Dotdash Meredith rebrands as People Inc.
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Dotdash Meredith, one of the largest publishers in America, is rebranding to People Inc., its CEO Neil Vogel told Axios.
Why it matters: People is Dotdash Meredith's most popular and recognizable title. The rebrand capitalizes on that brand equity in a way that its current name does not.
- "Everybody knows People," Vogel said. "When you were explaining what Dotdash Meredith was, the first thing you said was, 'Oh, we're People.'"
Zoom in: The rebrand is also meant to capture the human nature of publishing, Vogel explained.
- "The world has moved a lot" since Dotdash acquired Meredith, he said. "So much stuff is artificial and synthesized and made with AI."
- "People applies to all of our brands. All the content we make, all of the events we have, and all of our experiences are driven by people," he said.
Catch up quick: Dotdash Meredith's parent company IAC acquired Meredith and its roughly two dozen brands in 2021 as part of a $2.7 billion deal.
- At the time, it made sense to combine the brand name of Dotdash — which was already owned by IAC —with Meredith's, as a way to signify the two brands coming together under one roof.
- Vogel said IAC chair Barry Diller deserves a lot of credit for pushing the company to rebrand.
- Dotdash Meredith is currently by far the largest company within Diller's IAC portfolio.
Between the lines: Dotdash has pushed to digitize and modernize Meredith's magazine portfolio by prioritizing Meredith's strongest brands, including People, as well as Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine and Southern Living.
- Earlier this year, the company unveiled a new TikTok-like People app meant to cater to younger audiences.
The big picture: The rebrand is also a nod to the complex and storied history of Time Inc., the original owner of People.
- Several of the company's most successful brands, including Real Simple, Southern Living, Entertainment Weekly, Travel + Leisure, and Food & Wine, all originated from Time Inc.
