• Ad Age, Wednesday, October 3, 2007 10:15 AM

Playboy has embarked on a potentially risky new strategy of putting a halter on its paid print circulation, while pumping up the free content available online. Instead of obsessing over retaining print readers and trying to sell content online, as in the past, Playboy's brand managers will now try to expand its reach wherever that may be.

The approach is not new, as other publishers have tried it. But Playboy faces some tough choices as it slashes paid circulation by 13% to 2.6 million effective with the January issue -- and that is on top of 5% cut two years back.

"We have a very strong print product, but there is a revolution that is taking place around us," says Bob Meyers, president of the media group at Playboy Enterprises. "There is a very dramatic change in the way the consumer is consuming media." "My sense is they're accepting reality, which is fantastic," said Rishad Tobaccowala, president of Denuo Group, a Publicis unit devoted to emerging media.

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