In Style is planning to launch a weekly, celebrity-related video series sometime in the fourth quarter based on the recent success of a content initiative from its March issue, which drove readers to InStyle.com to view a wealth of related, original video material.Back in March, said executives, the magazine’s Web site executed an elaborate test of its readers’ appetite for original video, producing 22 different clips which amounted to 40 total minutes of video footage, far more than the site had previously offered. The result, according to InStyle.com executive director Gail Horwood, were 700,000 streams during the month and a very happy sponsor in Target. “We think we’re on to something,” she said. “We’re looking to launch a weekly franchise.”
While details on that franchise are still being fleshed out, InStyle Digital senior vp Amy Keohane said its likely to along the lines of “what’s hot this week” in celebrity and fashion news. The idea, she added, will be to create some appointment TV on the site to get readers to associate InStyle more with video. “We want to habituate behavior.”
One behavior that has rapidly become a habit for InStyle.com users is trying on different celebrity hairstyles using the site’s popular Hollywood Hair Application. During a digital showcase presentation held at Time Inc.’s offices in New York on Apr. 30, Horwood revealed that users had uploaded 1.7 million of their personal photos to the application, which let’s users see what they might look like with popular celebrity hairstyles - such as Katie Holmes’ much-discussed bob. In fact, Time Inc. executive vp John Squires demonstrated the tool during his introductory remarks (note: he does not look good in long blonde hair).
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