People magazine launches new App for a Gen Z generation audience

Dotdash Meredith has launched a standalone People Magazine app, built in-house by a 70-strong team. The app takes cues from TikTok to engage younger audiences with exclusive, mobile-native content.

As someone who’s spent the last 13 years in digital publishing, I’ve seen plenty of so-called “reinventions” of legacy media brands.

But what People Magazine has just pulled off feels refreshingly different and bucking the trend of other publishers, looking at different monetisation strategies to pay for the funding their business however Dotdash Meredith have gone back to an ad funded and sponsorship model.

This is People’s first standalone app, and it’s not just a repackaged version of the magazine or website. It’s a new product built from the ground up with a TikTok-inspired interface and a swipeable, video-first experience designed to meet audiences aimed at a Gen Z who are less familiar with traditional magazine apps and more akin to getting their content from social media sources.

What’s interesting here isn’t just the format but the intent behind it. This isn’t a bolt-on project, the app was developed entirely in-house over 12 months by a 70-strong team spanning editorial, produc…