We’ve always been a big fan of SG’s use of the web and how they’ve extended the brand into a traveling show, movies airing on Showtime, clothing, books and magazines. Missy is the co-founder of SuicideGirls, a media company that celebrates the beauty and uniqueness in every woman. We thought we’d ask her about the changing media environment that has enabled a company like hers to be so successful.
What have SuicideGirls been up to recently? Anything new?
We have recently entered the offline publishing world. Self publishing a quarterly periodical that features interviews and images originally published on SuicideGirls.com. On the website we have added a SuicideGirls video player to the site that allows members and models to upload their own videos. We have also recently launched a feature called Second Chance Sundays, in which the sets that are featured and purchased on Sundays are selected by the members from a pool of sets that either staff initially passed on or that were uploaded specifically to this section for member review.
SG seems to be at the forefront of a lot of change in publishing. What’s changing in people’s media consumption habits and what’s driving this?
There has been a shift in the way people use the internet and the most exciting thing currently is the user’s ability to not only contribute content but to have their opinion help decide on what gets featured as well. Look at sites like Digg, StumbleUpon and YouTube. Our opinions matter and individuals can contribute in a meaningful way to the experience of others online.
SuicideGirls has always been a community site and we have always given a voice to not only the models but the members as well. We are extending this voice to more actively help us select the content that we feature. We will continue to have an editorial voice and will continue to pick the sets that we love and want to see featured on the homepage. While the staff’s voice and opinions are strong and try to be fair and representative of what the members, models and hopefuls want to see, sometimes a direct voice is needed too.
With the magazine we wanted to publish a periodical our way, and self publishing seemed like the best way to handle it, our design sensibility without compromise. It is a way to exert our editorial voice more in a traditional medium. Since the on-line world is becoming more democratic with content selection, traditional media has the opportunity to really hone it’s voice and become a more valuable resource as a definitive guide. I do not subscribe to the death of print mentality, I think both mediums are unique in their value and can coexist and evolve to cover distinct needs. Just as radio, movies and television evolved before.
What publications, publishers, media outlets, etc, that you think are especially noteworthy in terms of innovation and creativity?
I love Found Magazine and Jpeg Magazine is amazing as well. I have recently been turned on to the IWANTMEDIA mailing list and find the collection of articles generally very interesting. PSFK is always informative as well as the SuicideGirls newswire.
I am also very interested in seeing where people take the on-line studio concept for video production. There seems to be a lot ramping up in this area and a lot of startups being created around it. It will be interesting to see where people take the more decentralized concept of video on the web and merge higher production values. I think coolhunting videos and recently launched Boing Boing TV are maybe a step towards the things that we will be seeing more of in the future.
Thanks, Missy!
