This week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) introduces a sweeping new marketing campaign and a refreshed user experience across its digital products and the printed newspaper.
The campaign, "For the Greater Atlanta," is part of a substantial reinvention of the AJC, which is transforming the storied 155-year-old newspaper into a modern media company. The AJC collaborated with Atlanta's professional sports teams, Black-owned businesses and local restaurants to bring to life the spirit of the city and the AJC's critical place in the region. The AJC worked with the local agency Dagger on the creative campaign.
The campaign also includes a limited-time offer for new subscribers to sign up for the AJC's digital subscription for $1.99/week, for life — as long as they remain subscribers. "We are excited to harness the excitement of the brand campaign to attract new subscribers who will continue to benefit from our investment in the product and our journalism," said AJC President and Publisher Andrew Morse.
Along with the marketing campaign, the AJC also revealed a new slogan: "The Substance and Soul of the South." This slogan appears on the newspaper's front page and across its digital products.
"Atlanta is one of the most dynamic cities in the nation, and it's evolving every day," Morse said. "We're committed to being an essential and engaging part of daily life in this city and to telling its stories to the people of Atlanta, Georgia and the South."
The campaign will reach more than half of the Atlanta market, with more than 143 million impressions through June. It will appear on billboards, linear TV, social media, streaming TV and more. Elements of the campaign will also appear in other cities across Georgia, where the AJC aims to reintroduce itself to potential subscribers.
Plans to grow
The rollout of "The Greater Atlanta" campaign comes as the AJC recently launched an ambitious growth strategy to deliver 500,000 digital subscribers by the end of 2026. Backed by a substantial investment by owner Cox Enterprises, the AJC is focusing on new content experiences, new formats and new product capabilities to ensure its world-class journalism meets audiences where they are.
To drive this transformation, the organization will add more than 100 jobs across the enterprise — in the newsroom as well as in product development, technology, analytics and marketing. Since Morse's arrival, the AJC has established a new leadership team. Leroy Chapman Jr. became the first Black editor at the top of the masthead in its 155-year history with his promotion to editor in chief last spring. Former CNN digital executive Erin Malone is the AJC's chief operating officer, and Sharmi Gandhi joined the organization as chief financial and strategy officer, bringing experience from past leadership positions at Bustle Digital Group, Vevo and the BBC.
Chapman is hiring top talent to fill the newsroom leadership ranks, with managing editors Sharif Durhams and Janel Davis joining the organization last year from The Washington Post. The AJC is also expanding beyond Atlanta, opening new bureaus in Savannah, Middle Georgia and Athens, with additional hires to be made in Augusta and Columbus later this year.
"The issues and opportunities facing Georgia are not bound by city limits and county lines," Chapman said. "With these new bureaus, we're going to be able to better understand the dynamics of this state and tell a more complete story about what it means to live and work here."
In recent months, the AJC has also been enhancing its video and audio offerings under the leadership of Samantha Stamler, a former CNN, Great Big Story and CBS news producer and executive. The AJC expanded its Politically Georgia podcast to five days a week, and the program now airs live weekday mornings on WABE 90.1FM. The AJC will soon take the program on the road, broadcasting live from cities across Georgia. The award-winning Breakdown podcast has broken national news, devoting the current season to the Fulton County trial of former President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, The AJC launched its first weekly video program, The Monica Pearson Show, which features authentic conversations with some of Atlanta's biggest names and is hosted by one of the city's most beloved broadcasters.
Last fall, the AJC premiered its first AJC film, "The South Got Something to Say," documenting the rise of hip-hop music in Atlanta and the city's influence on the sound. The AJC is working with a United Talent Agency to expand AJC Films, tapping into the newspaper's rich archives to tell the stories of greater Atlanta.
About The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the most essential and engaging source of information for metropolitan Atlanta. With approximately 6 million monthly unique visitors to our digital products and platforms and a growing digital and print subscriber base, the AJC serves one of the most dynamic, diverse and influential cities in America. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises Inc.
