The ladies are taking over, one acquisition at a time.
In an effort to expand its digital footprint while satisfying specific categories to meet consumer and advertiser needs, Time Inc. has recently made some female-friendly acquisitions: HelloGiggles, xoJane, and xoVain.
Co-founded by actress Zooey Deschanel, HelloGiggles defines itself as “a positive online community for women (although men are always welcome!) covering the latest in culture, female empowerment, style, relationships, friendship, careers, and issues that matter most to young women’s lives.” A visit to the site can provide something new on any given day. Today’s browse included an interview with Leem Lubany from the movie “Rock the Kasbah,” a list of 20-something reasons you should celebrate being a 20-something, and an article where a contributor speaks candidly about dealing with her anxiety. The variety of empowering articles is evident – perhaps that’s how the site has managed to gain 17MM monthly unique visitors.
But Time Inc. didn’t stop there when they heard the call for more content aimed at women, adding xoJane and xoVain to their online collection. Both sites were founded and are currently edited by Jane Pratt (operated by Say Media Inc.). Also geared toward women, these two websites attract around 3.5MM monthly unique visitors who come for beauty advice, relatable stories, even the news.
And it appears that Hearst caught wind of the trend. The publishing company recently acquired the Lenny Letter – Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner’s email newsletter. Defined as “feminism, style, health, politics, friendship and everything else,” this acquisition nestles perfectly into the same category as the Time Inc. additions.
Female reader or not, these sites all share the common goal of educating, entertaining, and inspiring – three tenets of the Time Inc. mission, benefiting us all.