educational

Tackling The Technology Curve

The online adult entertainment industry was once seen as the obvious replacement to the old-school video business, but consumer preference has instead caused a melding of mediums, with punters picking porn on disc, despite the convenience of Internet delivery.

Sponsored by Vivid Entertainment and hosted by XCritic.com, the ongoing Vivid Sex Tracker Survey series continues to provide interesting insights into the various ways that porn is viewed, revealing an array of intriguing results warranting further consideration.

A recent survey finds that 28.4 percent of respondents have in excess of 100 DVDs in their personal porn collections.

For example, a recent survey finds that 28.4 percent of respondents have in excess of 100 DVDs in their personal porn collections. Given the popularity of online adult content it might be surmised that these replies are skewed by an older audience that is used to the comfort, “safety” and permanence of tangible discs — but quality obviously plays a role in the equation, with 40.2 percent repeatedly viewing their DVDs from three to five times and being satisfied enough with the experience to continue collecting this premium porn.

The audience age question also arises when looking at the 56.7 percent of respondents that say they do not use a Smartphone or tablet to view adult content; especially given the rapid uptick in the number of predominantly younger consumers using these devices — but don’t think that these viewers are adverse to using the latest technology, since more than half of respondents (55 percent) follow or interact with their favorite stars online.

This high level of interaction shouldn’t be any surprise, however, since 60.8 percent of viewers buy adult movies because of the star in it. This pattern of preference extends throughout a performer’s career and serves as the basis for the long-term “relationships” that can result from the pursuit of fandom.

For example, for their favorite directors, survey respondents chose Jenna Haze, followed by Mason, Joanna Angel, Axel Braun, B. Skow and Robby D., while favorite bloggers include Chanel Preston, Kayden Kross, Stoya and Riley Steele, illustrating the widespread appeal of performers beyond their performances.

Among this survey data’s lessons for adult marketers is a reinforcement of the value of developing a performer’s personality, taking a longer term vision than simply making the next box cover. Also, the role of technology should not be overstated, as the legacy viewing systems used by active collectors provides a balance of bandwidth and fidelity that is otherwise unavailable to many consumers.

For example, some folks have slow Internet connections, or they may fear viruses from downloads, or perhaps want a physical, portable copy. Regardless of their motives, the profitability of discs (and direct Blu-ray ISO downloads) makes this audience a valid component of adult marketing plans for years to come.

Just be sure to include a hook (and a direct link for Internet enabled devices, such as Smart TVs) for viewers to access your star’s social media presence, so those fans that are still willing to pay for porn can easily communicate and cam with their on-screen idols — while you cash in by riding today’s technology curve.

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