News Releases

Apr 17, 2019
Midwest Living's LIVE Issue Brings Readers Behind the Scenes
Interactive Smart Codes Connect Readers with Behind-the-Scenes Video Content in Special Cabin-Living Issue

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; www.meredith.com), the nation's largest brand-powered food, lifestyle and entertainment media company, engaging over 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, today announced the release of Midwest Living's LIVE issue, on newsstands April 19. The May/June 2019 issue reveals a new chapter for a beloved 32-year-old brand: the first-ever Midwest Living LIVE. The brand has always been a premier destination for regional travel, cooking, home and garden inspiration. Now it delivers even more activating print stories with videos, tours and interviews via integrated Meredith Smart Codes on the cover and throughout the pages of the magazine. All of the extras are housed in a shareable, issue-specific digital hub. 

Meredith introduces an updated market positioning and logo that reflect the strength of Meredith's national and local consumer media brands as well as its expanded portfolio of marketing solutions. (PRNewsFoto/Meredith Corporation) (PRNewsfoto/Meredith Corporation)

On the LIVE issue's cover, readers will find a Meredith Smart Code. By hovering a smartphone (iOS 11 or higher; Android 9 or higher) over the Smart Code, readers can immerse themselves in the cabin lifestyle via a behind-the-scenes cover video. From there, readers will also access the issue's digital hub. By tapping "Explore," they can unlock additional bonus content related to stories within the issue.

"We're always looking for more ways to engage beyond the pages of the magazine, and as the media landscape changes and our audience evolves, we're committed to making our content more vibrant, accessible and shareable," said Kylee Krizmanic, Midwest Living's newly appointed Editorial Content Director. "By incorporating Smart Codes directly into the issue itself, we're connecting our readers to a multimedia experience across digital and print."

Advertisers in this issue have also embraced the use of Smart Codes, integrating them within print ads to drive readers to microsites, additional product content and promotions.

The Midwest Living LIVE Issue's editorial theme is "Cabin Living," with stories that span a wide range of topics, including vacation inspiration, cabin gear essentials, style and decor. The issue also shares campfire cooking tips and recipes from top chefs, including Minneapolis pastry chef and Instagram star Zoë François (@zoebakes).

Meredith Smart Codes blur the line between digital and print media. They were introduced in 2018 and are in wide use across Meredith's portfolio of brands, including Allrecipes, PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens and Parents. Meredith Smart Codes unify QR code usage across all of its editorial brands, using smartphone cameras to connect readers to content and commerce, and creating a new data stream for Meredith and its advertising partners. Contact innovation@meredith.com for more information about Meredith Smart Codes.

ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION
Meredith Corporation has been committed to service journalism for more than 115 years. Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms — including broadcast television, print, digital, mobile and video — to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. Meredith's National Media Group reaches more than 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including over 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is the No. 1 magazine operator in the U.S. and owner of the largest premium content digital network for American consumers. Meredith's Local Media Group includes 17 television stations, reaching 11 percent of U.S. households.

SOURCE Meredith Corporation

For further information: Kari Stephenson, Kari.Stephenson@meredith.com, 212-522-0836