• by Tom Siebert , September 14, 2006

In a nod to the many challenges that ensue when an established magazine seeks to expand its brand across new platforms, Prevention created a novel response: brand editor.

Leah McLaughlin, formerly executive editor of Natural Health, has been tapped for the role. McLaughlin is the first key hire of Liz Vaccariello, the healthy lifestyle publication's editor in chief, who joined the magazine in late July. Vaccariello and McLaughlin previously worked together at Fitness, where the latter was nutrition director.

The brand editor role means that McLaughlin will be a point of contact for the magazine as it develops brand extensions across all media--print, Internet, broadcast, DVDs and mobile.

"This is a way for Prevention to maintain its credibility and integrity across all platforms," says McLaughlin. "Too often, when you see a magazine brand on a product, if you're in the business, you know it's coming from [the corporate] side of the business. Editors are not involved."

Editor in chief Vaccariello says the position will require someone with deft diplomatic skills and a clear understanding of what Prevention stands for. "Leah has very, very strong communication and team-building skills," Vaccariello says. "We have an increasingly wide variety of brand extensions, and it prompted this new way of thinking. [We want] to ensure we communicate our vision for the brand and voice to other departments at Rodale and to our readers."

In addition to her stewardship for the Prevention brand, McLaughlin will assist in the editorial direction of the publication's food, nutrition and fitness coverage.