• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, December 8, 2009

As part of its strategy leveraging the editorial expertise of its magazines to create new online destinations, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. is joining forces with MSN and BermanBraun to launch a new multifaceted lifestyle site targeting women ages 25-49.

The content will cover style, beauty, relationships and home decor. Drawing on the programming and content expertise of Hachette publications like Elle, Elle Decor and Woman's Day, the new site -- as yet unnamed -- is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2010.

The site will have an aspirational bent, creating opportunities for upscale marketers in advertising and brand integration. Advertising sales will be led by MSN, with HFM participating on certain accounts.

The new site is modeled loosely on Wonderwall, a wide-ranging celebrity news site launched earlier this year by MSN and BermanBraun. The companies claim it now reaches 9.5 million unique visitors per month, generating an average 225 million page views. HFM will drive awareness of the new lifestyle site, in part, through promotions on its Web sites and in print.

This is the latest in a series of moves by Hachette seeking to extend its presence online by adapting and repurposing its core magazine content and creating new opportunities to monetize its magazine audiences. In July, Elle.com joined forces with Rue La La, a boutique-style "private sale" Web site owned by Retail Convergence, giving visitors to Elle.com access to invitation-only online sales of top designer brands. Elle visitors can also see "Editors' Picks" boutiques, chosen by Editor in Chief Roberta Myers, featuring especially hot items or special offers.

In April 2007, Hachette bought Jumpstart Automotive Media, an online ad network for auto-enthusiast sites; it has since moved to consolidate ad sales for its auto-enthusiast titles with Jumpstart. In June 2009, Hachette announced that ads for Car and Driver, Road & Track and Jumpstart would all be sold by one sales force, which would be rewarded based on its total cross-platform revenues.