Last September AVN Media Network consolidated all of its publications—AVN, AVN Online, AVN Novelty Business, GAYVN, and Intimate Apparel Business—into the single publication you are reading now. Though the economy played a role in our decision, it was mostly governed by a desire to unite our multifaceted industry under one comprehensive, all-inclusive publication. It was a bold move, but one we felt was in the best interest of the people who matter to us most—our readers and our advertisers.
We also had no idea how it would turn out.
Since the consolidation, there has been anything but a shortage of opinions. Many praised the new format, some expressed unmitigated loathing for it, and others were simply confused. “Why do I need to be in magazine with DVDs?” “I sell porn, what do I care about sex toys?” “What does online commerce have to do with my brick-and-mortar store?” These are just a few of the questions I fielded, and still field, in one form or another. And my answer, when you boil it down, can be summed up in one word: eyeballs.
By putting all of our magazines into a single publication, we increased the number of readers who see your advertising; we also offered far more information to those readers than ever before. Those who only subscribed to, say, AVN Novelty Business may not have been aware of the latest adult DVD releases they could sell in their store, or the billing, hosting, and affiliate opportunities that were available to them. And vice versa. Online readers and advertisers were exposed to new products, content, and potential clients. Some production companies found new revenue streams for their content, while others branched out into creating sex toys. And these are only a few examples of how the new magazine has created new business opportunities. The bottom line is that no one wants to leave money on the table, and the new format, when fully utilized, decreases the odds of that happening. Even when the economy isn’t circling the bowl, smart professionals are always looking for new ways to make money. Our goal is to help you do just that, by putting your products in front of more eyeballs than ever before. And that’s exactly what we do.
Since it’s impossible to be all things to all people, there will always be those who are unhappy with the magazine in one way or another. The same is true for almost any product, but whether you make movies, run an affiliate program, or pour silicone sex toys, you are part of the adult industry. And the industry is changing, from the way production companies deliver content to what mom-and-pop stores are putting on their shelves.
You can call it cross-marketing, synergy, symbiosis, or whatever you like, but the fact remains that there is strength in numbers, and we all benefit from being united in our purpose. I saw it at this year’s Adult Entertainment Expo and Internext shows, where the mix of different adult businesses was greater than ever, and even mainstream companies, like Iomega and Flexcare, were finally realizing the profit potential of dealing directly with the adult industry. AVN is doing the same thing in print. We’re committed to presenting a forum that not only enables a wide variety of businesses to market their vast array of products, but also to broaden the reach of those products to newer and bigger markets. So, the next time you wonder what dildos and DVDs and dating sites have to do with each other, just remember the magic word.
That’s right. Eyeballs.
—Tony Lovett, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
This article originally appeared in the December issue of AVN.
