BuzzFeed wants to build a roster of new brands just like Tasty

• BuzzFeed has hired Melinda Lee as the company's first chief content officer for Buzzfeed Media Brands.
• Lee comes to the digital publisher from Meredith, where she ran the traditional media stalwart's video efforts.
• At BuzzFeed, Lee will focus on the company's growing portfolio of spinoff publications, including Tasty, Nifty and Playfull.

As BuzzFeed looks to expand its growing roster of brands, the digital publisher is looking to the traditional media world for some help.

The company is set to name Melinda Lee as its first chief content officer for BuzzFeed Media Brands. Lee, who will join BuzzFeed in late April, was most recently senior vice president and general manager of video at the Meredith Corporation, which owns a wide array of consumer magazine, digital properties and TV stations.

In December, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti announced a new structure for the company, along with several layoffs. The new setup broke out BuzzFeed News and its video operation BuzzFeed Studios into standalone groups, and also created BuzzFeed Media Brands.

That group includes Tasty, the cooking-themed brand that has become a breakout for BuzzFeed, as well as the healthy food publication Goodful, the parents-aimed Playfull (a joint venture with NBCUniversal), the fashion-focused Nifty and the beauty content vertical As/Is.

It's this budding roster that Lee will look to grow and expand. She told Business Insider that she was drawn to the role as an opportunity to experiment with new content forms and unique business models. Recently BuzzFeed has pushed into e-commerce, for example, while also inking a deal to sell Tasty-branded products with Walmart.

It's a somewhat different approach than a mature company like Meredith. "It's no secret that for Meredith, it's about creating shareholder value. You're not out there just experimenting. Everything needed to make sense from an ROI perspective," Lee said.

"What they were really good at was looking at content that was evergreen and something that audiences will always care about."

Now the plan is to take what she learned at the traditional media giant and blend that with social media know-how and analytics. "What's really attractive to me is really being able to utilize this strong digital network, tap into audience data, look for the gaps and create content that will resonate with consumers," she said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you see more brands from BuzzFeed."

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