Meredith Bets Big on Video and Podcasts in NewFronts Presentation

Meredith, the publisher behind iconic home and lifestyle brands like People, Food & Wine and Southern Living, used its NewFronts presentation to announce a slate of new video and podcast programming, as well as tout its Video Accountability Suite, a host of measurement tools designed to prove video advertisers’ performance. The publisher reaches 95% of all American women, and it has designed a roster of new content that aims to reflect the diversity of its audience and the challenges they have endured over the last year. “We want all of our new programming to herald the optimism, strength and resilience of American women,” said Amanda Dameron, the chief digital content officer of Meredith. “We want to capture glimpses of victory over challenging circumstances.” Data-driven decisions Analytics have guided the publisher in its decision to lean more heavily into video and audio: Year-over-year, digital engagement and video views rose 16% and 45%, respectively. Meredith has also been active in the OTT space for five years, and it hopes to use the medium, alongside its podcast and social offerings, to deepen the relationship it has with the 86% of millennial women and 69% of Gen Z women it reaches. In an effort to show the depth of its commitment to audio in particular, Meredith is the only major content producer to present at both the NewFronts at next week’s UpFronts, Dameron said. Meredith has also seen sizable success in its ecommerce efforts, with its content driving over $1.2 billion in retail sales. The publisher has expressed a commitment to maintaining close, transparent relationships with its clients, which led the company to introduce its Video Accountability Suite. The technology uses the first-party data it collects to understand and predict trends, a process Meredith refers to as Insights & Imagination. The measurement tools also track advertising impact against a variety of KPIs, including brand awareness, purchase intent or retail sales. "Meredith's commitment to providing ROI is key,” said Marla Newman, executive vice president of digital sales. “Our new suite of measurement solutions for video advertisers will demonstrate impact against brand awareness, deliver purchase intent or drive retail sales." New show highlights Meredith unveiled a variety of new video programming at its NewFronts presentation, nearly all of which was dedicated to its mission of empowering women. The publisher is expanding its line of SeeHer programming, which it first launched in 2016 in conjunction with the centennial celebration of women’s suffrage. Meredith has released multiple SeeHer programs over the years, each cataloging a “short story of female trailblazers,” but the company has taken the opportunity to diversify these narratives in 2021. Under the name SeeHer: Multiplicity, Meredith will be rolling out new programming that shines a spotlight on the juggling act that women perform. The publisher will also be premiering Paula Presents, a series that will follow James Beard Award finalist Paola Velez as she shares her irreverent culinary advice. Other highlights include: People's One and Done with Ayesha Curry; People in the ’90s; SeeHer Story; She Rises: Reinvention; entertainment Weekly's SeeHer: Wonder Women; People and Parent's The New Parenthood; Allrecipes and Food & Wine's Three Ways; What’s Cooking with Southern Living; Real Simple and Better Homes & Gardens' Home Upgrade; Travel + Leisure's Meet Me in the Middle; InStyle, Real Simple and People en Español's Beauty from Within; and Health and Shape's 21 Days. The publisher plans to begin shooting these series in the next eight weeks, with the aim of airing the majority of its new programming this fall, Dameron said. New podcast highlights Meredith has found a warm reception for its podcast offerings, having experienced a 55% increase in podcast listenership. The publisher currently offers 15 podcasts. People in the ’90s, which centers each episode around one issue of People between 1990-1999, will highlight the biggest stars of the decade, including Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Elizabeth Hurley, Jamie Lee Curtis and more. The show will launch June 3 with 12 episodes. Other notable programming includes: Ladies First, hosted by editor-in-chief Laura Brown; People Every Day, with host and People editor at large Janine Rubenstein; Biscuits & Jam with Southern Living editor in chief Sid Evans; and Parents: That New Mom Life, cohosted by Grace Bastidas, editor in chief of Parents Latina; and mommy blogger Desiree Fortin. Podcasts Give Advertisers a Unique, Direct Line to Consumers