• by David Goetzl , August 11, 2009

With the national spot market no longer a strong point for local stations, Meredith Corp. has cast a rebrand of its station group that would seem to acknowledge that local advertising will be its revenue driver. The company's 12 stations will now fall under a "Local Media Brands" umbrella that Meredith says is an indication of the stations' position as a venue for local advertisers.

The company's station group, which includes the CBS outlets in Atlanta and Phoenix, saw a steep revenue drop in the April-June quarter in line with industry trends.

The broadcast rebrand is part of a much wider image overhaul at Meredith, the publisher of magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens and Family Circle. The magazines now fall under a "National Media Brands" unit.

Companywide, there is a new multi-hued logo with four letter "M's" forming a slightly kaleidoscopic image. The logo was designed by branding firm Lippincott and Meredith says the interlocking "M's" "reflect (the company's) ability to distribute content across multiple platforms."

A third Meredith division will take on a "Marketing Solutions" moniker, focusing on custom marketing services. Those include custom publishing and developing Web sites for businesses. A Meredith-produced syndicated TV show also falls in the group, along with other video production.

Des Moines, Iowa-based Meredith has made multiple moves recently in an attempt to strengthen its multiplatform capabilities. Those include taking a stake in the Hyperfactory, a mobile marketing firm, which can provide custom mobile opportunities for businesses in the vein of custom publishing.

Late last year, it also took a position in female social networking site Real Girls Media, which dovetails with its fleet of female-targeted magazines like More and Ladies'Home Journal.