• by Erik Sass , August 13, 2009

Meredith Rebrands, Gets New Logo

Meredith Corp. is re-branding itself with new names and responsibilities for its various divisions and a new logo for the company overall. The goal of the re-branding is to emphasize the company's capabilities in cross-platform, integrated marketing at both the local and national levels.

In the reorganization, Meredith's publishing division -- including interactive properties -- is being re-branded as National Media Brands, to emphasize its "national scope and multi-platform distribution capabilities." The company's broadcast properties, which include 12 local broadcast stations, are being re-branded as "Meredith Local Media Brands." In addition to the on-air opportunities, Meredith is also emphasizing the considerable Web traffic to the stations' Web sites, which attract 7 million unique visitors per month, generating a total 35 million monthly page views.

Finally, Meredith's various custom-marketing and cross-platform divisions -- Meredith 360, Meredith Video Solutions, and Meredith Integrated Marketing -- are being grouped together in a new division called Meredith Marketing Solutions. As part of the re-branding, Meredith is also adopting a new logo: four lower-case "m's," colored red, blue, orange and green, with the arms of the "m's" interlacing to form a grid as the letters converge in diamond formation.

Meredith President and CEO Steve Lacy said: "Meredith has evolved into a multifaceted media and marketing company. This updated positioning and logo better reflect our ability to engage customers and marketers in meaningful and mutually beneficial dialogues across multiple platforms."

East West Re-Launching With Cover Design Contest

Returning to publication after a yearlong hiatus, East West is inviting fans to submit original artwork for a cover design contest for the October-November issue. The contest calls for submissions that interpret the meaning of the name East West. The title generally reflects the magazine's focus on the cultural merging of Asian and American cultures, with a particular emphasis on the lives and experiences of Asian-Americans who straddle (or feel caught between) two cultural traditions.

The contest entries, which must be postmarked by August 31, 2009, should be in color, and can include photography, painting, graphic design and drawing. Entries will be posted on the magazine's Web site for voting from September 2-16, 2009; editors will then choose the winning cover from the top five finalists.

Laura Bush to Address More Convention

Former First Lady Laura Bush will be one of the keynote speakers at More's third annual "Reinvention Convention.". The Meredith publication event, scheduled for October 5, 2009 at Pier Sixty at the Chelsea Piers, will also feature keynote addresses by Nora and Delia Ephron. This marks the first time the convention will travel to other cities, with events scheduled for Washington, D.C. and Chicago in 2010. The "Reinvention Convention" is sponsored by Wells Fargo, Talbots, Sex & A Healthier You and Giorgio Armani Cosmetics. Its official media partner is The Wall Street Journal.

ABC Figures Show Tough First Half for Magazines

Although the official release of FAS-FAX figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations is not due until August 31, circulation data for a number of big publications has been leaked ahead of time. By all accounts, the first half of the year was hard on magazines, with declines in paid subscriptions and newsstand sales.

According to the Folio: Web site, the categories that took the biggest hits were business and finance, women's interest and health titles. In the first category, Money and Fast Company saw newsstand sales fall 34.3% and 18%, respectively. Lucky's newsstand sales slipped 18%, Glamour 13.9%, Harper's Bazaar 12.5%, Elle 12.2% and Vanity Fair 11%.