profile

WIA Profile: Mary Gillis

Each month, industry news media organization XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.

What did you do prior to working in the adult industry?

my business associates appreciate my approach and trust me

I started my own event coordination company nine years ago and was hired by one of my clients to come on staff and take over their trade show schedule and also do product management for a line of children's toys. From there, I moved to very top-tier banking software, managing new product releases for a company whose software ran ATM machines and stock exchanges internationally. It was there that I started working in the field of SEO/SEM six years ago while launching a new product line.

What do you find most challenging about working in the industry?

All of the things I expected to be challenging (like fitting in with my corporate personality) didn't turn out to be barriers — my business associates appreciate my approach and trust me to do the best job for them. The biggest learning curve was certainly the speed at which this industry moves. SEO/SEM as a discipline is extremely fast-paced, but the adult industry is a blur of light.

In your opinion, what's the biggest threat to the future of the industry?

Free or pirated content. The trend in the younger generations to search everything out for free is a huge concern for our industry — the less we charge (or are able to charge) for our product, the more devalued it becomes in the eyes of the consumer. If studios can't make enough money on their last release to fund the next one, all of our big brands and production houses will be forced to either close their doors or leave their production values behind and that is detrimental to the industry as a whole.

As broadband web access becomes available to more end users, do you think pay-per-view will become the dominant purchase model for online adult content?

I think that the industry is already experiencing a move in that direction; hard-copy sales have been declining and while I don't expect to see the demise of the DVD in the immediate future, now is certainly the time for producers to plan their strategies to move their brands solidly into the online market. Video-on-demand will eventually displace the hard-copy revenue stream, but the devil will be in ensuring that your VOD revenues are strong enough over the next two to three years to ensure that your company can remain solid during the transition.

Do you foresee more competition coming online in the gay pay-per-view sector in the months and years ahead?

I believe that we will definitely see more competition in this gay adult industry in the near future. The margins are still high and can't be ignored. Gay consumers will pay for quality. The problem this will create is strictly in market size. Prices are higher, true, but the market is much smaller so the volumes of traffic aren't there to support lots of smaller players. A new entry will have to have a defined niche that is strong enough and individual enough to break through the chatter.

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

To Cloud or Not to Cloud, That Is the Question

Let’s be honest. It just sounds way cooler to say your business is “in the cloud,” right? Buzzwords make everything sound chic and relevant. In fact, someone uninformed might even assume that any hosting that is not in the cloud is inferior. So what’s the truth?

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

Upcoming Visa Price Changes to Registration, Transaction Fees

Visa is updating its fee structure. Effective April 1, both the card brand’s initial nonrefundable application fee and annual renewal fee will increase from $500 to $950. Visa is also introducing a fee of 10 cents for each transaction, and 10 basis points — 0.1% — on the payment volume of certain merchant accounts.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Unpacking the New Digital Services Act

Do you hear the word “regulation” and get nervous? When it comes to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), you shouldn’t worry. If you’re complying with the most up-to-date card brand regulations, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

The Perils of Relying on ChatGPT for Legal Advice

It surprised me how many people admitted that they had used ChatGPT or similar services either to draft legal documents or to provide legal advice. “Surprised” is probably an understatement of my reaction to learning about this, as “horrified” more accurately describes my emotional response.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
profile

WIA Profile: Holly Randall

If you’re one of the many regular listeners to Holly Randall’s celebrated podcast, you are already familiar with her charming intro spiel: “Hi, I’m Holly Randall and welcome to my podcast, ‘Holly Randall Unfiltered.’ This is the show about sex, the adult industry and the people in it.

Women In Adult ·
trends

What's Hot Now: Leading Content Players on Trending Genres, Monetization Strategies

The juggernaut creator economy hurtles along, fueled by ever-ascendant demand for personality-based authenticity and intimacy — yet any reports of the demise of the traditional paysite are greatly exaggerated.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

An Ethical Approach to Global Tech Staffing

One thing my 24-year career as a technologist working to support the online adult entertainment industry has taught me about is the power of global staffing. Without a doubt, I have achieved significantly more business success as a direct result of hiring abroad.

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

Finding the Right Payment Partner

Whenever I am talking with businesses that are just getting started, one particular question comes up a lot: “How do I get a merchant account?” It’s a simple question, but it has a complicated answer.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

The Taxman Cometh for Every Business

February may be the month of romance, but it is also a time when we need to think about something that inspires very little love: taxes. April is not far away, and the taxman is always waiting. This year, federal and most state income taxes are due Monday, April 15.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

The Continuous Journey of Legal Compliance in Adult

The adult entertainment industry is teeming with opportunity but is also fraught with challenges, from anticipating consumer behavior to keeping up with technological innovation. The most labyrinthine of all challenges, however, is the world of legal compliance.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
Show More