SAN FRANCISCO — Kink.com announced Friday that it has expanded operations to Los Angeles. While the majority of the company’s operations will remain in San Francisco, the LA studio comes as part of a larger process of diversification and expansion for the company.
"We've grown so significantly in the past few years that this was, in some ways, an inevitability," said John Sander, VP of marketing for Kink. "We now produce over two dozen sites, and we've been reaching capacity with both sets and talent. Our travel budget alone has grown significantly in the last few years, so it made sense to open an outpost in Los Angeles."
While the past few years have been a difficult time for the larger industry, Kink.com indicated it has used the opportunity to expand. In 2010, it began investing heavily in cams and began exploring new niche sites. In the past year alone, the company has successfully launched three new sites — MenOnEdge.com, TSPussyHunters.com and AnimatedKink.com — increasing its stake in the gay, she-male and fantasy markets, respectively.
Last month, Sander announced the company would take over affiliate management for Twisted Factory's Bondage Bank, and was opening its email marketing program to select industry partners. Sander said he expects to announce significant new partnerships in the coming months.
"Production will always be our main focus," he said, "but we're in a unique position, and are looking to a future where we're involved in multiple sectors of this industry."
Princess Donna Dolore will helm Kink.com production in LA, and has already moved her BoundGangBangs.com and PublicDisgrace.com productions to the new studios. Dolore will share space with a new, LA-based live cam studio that was opened on a trial basis last year. ElectroSluts.com, which is run by Bobbi Starr, will remain in San Francisco.
"This is a chance for me to expand creatively," Dolore said. "I've been directing for Kink for eight years, and the move to LA is an opportunity to really push myself, to work with new sets and discover new talent."
While initial staff is still less than a dozen, Kink founder Peter Acworth expects to add people in the coming year.
"Kink's headquarters will always be the San Francisco and the Armory," Acworth said. "There is a spirit and community here that would be impossible to replicate. But to really grow, we need to expand beyond the walls of the Armory. The business is changing, and we're seizing the opportunity."
