Seth Warshavsky and his Internet Entertainment Group (dossier) have been the public face of online porn. But a new hire at Cybererotica may change all that.
Cybererotica has been garnering hits and subscribers, but its press-shy CEO, Ron Levi, known in the trade as Fantasyman, has kept it out of the spotlight.
But now Cybererotica has hired Jonathan Silverstein, formerly the top marketing and advertising executive at Warshavsky's IEG, as president.
In an industry known for its fly-by-night characters, Silverstein comes across as genuine and above-board. His leadership should bring Cybererotica more mainstream recognition.
Though highly regarded in the porn industry, Cybererotica needs a higher profile to keep growing. The company has built a strong network of affiliated sites, due in large part to Levi's reputation as an industry pioneer: Among his credits, he established the first click-through marketing campaigns for his properties, which are now used by a majority of porn sites. He also helped found the trade organization United Adult Sites. Silverstein's ready to take this story public.
At IEG, Silverstein earned good marks by keeping company site ClubLove's many marketing and advertising relationships running smoothly. He was well-known and almost universally well-liked. Levi didn't instantly warm to his competitor. Fierce rivalries and strong personalities associated with the porn business made it difficult for Silverstein and Cybererotica to connect. But that changed at a conference in Amsterdam last year. Says Silverstein, "I was joking that Fantasyman wouldn't look at me, and if he did look at me, he'd sneer." In a bold move, Silverstein threw his arm around his taciturn rival and snapped a picture of them together.
"I said, 'This photo's going up on ClubLove tomorrow." According to Silverstein, that move was the beginning of a new relationship involving weekly calls and, ultimately, Silverstein's new gig.
Silverstein clearly relishes the chance to run his own show. "In my position at IEG, I could never make decisions that would impact the company. I could only make suggestions and Seth would make the final call. I felt micromanaged," says Silverstein.
As manager of Cybererotica's adult content, Silverstein is already putting deals in motion. The company hopes to partner with an adult site in Montreal to incorporate live video feeds. And Silverstein is negotiating the acquisition of a direct e-mail company that will provide Cybererotica subscribers with regular updates about new content and links to sites.
Fantasyman's coup in snaring a former competitor means that Seth Warshavsky may no longer be the only name associated with the public face of online porn.
