Femina, crowdsourced

The April issue of Femina English will be entirely crowdsourced.

Femina English, published by Worldwide Media, will launch its first ever issue written completely by women contributors from across the country this April.

Titled 'Made by You', the women's English magazine is inviting its readers from across the country to contribute articles for the April issue. Through the 100 per cent crowdsourced issue, Femina aims to mobilise women readers from across the length and breadth of the nation, encouraging them to write for the magazine. For this, the magazine has partnered with FoxyMoron, a digital creative agency, to amplify the call for contribution across social media.

Talking about the April issue, Soela Joshi, brand publisher, Femina, says that the 'Made by You' issue will unlock the power of social media to reach over five million women and will feature the work of these new 'journalists'. "Crowdsourcing is one of the latest tools in the marketing arsenal. For Femina, it is becoming an integral part of the marketing mix. Femina's crowdsourced issue aims to leverage the participative and collective power of the brand, build greater affinity, relevance and keep up with how today's consumers interact," she adds.

FoxyMoron has launched multiple engagement platforms across digital media where aspiring writers can either use Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest to share their editorial ideas. On Facebook, they can get an update on the stories assigned to them and also get the overall editorial plan. Contributors will also have an access to Femina's editorial team through Google Hangouts, or Skype for detailed conversations.

FoxyMoron will help Femina identify the kind of story suitable for each platform and also analyse which market and age group is most interested in the activity.

In an official communiqué, Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media, says, "From just four magazines four years ago, we now have thirteen. Femina 'Made by You' is another first for the magazine industry. A crowdsourced issue, at the scale we have visualised it, is unprecedented."

Tanya Chaitanya, editor, Femina, says, "Made by You is exactly what it promises to be - an issue made by the real women who have always been our core focus. A Mumbai reader's take on relationships, a Delhi girl's hunt for the latest 'It' bag, a Kolkata woman's expertise in the kitchen, a Chennai career girl's tips on being a 9-to-5 ninja - it's all trending here."

Femina, apart from using the digital space, will use the might of its stablemate, The Times of India, to reach out.

For the record, Femina was first published in July, 1959 and is owned by Worldwide Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Times Group. Femina is published fortnightly and it primarily features articles on relationships, beauty and fashion, travel, women, cuisine, health and fitness.