What About a New About?

Despite 29 million monthly visits (with “one out of every five people on the Internet” using it), 57,000-plus topics and more than 1.2 million “pieces of original content” I have never had a friend, designer or otherwise, refer me to About.com — or, if so, I can’t remember. I may have followed a sangria recipe once — or, if not, I can’t remember either. This is not a knock on their vast content as, clearly, there are those who consume it but maybe it’s more a reflection of their lack of brand impact. One reason could be that when you stand for everything, you stand for nothing. And with volume being the biggest attraction, it’s no surprise that About.com’s identity is non-existent, despite their commitment to the color red.