Kouneli and Playboy master the switch to digital subscriptions
With their brand Playboy Germany, Kouneli redefines the subscription model for digital and print as a 360° media brand. Read in our success story, how Kouneli did it with an agile strategy and the right subscription management platform.
Products
Media
Region
Germany
Industry
Publishing
Kouneli & Playboy - the 360° media brand
Kouneli Media is a young media company that was founded in 2019. Kouneli publishes the German Playboy magazine and as of 2021 the German Sports Illustrated. The company is managed by the founders Myriam Karsch (Managing Partner) and Florian Boitin (Editor in Chief).
The German Playboy describes itself as a 360° media brand providing multi-media information such as behind-the-scenes material from photo shoots, background information and interviews across different channels to reach a wider audience (e.g. via newsletter, YouTube, Instagram, print and website).
“Frisbii’s philosophy is digital-first which is very new and unique. Usually, most subscription management tools for publishers start with print and only treat digital as an add-on. For us, it was very interesting to turn this process around and focus on digital subscriptions. It fit our strategy.”
Myriam Karsch
Managing Partner at Kouneli Media
Transparent subscription management to get rid of silos
Karsch and Boitin knew early on that they wanted to continue the digital transformation of the German Playboy when they founded Kouneli and took over the Playboy license. Their goal was to streamline processes and create more transparency for their data management.
After a market analysis, Kouneli went with Frisbii Media since the subscription management platform was able to fulfill all requirements from insightful reports to managing complex digital subscriptions.
“Surprisingly, the majority of our readers are subscribed to the most expensive subscription tier (All Access). On average, 67% of all new subscriptions are All Access which is amazing. We actually planned with 50%.”
Myriam Karsch
Managing Partner at Kouneli Media
From ad-financed website to a closed paid system
After implementing Frisbii Media in 2023, Kouneli took the next logical step: they created a closed website that offered readers everything at one place: freemiums, Playboy +PLUS and All Access.
- With the freemium area, even non-paying readers are registered and can provide insights into preferred content and how the usual journey from freemium to paid subscription looks like.
- It is also easier to communicate with freemium and +PLUS readers to inform them about upgrades or editorial highlights.
- With agile decision making, the new subscription model was launched parallel to a new website that is modular and therefore adapts to different user groups.
From July 2024 to July 2025, paid content subscribers for Premium, +PLUS and All Access grew by 21%.
“The secret to our success is probably our agility and our passion. We know our product and our users. And another thing: we are truly unique on the market. There is not a single other product that can be compared to the Playboy.”
Myriam Karsch
Managing Partner at Kouneli Media