Response: Meredith Corp.

My plan when the panel from Meredith Corp. visited our class was to take copious notes. This plan was a success for all of 10 minutes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the panel's discussion about their thought process behind their designs. The story about the wedding cake spread was really interesting. I think the back-and-forth debates is something that I expect from the system, but I didn't think about things like staging photos. (Probably because I have never been in photo before.)

The comments made about the type of furniture and space setting a sort of tone for the cakes themselves and telling the readers that this story is "cool" was really interesting. Once I started thinking about it, it made total sense. If the exact same cakes had been placed on a darker wood table with a traditional tablecloth and in a wallpapered room, etc, the feel of the photo itself becomes more traditional - appealing to an older audience.

The panelists were asked several times about redesigning for a younger audience. It seems like this redesign is a preoccupation of a lot of Meredith Corp's publications and online spaces. I find the changes they are making to be interesting. As part of this target demographic, I don't know if redesigning is going to be enough. Rebranding I think is equally important, and I think it can be done without abandoning their current readers. BH&G is seen as an older woman's magazine - something mom's read. To reach a younger audience, I think potential readers need to believe (or see) that there is plenty in the magazine for them as well.