Buzzfeed to extend native advertising push and expands creative offering for brands

Buzzfeed has unveiled a new specialist unit for brands called Buzzfeed Creative, signalling a ramping up of its native advertising offering following a US$50 million injection of funding.

The branded content offering consists of a team of 60 creatives, led by US-based director of creative services Melissa Rosenthal, and 15 branded video producers, led by head of branded video Matt Baxter. It is as yet unclear how many creatives will be based in Buzzfeed’s international offices including new offices in Japan and India, which were also officially unveiled today.

The announcement of the extended push into native advertising, with an expanded video unit, comes as a debate has been stirred internationally about the practice of native advertising, and whether it is good for new brands. In Australia Buzzfeed is also waiting to see if it will be reclassified as a news site by the IAB’s Nielsen Online rankings.

Buzzfeed Creative is to continue to roll out new publishing and video ad products under Greg Coleman, the newly recruited former president of ad tech firm Criteo, “as social advertising becomes an essential part of every brand’s marketing strategy,” the company stated.