UptownLife.net, Luxury Lifestyle on the Web

I had the pleasure of being able to talk with Brett Wright of UptownLife.net. UptownLife recently relaunched, a little over a couple a weeks ago, and is more or less the online version of Uptown magazine. See below for the full email exchange:

BW20: How were you all able to successfully transition your print creative direction on to the web? Did you run into any challenges across mediums that modified how certain design elements were treated on the web?

Brett: Our goal was to do the complete opposite. We did not want to have a magazine site online. Our objective was to have the Uptown brand represented online leveraging some of our assets but making it a lifestyle site for the Luxury Lifestyle. We have information that you can access on a more frequent basis and a wider range of content. Our goal is to inspire, inform and interact with consumers.

BW20: Aside from design what is UptownLife.net and it’s overall web strategy?

Brett: Our strategy is to be the premier destination for (AAA) Affluent African American consumers online. Rich Media, Features, Blogs and Lifestyle.

BW20: What is Uptownlife.net doing differently than other online publications?

Brett: We are different in a sense that we are not trying to be an online publication. We want to be a destination for information and discovery.

BW20: I noticed that Uptownlife.net also has additional offline presence in the form of a restaurant, how will this venture play into your web presence?

Brett: We are developing the brand vertically and horizontally. The magazine is the first phase and the foundation that will establish our credibility, the site will entrench us and the other ventures will connect us. Restaurants, Commerce, Products and Events eventually.

BW20: Are you able to delve into your plans for brand extension a little further?

Brett: At this point I can’t about future projects but the current ones include Uptown Restaurant in ATL, A Guide Venture with BlackBook, TV Show Uptown Life and Online Movie Production Partnership with Nehts.

BW20: Lately I have been noticing a trend of luxury lifestyle brands either extending a presence online or creating that presence online from scratch. What types of differences in web strategies (between “luxury” and typical) are there?

Brett: Not sure about the others but we are trying to figure it out as everyone else is. We strongly believe that there is great opportunity for luxury online as well as in the untapped AAA online.

BW20: So is UptownLife.net strictly a content play in regards to it being an online destination for AAA or will it possibly expand to something further and more interactive?

Brett: Right now it is content primarily we are looking at some other options around social interaction but not sure when or how that will net out. We will take our cues from the consumers as we roll out. As you know you have to be nimble and open to changes in the tech space.

BW20: What are your internal goals for user interaction with the site, with various forms of content being the main offering right now, what will keep your users coming back and engaged longer than a typical session?

Brett: We are focused on 3 pockets: Clique our photo section, Uptown TV our Broadband/Rich Media section and Our Blogs. This will evolve to include restaurant guide and more to follow.

BW20: With that said what does a profile of your typical user look like?

Brett: It is still to early to predict user profile but it will probably mirror our readership.

BW20: How is UptownLife.net involved in online social media if at all? If so what elements of your brand are extended into that realm?

Brett: The social media piece is covered slightly with our Clique application and we are evaluating whether or not we will delve deeper into the genre.

There you have it…A Luxury Lifestyle Destination on the web for the Affluent African American. Do you think this “destination” will play into your life or work its way into your website rotation at all?