The adult entertainment industry is one of the biggest business sectors in the world. Despite being difficult to calculate, experts estimate its value to be worth billions globally.
So creating an innovative marketing strategy in one of the most competitive industries in the market is key to getting ahead.
For Big Sister, which claims to be “the first and only brothel online worldwide”, this has involved providing its services for free, while guest pay another price…
Let us explain. The marketing concept behind the Prague-based institution involves guests availing of the hostesses’ services for free in return for agreeing to be filmed and signing away their rights.
All guests have to sign a contract where they agree that their activities will be shown on the internet - via one of the brothel websites’s 58 cameras and 15 streaming channels - or any kind of publication.
Naturally, rules apply. Facemasks cannot be worn and while the services of the girls are for free, the length of stay in private rooms is limited to one hour.
Guests are also reminded that they are responsible for the content of their ‘performance’ on the internet and the “possible consequences.”
“The main concept came from realising that when marketing sex, people want to watch people who look like ‘real’ people,” VP of Marketing for Big Sister Media, Carl Borowitz, told UTalkMarketing.
“We wanted to use people from the street and exploit their need for sex. But we don’t pay them because then they become actors and give a performance – and that’s not what we want.”
He added, “When we launched the concept, no one believed it would work and ordinary members of the public would be interested, but we took out some local advertising offering men free sex and did a couple of test evenings – and people came.”
Some 10-12 girls work Monday to Friday and then, due to demand, the weekend programme changes. Saturday is ‘Live Swingers’ night, while Sundays is for private couples while the hostesses are given a night off.
The ‘activities’ are viewed by an audience of subscribers from 60 countries around the world – but predominantly from the UK and western Europe.
They pay a subscription fee of 30 Euros a month. And with around 15,000 to 20,000 unique users logging on on an average night, the result is a lucrative business.
There’s also been a spin off DVD business, but despite it being an industry in decline, one of the brand’s five titles sold a respectable 10,000 copies, making it one of the best selling adult films in the local market.
“Because we don’t portray anything unnatural, staged or fake, we’ve been able to market the concept though mainstream media with press advertising and TV, including a two-hour satellite show,” said Borowitz.
“We’re quite unique in what we offer so we’ve also been able to take advantage of affiliate web marketing.”
Activity has also included ‘experiential’ marketing, whereby the World Cup Love Truck visited five cities in five days to coincide with major matches in the 2006 tournament.
The tour resulted in significant TV and press coverage as the girls laid on a striptease show and punters could join them in the truck to shoot a DVD.
Future plans, according to Borowitz, include looking a mobile-casting in Italy, Spain and the UK.