Smart Business Decisions

Donna Tavoso dtavoso@earthlink.net
Sun, 18 May 2003 02:12:03 -0500 (EST)


Mike wrote:
> I don't think it's a smart, savvy business move to alienate your core
> subscribers by ignoring a 40-year tradition. Hef and Kaminsky
> seriously underestimated the affection with which we long-term
> subscribers view the magazine AND its traditions.

Again, I respect your viewpoint, but again come play in the sandbox of
today, did you read the NY Times article about playboy, it didn't
mention that fact that they have 2.8 million core subscribers more
than any other men's magazine -- no it pointed out the fact that Maxim
sells over 800,000 copies on the newsstand and the Playboy does around
350,000 - do you want to guess which cover hasn't sold even that much
the past few years??  So, yes I would call is a smart savvy business
move to take a chance a put someone on the cover who is almost
guaranteed to increase increase newsstand sales over the previous
year, because in the publishing marketplace right now that is how
magazines are judged on whether they are healthy or not.  And when you
are Playboy and you have additional hurdles of bad placement and
coverplacards on top of it, yes you need to take a chance and say if
we show improvement overall on the newsstand then in coming years they
can return to some of those same traditions you all hold so dear.
Because here's a fact to consider, those traditions won't mean a lot
if the magazine doesn't survive.

Donna