Lesson #1: Create a Powerful Brand

“The notion of the single man began in the 1950s,” says Hefner. “The idea of the bachelor as a separate life was new and obscure.”

As a teenager, Hefner was an awkward student who often got rejected by girls. Determined to make more of his life, Hefner gave himself a makeover. Hefner’s success can largely be attributed to the character he created for himself to play in real life, that of a sophisticated, urban, young bachelor who was constantly surrounded by young, beautiful women. Hefner capitalized on this new notion of a bachelor that was becoming increasingly popular as he entered the business world.

With his silk pyjamas, four semi-nude models by his side, a martini in his hand, and the insistence that he work from bed, Hefner had created a mythical figure in himself. “It was something that I thought would be fun that would also work as a marketing ploy.” He has manufactured a lifestyle based on charm and fantasy, which has extended to his magazine and the Playboy empire as a whole.

Hefner is seemingly the ultimate bachelor, living a life of style, luxury and never-ending entertainment. Hefner always gets the girl, and anything else he wants too. The lounging, the drinks, the sex – they’re all part of the larger-than-life image of himself that he has created. And, that is the Playboy brand. His message is simple but genius: if you buy his products, you too can enjoy a life like him. “Before long, I’d become world famous,” says Hefner. “All that was quite a conscious decision.”

Like his lifestyle, Hefner’s magazine was meant to represent a combination of beautiful women, and sophisticated articles concerning fashion, music, literature and lifestyle. “I’ve never thought of Playboy, quite frankly, as a sex magazine,” says Hefner. “I always thought of it as a lifestyle magazine in which sex was one important ingredient.” Hefner was the living embodiment of his magazine. In this way, Hefner extended the concept of branding to his own character.

“As a company and a brand, Playboy is hotter than at any other time in our history,” says Hefner. “The brand is being embraced globally by young men and women.” This image of his fairy-tale lifestyle is a large part of the appeal of Playboy over other similar magazines. The 1970s witnessed the emergence of Playboy copycats, including Penthouse and Hustler. It was here where the sophistication and class that Hefner had tried hard to cultivate in both his image and his magazine became evident. When other magazines began pushing the limits of what could be shown in print, Hefner exercised restraint, wanting to distinguish himself as being in a class above the rest.

The importance of both creating a unique image, a unique appeal and spreading that image as far and wide as possible was not lost on Hefner. “We look for synergism in building our brand,” says Hefner. Indeed, the mythical lifestyle he has created represents the ultimate branding synergy.

Lesson #1: Create a Powerful Brand

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