Publisher Meredith is expanding its food media business with the launch of Recipe.com, a site that pairs – you guessed it – recipes with digital coupons and the acquisition of EatingWell, a multichannel brand focused on – you guessed it – healthy eating. Terms of the EatingWell purchase were not disclosed.
To learn why launching Recipe.com and buying EatingWell Media Group makes sense for Meredith, look no further than this statement from chairman and CEO Steve Lacy:
“Meredith already produces great food content across our brands, and food is our top advertising category. In acquiring EatingWell and launching Recipe.com, we’ve added two anchor brands to serve the 75 million American women we engage every month, and the marketers that want to reach them.”
In other words, more eyeballs to sell to their top advertisers, across multiple channels.
The company’s portfolio includes a bi-monthly magazine, a mobile app and website featuring healthy recipes, food and shopping tips, articles, blogs and nutrition advice, a series of cook books and a content licensing and custom marketing program providing diet and nutrition articles, how-to cook information, recipes and meal plans to over 75 clients.
Currently, more than 60 percent of EatingWell’s revenues are said to come from digital sources, licensing and custom marketing.
EatingWell CEO Thomas Witschi is joining the Meredith National Media Group as EVP and President, Women’s Lifestyle, with responsibility for Meredith’s More, Fitness, EatingWell and Diabetic Living brands.
As for Recipe.com: the website and associated mobile apps will feature more than 20,000 trusted recipes, digital coupons, how-to videos, recipes from cook books and partners as well as an online shopping list. There’s also going to be a quarterly magazine.
Brands like Betty Crocker, Campbell’s and Kellogg’s are among the marketing content partners participating in the launch of Recipe.com.