Type of site Online magazine Owner Her Campus Media, LLC | Available in English Website www.hercampus.com | |
Slogan(s) A Collegiette's Guide to Life Alexa rank 43,292 (as of March 2012) | ||
Her Campus is an online magazine targeted at the female college student demographic. Content is written by more than 7,000 contributors from more than 300 campus chapters located in nine countries. The magazine was founded in 2009 by three Harvard University undergraduates: Stephanie Kaplan, Windsor Western, and Annie Wang. The women met in 2007 while working on a separate Harvard online publication. In November 2010, Glamour Magazine honored the women at their Women of the Year Awards ceremony, where they were presented with the Amazing Young Women Award from Chelsea Clinton. Her Campus is owned and operated by Her Campus Media LLC.
Contents
Historical background
In January 2009, Kaplan, Hanger, and Wang entered the i3 Innovation Challenge sponsored by Harvard Student Agencies, the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, and the Harvard College Forum. The Challenge develops, showcases, and rewards innovative business ventures presented by students. The team of women proposed a national online magazine for college women, with student branches at colleges and universities across the United States. After their business plan and proposal received the Harvard Student Agencies Investment Award, they launched Her Campus magazine. The award secured national attention, along with financial assistance and free office space.
Business overview
The website was launched on September 16, 2009. The online magazine runs feature articles targeted toward college survival. The website is divided into nine categories, including Style, Beauty, Health, Love, Life, Career, High School, LGBTQ+ and Real World. Hanger serves the magazine as the president and publisher, while Kaplan functions as the Chief Executive Officer and editor-in-chief. Wang rounds out the trio, functioning in the role of Chief Technology Officer and creative director.
In addition to the online content, the magazine is represented by students at over 300 college campuses, in multiple countries including the U.S., Canada, Jamaica, the UK, Japan and Australia. These campuses are known as My Campus chapters, or subdivisions of the magazine. Each branch has one or two campus correspondents that serve as President and Editor-in-Chief. These correspondents represent the magazine and oversee magazine content, developing featured articles and photos specific to their particular university. The correspondents also recruit fellow student journalists and publicize the website.
Support from influential individuals include board member, Cathryn Cronin Cranston, publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review. Additionally, Joanna Coles, U.S. editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, serves as a mentor. These partnerships have allowed Her Campus writers to share their articles with Seventeen Magazine and The Huffington Post.
Public relations
In addition to the online magazine, Her Campus Media LLC functions as a marketing and public relations firm. The firm works with commercial businesses and organizations that are interested in reaching college markets. Marketing packages that have been offered include sponsorships in various sections of the magazine, supporting advertisement campaigns, offering give-away promotions, and providing new-product distribution on branch campuses nationwide. Various clients have included New Balance, Rent The Runway, and Juicy Couture. The commercial pursuits and public relations side of Her Campus Media have served as catalysts to secure the profitability of the magazine and media firm. Overall, the firm reports over 100,000 hits daily, with a steadily growing readership.
Since the initial launch, Her Campus has been featured and/or mentioned in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. The knowledge and expertise of the founders of the organization regarding college life has continued to be in high demand. Some of these media outlets requesting interviews and insight have included The New York Times, Yahoo Finance, CNN Money, AOL Money College, CBS MoneyWatch, The Boston Globe, U.S. News & World Report, Seventeen Magazine, Business Insider, ABC News Now, and the FOX network affiliate in Boston.
Her Conference
Her Conference is an annual summer conference by Her Campus Media that is held in New York City. The conference was first launched in 2012 and focuses on teaching female college students more about marketing, journalism, and the media . The conference gives students and recent graduates the opportunity to hear from speakers who provide advice on careers and career development. Past keynote speakers include Jason Waganheim, the Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer of Teen Vogue and Chandra Turner, the Executive Editor of Parents magazine.
Her Conference: High School is Her Campus's annual spring conference in Boston for high school students. The conference teaches female college students and their parents the "ins and outs" of applying to and preparing for college. College admissions counselors and current college students are invited to speak at the conference to help high schools students work through their college applications, determine which school they'd like to attend, and give advice on how to stay happy and healthy in college. c