News Releases
NEW YORK, N.Y. (June 30, 2009) – Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), the leading media and marketing company serving American women, has launched a new sales, marketing and research 360° product designed to provide marketers and advertisers with multi-media, turnkey and measurable access to Meredith’s network of highly engaged ‘Gamma’ women.
Last July, Meredith released The Gamma Factor: Women and the New Social Currency, a report that uncovered the rise of Gamma women: a growing segment – significant both in number and influence – that is creating a groundswell in today’s new media and marketing landscape. Gammas share and exchange information, ideas, opinions, contacts and recommendations with their wide-reaching network using multiple media and channels of communication. The Gamma audience is estimated at more than 55 million American women.
“Since we released the Gamma report last year, we’ve received an overwhelming response from marketers and advertisers,” says Nancy Weber, Chief Marketing Officer, Meredith Publishing Group. “The current economic environment has caused brands to reevaluate where they spend their marketing and advertising dollars and seek opportunities that reach highly engaged consumers at great scale.”
To build its network of Gammas, Meredith joined forces with SheSpeaks, the leading women’s marketing network that specializes in building brand advocacy and word of mouth, to identify SheSpeaks members who fit the ‘Gamma’ criteria.
The product incorporates many of Meredith’s social media assets and businesses, including social networks DivineCaroline.com and MixingBowl.com, as well as New Media Strategies, the industry pioneer and market leader in social media marketing and measurement. Meredith also partnered with House Party, a leading consumer activation and experiential marketing services company that delivers an immersive, exclusive and hands-on brand experience through at-home parties.
Each component is built around Meredith’s research on Gammas and the specific combination of marketing techniques and messaging to which they respond. The product, which can be personalized and customized based on client goals, enables clients to reach up to 10 million women by activating a network of 150,200 Gammas.
Prior to launch, brand messaging and offers are pre-tested among influential Gammas. Content is then tailored and distributed through Meredith’s proprietary Gamma network via multiple channels including:
• Digital Communications: Through direct digital communication, brands can introduce offers and messaging to Gammas from the voice of Meredith’s trusted brands.
• Community: Placement on social networking sites within the Meredith’s Women’s Network – including DivineCaroline.com and MixingBowl.com – encourages discussion, advocacy and sharing of a brand’s offer.
• Brand Advocacy: Through SheSpeaks, marketers can activate word of mouth among Gammas through targeted product sampling that generates consumer insight and advocacy to effectively drive sales and deliver strong ROI.
• Blogosphere/Word of Mouth: New Media Strategies will work with the brand to distribute its messaging and exclusive offers to a selected list of Gamma bloggers who connect with other Gammas daily.
• Experiential: House Party will connect brands to Gammas through thousands of brand-centric parties across the country.
• Broadcast: A new segment on the nationally syndicated Better TV show will feature a brand’s product from the Gamma perspective and integrate the exclusive offer.
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Press Contacts:
Patrick Taylor / 212.551.6984 / Patrick.Taylor@meredith.com
Amanda Cortese / 212.551.7087 / Amanda.Cortese@meredith.com
Visit www.GammaWomen.com.
About Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP: www.meredith.com ) is the leading media and marketing company serving American women. Meredith combines well-known national brands – including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Ladies’ Home Journal, Family Circle, American Baby, Fitness and More – with local television brands in fast-growing markets. Meredith is the industry leader in creating content in key consumer interest areas such as home, family, health and wellness and self-development. Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms – including print, television, online, mobile and video – to give consumers content they desire and to deliver the messages of its marketing partners. Additionally, Meredith uses its many assets to create powerful custom marketing solutions for many of the nation’s top brands and companies. In the last two years, Meredith has significantly added to its capabilities in this area through the acquisition of cutting-edge companies in areas such as online, word-of-mouth and database marketing.