If they didn’t love the brand, they wouldn’t have felt so betrayed and become so angry.' Their anger, in part, stemmed from the absence of Penthouse Letters, a fan favorite that features tales of sexual encounters submitted by readers. “Those that scream at you the loudest are really your biggest fans. It wasn’t their best issue, she admits, and readers weren’t happy with the end result. They had to work around-the-clock for 96 hours, and the issue went straight to the printer without any time to give it a once-over. “Through this we’ve turned the publishing arm from a $3 million annual negative before the acquisition to a projected $1 million positive within the first 12 months.”Īfter Holland acquired Penthouse, she only had four days to get the issue on schedule to print and ship for its on sale date. In addition to a complete digital overhaul of, for the print magazine, they outsource their layout, design and production functions to their Australian publishing licensee and share editorial content.

Holland, a former warzone journalist and mainstream documentary filmmaker prior to directing and producing adult films, explains how she has been able to once again make Penthouse profitable in a struggling industry.

All of those things in the dark corners of your mind that are haunting you in your life, we normalize for you.” “We remove the apology and guilt that’s associated with sex. “This business is guided by my body, my rules, period,” says Holland, a self-proclaimed feminist. And, with Holland at the helm, Penthouse is reaching a wider audience with a readership that’s 30-40% female. She ensures articles that are worth the read, as well as top-notch photography that’s sexy and beautiful, but not gratuitous.

Of her determination to keep an in-print version, “There’s a validation, a cache, that doesn’t exist in that ethereal space called the internet.” I was determined to keep the magazine on the newsstand,” Holland explains. I feared we would wither on the vine because they never had the vision for what this brand was, or what it could be.”įFN had already made the decision to close the New York publishing operations, sale or no sale, and they were moving rapidly toward that cliff with layoffs of 25 people, closing their New York office. “For me, shooting the flagship product, Penthouse Magazine, in the head was disastrous in the context of re-launching the brand. I also have a strong conviction about our ability to attract a younger demographic and grow advertising and subscription revenue. “FFN was a massive machine that didn’t understand an iconic brand. 19 at exactly 1:36 pm that the acquisition from the adult social networking and video chat company came to fruition.Īt first, Holland thought she could “take the company, clean it up and put some lipstick on it” but things wouldn’t be that easy for the entrepreneur who had no prior business background. After the almost-three-year buyout from seller FFN (FriendFinder Networks), Holland immediately got to work with just four days to get Penthouse to print in time to make the on-sale date.

Does penthouse magazine still exist