able to create "compelling" content that manages to successfully engage Internet users, while About's content, in particular, is favored by the Google search engine. Furthermore, Vogel stated that native advertising is a marketing initiative that he would like to explore with caution, as "it's a really big opportunity to let marketers talk to our audience in the voice that they're already comfortable with." In April 2014, Vogel revealed to the media that the About.com team had grown from 100 employees to 176, and the number of site contributors had increased by 20 percent. In terms of the website, the company's developers updated the backend technology so that it is capable of handling a greater degree of interactivity at the front end, while a major emphasis was placed on responsive web design, as the traffic from mobile devices and tablets was measured at nearly 40 percent. The About.com website was relaunched in September 2014, following a significant redesign that expanded upon the new homepage that debuted in July 2014. Based on an analysis of the needs of both users and advertisers, the redesign sought to create an improved user experience and facilitate social sharing, including the addition of social media buttons that were not featured at the time of Vogel's appointment. 2017–present: rebranding to Dotdash and merger with Meredith On May 2, 2017, IAC announced that they had renamed About.com to Dotdash, after about a year of transition. CEO Neil Vogel said that the company had lost mind share and needed to change their marketing strategy. According to WIRED, About.com was done away with despite its profitability, in order to make way for a new business model. The company refocused on vertical markets through niche websites it has: The Balance (personal finance), Lifewire (tech), The Spruce (home and food), VeryWell (health), TripSavvy (travel), and ThoughtCo (education). On March 29, 2018, Dotdash won Digiday's Publisher of the Year. In July of the same year, Investopedia joined the Dotdash family of brands. On October 15, TripSavvy launched the Editors' Choice Awards. On January 8, 2019, Dotdash announced the acquisition of Byrdie (beauty) and MyDomaine (women's lifestyle) from Clique Brands. On May 15, Dotdash announced the acquisition of Brides from Conde Nast. In the spring of 2019, Dotdash's home site, The Spruce, announced the launch of their first-ever paint collection, The Spruce Best Home, in partnership with KILZ and sold exclusively on Amazon. On