5 Questions with Playboy's Chief Product Officer, Phillip Morelock -- EXCLUSIVE Q&A

     

Phillip Morelock is SVP & Chief Product Officer (Digital) of Playboy -- a highly-recognized brand for sure -- and one with an interesting challenge on its hands.  How to transition this long-storied (lurid?) brand into the digital age, a dilemma it has faced for years.  Phillip recently joined Playboy (after stints at Disney, etc.) and is responsible to meet that challenge.  Last August, Phillip overhauled and relaunched Playboy.com (perhaps surprisingly to some, with not a woman on the home page by design -- more of a men's lifestyle magazine in the vein of GQ and Esquire) after previously relaunching Disney.com.  In Phillip's words, he tells his friends that he jumped from "the mouse to the bunny."  And, I believe this Q&A will be illuminating -- and address issues faced by all traditional media companies (even "edgier" ones) in our current transformative mobile-focused, digital-first media times.

     (1)  What is the reason your company exists (and what problem(s) are you looking to solve)?

For more than 60 years, Playboy has been a symbol of sexiness and sophistication and a beacon for an intellectually forward lifestyle.  Although Playboy is perhaps best known for our monthly magazine, I joined Playboy to rebuild the company’s digital business, including Playboy.com which we re-launched this past August.

(2)  How are you different from your competitors?

At Playboy we have built a reputation as an authority on a wide variety of subjects, from fashion and automobiles, to food and drinks, from humor and politics, to, of course, women and sex.  No other brand has the authority to weigh in on such a wide variety of subjects.

On more of a structural level, rather than build the new site on top of older technology, we were able to start from scratch.  That means Playboy.com is a totally responsive site, built truly mobile-first. Mobile and tablet users currently make up over 75% of our online audience. That fact, in combination with the amazing original content only available on Playboy.com, has fueled explosive growth on the site, from about 5 million monthly unique visitors pre-relaunch to about 20 million last month.

(3)  Why will you succeed (and what is your single most important ingredient for success)?

The popularity of our websites, our social media presence, and our mobile apps tells us that we are on the right track – that we are offering a unique user experience that people are really enjoying. The Playboy brand has been successful in every medium it has entered over the past 60 years: print, radio, television, and now the dominant world of social / mobile / digital media.

In the coming post-search world of digital media entertainment, clearly defined brands will matter more than they ever have. Playboy will be able to cut through the noise and reach men in every corner of the world on every platform.

(4)  What makes you unique (and what do you enjoy most outside of building your business)?

I’ve worked to build highly contagious digital experiences my entire career, for companies ranging from startups to multinationals. People seem to get a kick out of it when I tell them I’ve relaunched both Disney.com and Playboy.com in the past three years. (From the mouse to the bunny…)

Outside of business I like to spend time with my kids.

(5)  What digital media trend is most interesting to you (and what is the least)?

I love that true convergence of technology and entertainment has finally really happened. Increasingly the only two screens that matter are the smallest screen you own, and the biggest screen you own. Your mobile and your TV. I love that we can reach people with great content and experiences no matter where they are, at any time of the day or night.