social media profiles
(pictures and news from the event and posts directing to the Elixir Magazine website)
• August 2018: Elixir magazine and contributors to post on social media accounts asking
for possible contributors or content creators interested in being featured for Issue II

XIV. BUDGET

• Phase I: Research
o Focus group materials and incentives: $85
• Phase II: Development and Branding
o Photoshoot: $350
o Logos: $45
o Squarespace website: $12/month
• Phase III: Content Creation and Social Media Plan
o No upfront costs
• Phase IV: Elixir Magazine Launch
o Pre-Launch promotions: $350
§ Promotional materials (flyers): $100
Lopez 61

§ Merchandise to sell: $250
o Launch Party: $1150
§ Location rental: $500
§ Materials (napkins, cups, drinks, snacks): $300
§ Audio/Visual system rental: $250
§ Promotional materials to solicit future contributors: $100

Lopez 62

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Avila, Pamela. “11 Latinx-Owned Businesses You Can Support on #ShopSmall Saturday.”
HelloGiggles, HelloGiggles, 24 Nov. 2017, hellogiggles.com/fashion/11-latinx-owned-
businesses-support-shopsmall-saturday/.

2. Essence, Gant, et al. “44 Amazing Black And Latinx-Owned Brands You Won't Be Able To
Stop Shopping.” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, 20 Dec. 2017, www.buzzfeed.com/essencegant/black-
and-latinx-owned-brands-dec-17?utm_term.

3. Hairston, Tahirah. “12 Cool Indie Magazines for Women Who Know Better.” Splinter,
Splinternews.com, 24 July 2017, splinternew.com/12-cool-indie-magazines-for-women-who-
know-better-1793852558.

4. Holley, Eugene. “African-Americans and Latinos: Conflict or Collaboration?” EBONY,
EBONY, 25 Sept. 2012, www.ebony.com/news-views/african-americans-and-latinos-
conflict-or-collaboration-338#axzz4xhiq5Jac.

5. Ingram, Mathew. “Print Readership Is Still Plummeting, and Paywalls Aren't Really
Helping.” Fortune, Fortune, 1 June 2015, fortune.com/2015/06/01/print-readership-
paywalls/.

6. King, Alex. “Are We Living through an Indie Publishing Revolution?” Huck Magazine, 11
Mar. 2015, www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/print/top-picks-print/living-indie-
publishing-revolution/.

7. Kun, Josh, and Laura Pulido. Black and Brown in Los Angeles: Beyond Conflict and
Coalition. University of California Press, 2014.

8. McCoy, Kevin. “Time Magazine Publisher Cutting Circulation, Print Issues for Its Iconic
Brands, Report Says.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 10 Oct. 2017,
www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/10/10/report-time-magazine-publisher-cutting-
circulation-print-issues-its-iconic-brands/751866001/.

9. Oakes, Omar. “Condé Nast Suffers Biggest Audience Decline as Magazine Market Drops
6%.” Campaign: Marketing, Advertising and Media News & Analysis, 9 Feb. 2017,
www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/conde-nast-suffers-biggest-audience-decline-magazine-
market-drops-6/1423814.

10. Plotz, David. “76 Ways to Make Money in Digital Media.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 29 Aug.
2014,
www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/08/29/_76_ways_to_make_money_in_digital_media_
a_list_from_slate_s_former_editor.html.

Lopez 63

11. Quigley, Bill. “Blacks and Latinos in the U.S.: Still an Evolving Relationship.” Black
Agenda Report, 13 May 2009, blackagendareport.com/content/blacks-and-latinos-us-still-
evolving-relationship.

12. Meza, Summer. “Teen Vogue Will End Print Edition as Part of Condé Nast Cuts.”
Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2017, www.newsweek.com/teen-vogue-print-edition-closing-699535.

13. Niamh Smith, Rena. “Why a New Wave of Independent Magazines Are Thriving.” The
Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 22 Mar. 2015,
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/media/11478027/Why-a-new-wave-of-independent-magazines-
are-thriving.html.

14. Sacks, Bob. “What Does 16% Drop in Mag Ads Mean for Industry?” Publishing Executive,
28 July 2017, www.pubexec.com/post/16-decline-magazine-ads-mean-industry/.

15. Silber, Tony. “Big Ideas For A Magazine Newsstand Industry In Distress.” Forbes, Forbes
Magazine, 29 May 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/tonysilber/2018/05/29/big-ideas-for-a-
magazine-newsstand-industry-in-distress/#4af0091b5930.

16. Smith, Rena Niamh. “Why a New Wave of Independent Magazines Are Thriving.” The
Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 22 Mar. 2015,
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/media/11478027/Why-a-new-wave-of-independent-magazines-
are-thriving.html.

17. Stuart-Turner, Richard. “Print Continues Decline in Latest Magazine ABCs | PrintWeek.”
PrintWeek | Latest Print Industry News, Analysis, Jobs, Features, Product Reviews, 19 Feb.
2018, www.printweek.com/print-week/news/1163651/print-continues-decline-in-latest-
magazine-abcs.

18. “18 Latina-Owned Businesses That Need to Be on Your Radar.” Remezcla, 23 Mar. 2018,
remezcla.com/lists/culture/latina-owned-businesses-to-know/.

19. “Women Created 'Sis, Is This Your Man?' Facebook Group To Catch Cheaters.” BET.com,
BET Networks, 20 Nov. 2017, www.bet.com/style/living/2017/11/20/sis-is-this-your-man-
facebook-group.html.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Lopez, Darlene (author)

Core Title Using a digital publication to connect Black & Latinx women in Los Angeles

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 11/28/2018

Defense Date 11/28/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag African-American,African-American women,Afro-Latina,Afro-Latinx,black women,Blaxicans,campaign,collective,communications plan,Community,content creation,content creators,Contributors,digital platform,digital publication,entrepreneurs,facebook,Followers,following,Hispanic,independent magazine,independent publication,influencers,Instagram,intersectional,intersectionality,issue,Latina women,Latinx,Latinx women,launch,Los Angeles,low-income,magazine,millennial,millennial women of color,niche,OAI-PMH Harvest,Publications,Race,social media,strategic planning model,subscribers,tastemakers,Twitter,underrepresentation,women of color

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Floto, Jennifer (committee chair), Castañeda, Laura (committee member), Kahn, Gabriel (committee member)

Creator Email darlene@usc.edu,darlopez1990@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-109083

Unique identifier UC11675512

Identifier etd-LopezDarle-6985.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-109083 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-LopezDarle-6985.pdf

Dmrecord 109083

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Lopez, Darlene

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA