Even porn can’t keep a Playboy’s pockets lined
One of the proverbial axioms of the "publishing world" is that sex sells. Pornography, in particular, is a massively popular business. Indeed, where porn goes, so goes technology. At least this is the oft-repeated claim.
So what does it mean for the universe of print publishing when porn mags are having problems? It means the traditional walls between online and offline publishing need to come down in the stables of many a publishing house, that's what.
Case in point: Playboy announced Thursday that it would be fully merging its online and print-side operations. The best-known of all the skin magazines is reorganizing into a business with focus on leveraging all of its content across three mediums (print, online, mobile). Or, in other words, the content is being developed independently of the medium, which instead is being treated like, well, a medium rather than a genre-based destination. This, it hopes, will help to stop its soon-to-be five straight quarters of unprofitability.
The ubiquity of porn online has made Playboy into a smaller, well, player than in years passed. While many have attributed this to the availability of free porn, the paid online porn industry is by all accounts doing well. But Playboy.com has stagnant traffic, and the magazine isn't able to carry its own weight.
