The company's brands include Reader's Digest, Taste of Home, The Family Handyman, FailArmy, Birds & Blooms, Reminisce, Country, EnrichU, and others.[7][8][9] At its peak in 1973, the flagship magazine had over 30 million subscribers and was published in 30 countries.[4] As of 2016, its portfolio of brands garners 53 million unique online visitors and 40 million print readers per month.[10]
History
Trusted Media Brands, Inc. (TMBI) was founded as Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (RDA) in New York City in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace, a married couple. They self-published the first edition of Reader's Digest in February 1922. To market the magazine, the two used direct mail marketing and sent 5,000 letters to nurses and schoolteachers. In 1925, DeWitt Wallace purchased land in Westchester County, New York where he moved the headquarters of RDA. In 1927, the number of Reader's Digest subscribers increased to 30,000. In 1939, the number was up to 3 million, and, by 1973 30 million subscribed.[4][5][6]
In 1986, under the new leadership of George Grune, RDA began creating and acquiring new brands as well as publications to diversify its portfolio. Its first special-interest magazine, Travel Holiday, was acquired in 1986 and was followed by the acquisition of The Family Handyman in 1987. In 1990, it acquired American Health. In the same year, the company went public. At the time, it had 7,200 employees in 54 locations throughout the world.[11][12]
In 1991, RDA acquired Joshua Morris Publishing, a children's book publisher and made a move into the children's book industry.
In 2002, RDA purchased Reiman Publications and its 12 magazines for $760 million. The deal gave RDA ownership of magazines including Taste of Home, Country Woman, Birds & Blooms, Country, Reminisce, Healthy Cooking, Simple & Delicious, and Farm & Ranch Living.[10][13][14][15] In 2005, RDA launched Every Day with Rachael Ray and purchased Allrecipes.com in 2006. Both magazines were sold to the Meredith Corporation in 2011 and 2012 respectively.[16][17]
In March 2007, RDA was purchased by an investment group led by private equity firm, Ripplewood Holdings, for $1.6 billion. RDA was made a private company for the first time since 1990.[18][19][20] RDA filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and again in 2012. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2013.[1][20][21] On April 7, 2014, Bonnie Kintzer was appointed president and CEO of RDA; she had previously worked at RDA from 1998 to 2007.[1][22]
One of Kintzer's first major moves was to change the company's name to Trusted Media Brands, Inc. (TMBI) in September 2015. The new name was chosen to encompass all brands under the company's banner rather than just Reader's Digest. TMBI has placed renewed focus on a wide variety of media platforms including digital content, social media, video, and others. As of 2016, TMBI's portfolio of brands reaches 53 million unique visitors, 40 million print readers, and 40 million social media users per month.[1][3][10] In 2016, TMBI sold its children's publishing operations to Readerlink Distribution Services.[23]
Taste of Home is a digital content provider (TasteofHome.com) and print magazine that offers information on food, cooking, and entertainment. Each year, the brand publishes 3,000 recipes, tips and stories from home cooks, all of which are tested and prepared in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Taste of Home also produced an original web series called Fun with Food! and America the Tasty.[7][25][26]
Reader's Digest is a digital content provider (RD.com) and print magazine that has been in publication since 1922. The brand offers a collection of true stories, advice, and humor. Content includes advice on health, nutrition, food, and home alongside stories of national and local interest. The magazine was, at one time, the largest consumer magazine in the United States. It currently produces digital content (RD.com) and continues to publish print magazines in locations throughout the world.[4][5][6][27]
The Family Handyman is a brand with an emphasis on DIYhome improvement and home repair. Digital (FamilyHandyman.com) and print content provide advice and how-to guides from current and former experts and professionals.[7][28][29]
Birds & Blooms is a bird and gardening magazine that is the largest such magazine in North America. It offers tips on gardening, DIY crafts, and information on birds and other backyard animals.[30]
Other brands
Other brands include Country, Country Woman, Simple & Delicious, Reminisce, Prevention, Farm & Ranch Living, EnrichU, LifeRich Publishing and Haven Home.[1][7][8][9]
