According to a recent XBIZ research study, 72% of adult entertainment companies it surveyed either use new technologies or plan to soon. But getting up to speed with new technology takes time and resources. Many companies who can’t afford to spend the time researching, testing and implementing face an even greater dilemma.
So what is a company to do?
Well, some companies are using the power of the company “brand” to license or create new product and revenue streams.
Take for example, one of the biggest brands in the adult industry, Playboy Enterprises. The company has long been licensing its brand for myriad products, a strategy that has been one of its few revenue generating bright spots.
Recently it’s teamed up with a furniture designer to create a limited edition loveseat, called, “The Hef,” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Playboy clubs.
Playboy and the designer plan to manufacture only 50 pieces. Each will be signed by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, whose signature will be placed under a cushion and will be sewn in as a permanent label.
The sofa retails for $15,000.
Another company using its brand name to tap into a new market is long-time classic film distributor Arrow Productions.
The company made a splash with its “Deep Throat Energy Drink” which appeared in last year’s Arrow-produced Showtime TV series “The Deeper Throat.” And recently the drink earned a “top ten brand traffic ranking” on beverage industry news source bevnet.com. The drink ranked number six in searches surpassing well-known brands including PepsiCo’s “Amp” and “Rockstar Energy Drink,” according to Robert Interlandi, Arrow’s marketing director.
“It’s an awesome thing to see the “Deep Throat Energy Drink” just beat AMP Energy Drink from Pepsi to get ranked number six overall. We now outrank Coca-Cola’s top ‘Full Throttle Energy Drink’ brand and even more amazing that we out rank ‘Rockstar,’ ‘Monster,’ ‘NOS,’ ‘Venom,’ and ‘Red Bull.’ I’m starting to feel that the ‘Deep Throat Energy Drink’ is finally getting the attention that it deserves. Maybe the Coca-Cola executives will think about joining Team Deep Throat?” Interlandi said. Even adult stars with cottage businesses are using their image to cash in.
Super porn star Sunny Leone recently announced the opening of her online store SunLustProducts.com.
An offshoot of Leone’s SunLust Pictures production company, the new online destination allows the star’s fans to buy items related to Leone and SunLust Pictures in one convenient location. Leone said that there is also an auction section on the site that allows customers to bid on collectibles and one-of-a-kind items.
“We wanted a place where our fans could get the best deals on our products,” Leone said.
No doubt change is here to stay. And whether it’s tapping a huge bank of resources or simply applying a brand to a new product – only the truly creative will survive.