Digital Magazine and Newspaper Editions: Best Practice Cases
languages in all markets was particularly attractive. Playboy needed a digital publishing
and e-commerce platform that could easily serve the world markets.
The Principals
Phyllis Rotunno is the Senior Vice-President for Subscription Circulation for Playboy.
Rich Maggiotto is Zinio’s CEO.
Meeting the Challenge
Until the launch of the digital editions, sales of Playboy’s international editions were
limited to the country in which they were produced. Now digital editions and the e-
commerce platform have allowed Playboy to change to an “open skies” policy, allowing
all international editions to be sold worldwide to appeal to the language preferences of
individual readers. For example, the Mexican edition of Playboy sells more copies to
Spanish speakers in the United States than in Mexico. The Playboy team found that
Zinio’s combination of technology, e-commerce, and market savvy were ideal for their
digital magazine business. They make the digital editions more attractive by adding
additional content and rich media.
Results
� From the beginning of the launch, Zinio’s e-commerce platform has enabled
Playboy to sell thousands of copies.
� 40%-50% of the digital copies sold are in international markets.
� The digital editions help sell subscriptions and renewals to all product offerings.
� The lower costs and improved reliability of delivery have made both Playboy’s
management and customers very happy.
� The international editions sold both domestically and worldwide now make up
1/3 of Playboy’s copies sold.
Lessons Learned
� Readers prefer to read Playboy in their native language.
� Playboy develops a range of content and then deploys it on a variety of media
formats to meet the specific interests and entertainment needs of international
readers.
� There is a growing interest in communities and forums to enable readers to
share their thoughts on controversial issues and articles.
� Rich media is popular in their target demographic.
Gilbane Group Conclusions
� Digital product offerings are very effective in helping companies build their
brands and serve readers in international markets.
� The outstanding articulation between the various media editions has helped the
company generate very impressive digital subscription and advertising
revenues.
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©2008 Gilbane Group, Inc. http://gilbane.com