NowThis Hires Its First CEO Since Being Spun Off by Vox Media

Social publisher NowThis, which often sees its trending news and entertainment videos go viral on social platforms, hired media veteran Sharon Mussalli as CEO—its first since the title was spun off from Vox Media in April. The newly independent publisher is now owned by Accelerate Change, a nonprofit media company with a portfolio including titles like PushBlack and Pulso, and it aims to increase civic engagement among underrepresented groups. “Looking forward for NowThis, the new ownership structure allows it to have a degree of latitude that it didn’t have before,” Mussalli said. “I’m excited to be part of a company with such a strong focus on mission and identity.” Exclusive: BuzzFeed Inc. Announces Strategic Shift, Longtime Publisher Steps Down Vox Media, which acquired NowThis as part of its 2021 purchase of Group Nine Media, has retained a minority ownership stake in the publisher. It also sells, produces and executes advertising campaigns for the news brand. The 70-person NowThis newsroom is composed almost entirely of editorial and operational staff, and it generates the vast majority of its eight-figure revenue from advertising. The for-profit publisher also makes money by working with grant-funded organizations to craft and deliver messaging on key topics, such as climate change and reproductive health. The publisher declined to provide financial specifics or comment on its profitability. Mussalli joins NowThis following a series of commercial leadership positions in the media and technology industries, including stints at Bustle Digital Group, Some Spider Studios, Facebook and iHeartMedia. Most recently, she founded and led sales representative firm Xtracrisp, which she will remain involved in as chairwoman. Under her leadership, NowThis will seek to navigate a media ecosystem where the monetization and readership landscape has changed dramatically since the publisher first launched in 2012. According to Mussalli, the publisher plans to pivot its content strategy in two key ways in hopes of capitalizing on advertising demand ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Leaning into franchises and creators NowThis rose to prominence over the past decade by creating content—often videos—designed for distribution on platforms like Facebook. But that strategy has fallen out of favor in recent years, as social media companies and search engines have limited the visibility of news content and throttled referral traffic. The shift has left former bastions of the scale era, such as BuzzFeed and Vice Media, in commercial and editorial straits. NowThis reaches roughly 80 million people monthly across its social channels, website and YouTube audience, according to Mussalli. It generates a large portion of its advertising revenue by weaving branded content and sponsorship into editorial series that run across its social platforms. One recent campaign with American Express, called "It’s My Business," highlights a series of unique small businesses. To account for shifting consumption patterns, NowThis plans to make two adjustments that will let it tap into ballooning influencer marketing budgets, according to Mussalli. First, the publisher will place more emphasis on producing editorial packages with signature story arcs and packaging on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Mussalli points to the franchise Can It Save the Planet? as an example of quintessential NowThis content that could benefit from more distinct branding. The publisher also plans to center more of its franchises around specific creators and faces, according to Mussalli. On vertical video platforms like TikTok, talking-head formats have exploded in popularity, and brands have gravitated toward series with recognizable stars. With a critical presidential election on the horizon, NowThis hopes these and other pivots will help it tap into both influencer marketing budgets and political advertising spend. “That is our big bet,” Mussalli said, that there are "different ways to present the same style of content that you have come to expect from the brand.”

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NowThis Hires Its First CEO Since Being Spun Off by Vox Media

The publisher is now owned by nonprofit Accelerate Change

Mark Stenberg

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