Escom LLC, the company that bought the controversial Sex.com domain almost a year and a half ago for a reported $14 million, has hired Del Anthony as the new chief executive officer and president to lead in the revitalization of the site.
Anthony, formally the chief operating officer of VS Media, has extensive Internet development experience, including a comprehensive knowledge of the space. Anthony will oversee a complete reorganization and restructuring of Sex.com.
This is the first of many announcements Escom will be making in the coming months, according to a company statement. Escom plans to upgrade its business model and brand image, veering away from the "banner farm" the site had become and toward a refined, mainstream, adult-friendly, user-powered portal and social network, the statement noted.
Anthony told AVNOnline he is excited about the upcoming changes at Sex.com, saying they are only the beginning.
"Our goal is to turn the domain into what it should be—a world-class destination and online society for all things adult. Expect a complete metamorphosis," Anthony promised. "We are going to build the site into an enormously powerful brand. Sex.com will appeal to a much broader market segment, with more focus on women users, and shake loose the negative stigma associated with adult sites. Our objective is to go as mainstream as we possibly can in terms of some of our new partnerships, as well as the new technologies that we'll be using. The domain name itself can easily be transitioned into something more mainstream."
The new Sex.com site will be Web 2.0-compliant, offering a multitude of options including video and photo content, shopping, news, community, survey statistics, and more.
"The site will be refreshing, lively, and unconventional," said Anthony. "We are going to completely redo our image. Unique, informed, lifestyle-driven, socially networked: These are just some of the concepts visitors will associate with the site in the future. This new positioning will help us expand the brand way beyond merely driving Internet traffic to the world's best domain. We have a branding company that we are working with now that we feel is confident in helping us obtaining these goals."
Escom has been building momentum over the past several weeks by inking partnerships with high-profile industry leaders across the globe. While the deals give Escom a head start with modern content, Anthony explained the company is working to acquire additional partners that offer products and services of mass appeal, to fill in any service gaps.
"We will lead by example and partner with key industry leaders," he said. "The best of the best modern adult applications will find a lucrative, white-labeled home at Sex.com. So, if you fall into that category, please get in touch with us ASAP."
The company plans to open a new Los Angeles office soon and is hiring experienced professionals to fill numerous roles, Anthony said.
