"Get Grounded: A Workshop in Grounding Techniques to Help Manage Your Anxiety" included mental health professionals Alishia McCullough, Dr. Mariel Buquè, and Naiylah Warren.Photo: Courtesy of SELF
One of them is SELF Checking In, an inaugural virtual event series that is an extension of the publication’s popular newsletter by the same name. Held last month over the course of two weeks, the series aimed to help people take better care of themselves, their communities, and their loved ones during this difficult time.
“SELF’s editor-in-chief, Carolyn Kylstra, started the ‘Checking In’ newsletter in March of this year to do just that—check in with people and offer support during a tumultuous time,” Peryer explained. “The response right off the bat was huge, with the open rate reaching more than 100 percent for the first month. The newsletter created a community for people looking to get the tools they need to take better care of themselves and their community. We were able to expand on that and bring it to life in a meaningful, accessible, and interactive way with a series of virtual events."
On Oct. 6, actress and trans rights advocate Angelica Ross kicked off the six-session series with a conversation with Allure editor-in-chief Michelle Lee and Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin, moderated by SELF's digital director Leta Shy, on their experiences combating systemic racism in the industry. Other event topics included anxiety management, beauty rituals, and affirmation-setting. The events were designed to provide resources, information, and tools for attendees to use to improve their lives.
In addition to including other Condé Nast editors in the panel discussions, SELF also simulcast some of the programming across other brands’ social media channels such as Allure and GQ.
Using its newest solution, called CitizenNet Live, the publisher was able to broadcast the event to viewers outside the SELF sphere, as well as expand the reach of sponsors. (In 2017, Condé Nast acquired the social data and marketing platform CitizenNet.) This was the first time Condé Nast had leveraged this new strategy for a virtual event. Peryer said that SELF partnered with the additional brands in order “to increase the scale of these conversations beyond a single venue's capacity.” He added that simulcast impressions were “upwards of more than 100,000.”
Plus, the series’ two inaugural sponsors were also incorporated into the programming. For example, Viviscal presented a panel about beauty that included brand ambassador Dr. Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand. And Maidenform sponsored a virtual yoga class that was led by instructor Jo Murdock, who wore a Maidenform look during the session.
More than 5,000 registrants signed up for the free event series, which also included access to Pinterest workbooks that were paired with each event, plus a virtual gift bag that included discount codes.
“We’re already thinking about the next iteration of Checking In events and how we can build on the incredible success we had with the event the first time around,” Peryer said. Condé Nast’s other lifestyle brand offerings include the upcoming “The Iconic Home,” Architectural Digest’s first virtual showhouse created in partnership with the Black Interior Designers Network, which starts on Nov. 18. He added: "Pivoting to virtual event formats hasn't just kept us creatively juiced—it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and try new things."
