Subscription Growth
Proposal
An operating partner for print's return.
Playboy relaunched print a year ago: three issues shipped, a subscriber-pay model live since April 2026, Quad handling fulfillment. What the program still lacks is an operating layer — circulation modeling, retention strategy, budgeting, and postal compliance — to convert that base into a sustainable subscriber book.
NPS proposes a print-first engagement: a core retainer covering circulation reporting, retention and billing, budgeting, USPS/postal compliance, invoice and procurement oversight, and print orders. Alongside it, we propose a one-time Fulfillment RFP and Fulfillment Set-Up project to competitively bid the fulfillment relationship and stand up clean policies, schedules, and business rules. Monthly investment is $5,850, with the RFP project at $6,185 one-time.
What we'll achieve together.
Manage the fulfillment relationship day-to-day
Active retention and billing management
Secure periodical mailing privileges and file the October Statement of Ownership on time
Bring invoice, procurement, and print order oversight under a single accountable partner
Build a repeatable, budgeted acquisition and retention calendar tied to the issue cycle
A focused program for retention, compliance, and growth.
NPS will manage three connected workstreams — strategic oversight, circulation and budgeting; fulfillment, retention and postal; and vendor and invoice oversight — each reporting into a single monthly cadence.
Strategic Oversight
Ongoing consulting and circulation modeling, grounded in real economics rather than guesswork.
- Industry insight and best practices: keeping Playboy informed of evolving trends, benchmarks, and innovations shaping the media and publishing landscape
- Pricing and sales-channel guidance: advising on offer structure, price testing, and the optimal channel mix to maximize reach and revenue
- Performance-driven recommendations: translating proven NPS marketing successes into actionable, brand-specific strategies for Playboy
- Cross-functional consulting across operations, product development, and technology where NPS expertise can drive positive business impact
- Collaborative circulation strategy across paid, newsstand, controlled, and promotional copies — print and digital
- Circulation reporting: monthly dashboard summarizing orders, renewals, retention, and gift performance
Fulfillment, Retention & Postal Management
Single point of contact managing Quad, subscriber retention, and USPS compliance end to end.
- Day-to-day contact with Quad across all fulfillment activity, directing the vendor on every marketing initiative including marketing key codes
- Develop and maintain schedules and instructions to ensure timely, accurate processing of main files, supplements, renewals, and billing
- Request new and updated landing pages for promotional campaigns, manage stock inventory, oversee postage, and verify vendor invoices for accuracy
- Troubleshoot customer service escalations with the fulfillment vendor to ensure prompt resolution for subscribers
- Renewals and billing: develop and execute strategies that maximize efficiency and profitability across every renewal and billing effort, and maintain master schedules for print and digital
- Implement subscription plans, monitor response rates by effort and series, analyze performance, and deliver actionable recommendations — including creative, offer, timing, and frequency of subscriber communications
- USPS: manage postage funds, secure periodical mailing privileges and rates, consult on postal regulations, and manage postal audits with the USPS
- Prepare, review, and submit the annual Statement of Ownership (October filing deadline), completing all required data fields and obtaining NPS Director approval before client submission
Vendor, Invoice & Creative Oversight
Cost control and quality assurance across every vendor touching the marketing program.
- Vendor evaluation, contract negotiation, and cost benchmarking across fulfillment, digital, and promotional partners to ensure Playboy receives maximum value
- Invoice management: review, approve, and code all marketing-related vendor invoices prior to submission for client payment, ensuring accuracy and alignment with the approved budget
- Procurement oversight — secure competitive quotes on marketing components and manage purchasing on Playboy's behalf
- Print orders management: oversee the print order and act as primary liaison between the printer and Playboy
- Manage supplemental label runs and coordinate with the fulfillment provider to ensure timely and accurate distribution
Fulfillment RFP & Set-Up.
A competitive vendor search and full fulfillment implementation. NPS runs the bid process end to end, evaluates each provider against Playboy's requirements, and then manages the set-up so policies, schedules, and business rules are right from day one.
Billed separately from the monthly retainer. Scoped to begin upon signing.
- Solicit bids from at least three fulfillment vendors and evaluate the pros and cons of each against Playboy's requirements
- Provide vendor recommendations and assist in contract negotiations as needed
- Collaborate with the selected vendor to develop a comprehensive fulfillment set-up schedule
- Support the publisher in establishing the necessary banking and merchant accounts for fulfillment operations
- Partner with the publisher to define title policies and business rules
- Create a timing schedule for key processes including Link Letters, Renewals, Change of Address (COA), and Renewal at Birth (RABs)
- Engagement with digital integration and marketing, including bundling integration
- Collaborate with the publisher to develop and refine copy for renewal and billing notices
Investment.
Let's get started.
Maryanne reviews the proposal and shares feedback with Natalie
Natalie incorporates any adjustments
Maryanne presents the revised proposal to David Miller for approval
NPS begins onboarding immediately upon signing
A magazine back in print.
A subscriber base ready to grow.
The right partner.
Playboy has already done the hard part — reviving print and launching a subscription model. What's left is the operating infrastructure to turn that into a durable subscriber base.
NPS runs this exact program for subscription publishers: circulation modeling, retention strategy, and postal compliance, paired with a competitive fulfillment RFP and set-up to put the operation on the right footing.