20 ms·
Playboy produces well written articles now, but will their business model survive removing their original reason for existing?
by joelx 11y ago
Playboy produces well written articles now, but will their business model survive removing their original reason for existing?
- doragcoder 11y agoNetflix was originally just a DVD distribution company. They made a transition well...
- withdavidli 11y agoElaborate? To me this is more like if Netflix stopped distributing movies/shows and left you with an empty box, or if the current Netflix became IMDB.
- selectodude 11y agoI think it's more like if Netflix stopped distributing other people's movies and started only producing their own content.
- bryanlarsen 11y agoTheir business model is the same as Hello Kitty's: licensing their logo onto everything. They admit in the article that the magazine is a loss leader to promote the licensing business.
- arenaninja 11y agoBut will the logo continue to hold onto its status value when it's no longer associated with high-value (tasteful?) nude photography? I know somebody who was a photoshoot model, she has plenty of products with the Playboy logo and her ultimate goal was a Playboy photoshoot (ultimately, it didn't happen). Maybe she'll buy more Playboy things to reminisce, but 10-12 years a lot of people won't be making the connection anymore Eh, whatever
- hellbanner 11y agoI feel like this is a namespace collision. Playboy magazine, Playboy sticker in China, Playboy shoes..
- IvyMike 11y agoThe "I read it for the articles" thing was always based on a kernel of truth. Here's a good starter list: https://longform.org/publications/playboy https://longform.org/publications/playboy
- voyou 11y agoI don't remember where I read this, so I can't really vouch for its reliability, but supposedly the articles were the magazine's original reason for existing. The story I read was that Hefner pitched a lifestyle magazine to publishers, but they were worried that the material he wanted to include - cocktails, interior design, arts - would be perceived as "too gay," and so discourage straight men from buying the magazine. Hence the naked women were added to make the reader feel secure in their heterosexuality.