• by Sara Guaglione , September 4, 2020

Self magazine is expanding into licensing and commerce, with the announcement of two new award seals and an upcoming product line with sexual-wellness brand JimmyJane.

Self’s collaboration with JimmyJane will include an exclusive line of products for sexual health and care, available for purchase in 2021. 

The products will be co-branded.

Self is also launching the Self Certified and Self Fave award seals.

The Self Certified seal is awarded to the best functional wellness products. Every product is reviewed, based on specific criteria solicited from experts, including price and performance.

Current reviews on the Self Certified page online include a mattress, fan and fitness watch.

Reviews are written by editors, writers and freelancers who are experts in each product category. Each review is rated on a scale of 1-10. Any product with a 7 or higher receives a Self Certified seal.

The rating system is publicly shared with Self readers, by clicking on the “i” next to the rating at the top of the page of each review.

Products that receive the Self Fave seal are wellness products highly recommended by the magazine’s editors. 

Carolyn Kylstra, Self magazine editor in chief, told Publishers Daily the brand launched the seals “to provide a service to our audience by letting them know what wellness products are genuinely worth spending their money on — something that consumers care about more than ever right now."

The seals also "grow an alternate revenue stream by offering the opportunity for the brands we honor to leverage our seal in their marketing, signalling to consumers that the product is seriously great and Self-magazine approved,” she added.

Brands that receive a seal can license the award for use in marketing campaigns.

Self magazine is also growing its slate of annual awards. In addition to the annual Healthy Beauty Awards, which was created in 2018 to honor the best new beauty products recommended by Self’s editors, the brand is introducing the Self Certified Awards. 

The franchise will focus specifically on three categories of fitness gear: sneakers, leggings and sports bras.

Self ecommerce revenue for the brand is up 95% year over year in June 2020 versus June 2019, according to the brand.

Traffic to new commerce content increased 131.5% year over year, while affiliate clicks grew 97% year over year in May 2020 versus May 2019.