Buzzfeed

BuzzFeed CMO, An Architect Of Its Commerce And Live Events Businesses, To Step Down

BuzzFeed CMO Ben Kaufman — who helped spearhead new sources of revenue beyond advertising — is departing the company after less than a year in that role.

Kaufman will continue on as an adviser to BuzzFeed, but by Jan. 2020 will devote his full attention to Camp — an experiential toy store for kids in which BuzzFeed is a minority investor, Variety reports. The inaugural Camp store opened in Manhattan in Dec. 2018, though the company has additional stores planned for Dallas and Brooklyn.

A replacement has not yet been named for Kaufman, who was a key architect behind BuzzFeed’s commerce ventures — including its Tasty

-branded line of cookware at Walmart and a Goodful homeware collab with Macy’s. Kaufman also helped mastermind Internet Live, Buzzfeed’s foray into live entertainment — a variety-style show that featured performances from a litany of viral celebs including Lil Nas X, JoJo Siwa, and Jason Nash.

Subscribe to get the latest creator news

Subscribe

Kaufman joined Buzzfeed as chief commerce officer in 2016, and was named CMO last January. Prior to joining the digital media behemoth, he served as CEO of invention startup Quirky.

His departure from BuzzFeed was first reported by The Information.

Share
Published by
Geoff Weiss

Recent Posts

Markiplier thinks GoPro’s new $699 camera is the key to accessible filmmaking. (Also, he’s now GoPro’s biggest shareholder.)

This past April, Markiplier went to GoPro's booth at the NAB Show in Las Vegas,…

6 hours ago

As AI becomes more powerful, Google cautions YouTube advertisers not to lose their human touch

In 2026, YouTube and Google have put AI at the center of their joint pitch to brand partners. AI-powered…

7 hours ago

Good Good CEO says he’s fired the people responsible for driver ad, and he’s mad at Callaway, too

Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick says the company has "removed people responsible" for its disastrous…

1 day ago

Have you heard? 20 years of Super Simple Songs, AMP in the Club, and Shyamalan’s next twist.

Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends,…

3 days ago

Schrodinger’s platform: YouTube is TV, and it isn’t

The MacTaggart Lecture, hosted each year at the Edinburgh TV Festival, is one of the…

3 days ago

Hank Green says he wants to “put families back in control” with new kids’ STEAM content app ClockwiseTV

After years of producing educational videos through his and his brother's nonprofit Complexly, Hank Green…

3 days ago