In only four years XGEN Products has established itself as a major player in the pleasure products industry with such high-profile brands as the Bodywand massager and the Lapdance lingerie collection. Andy Green, the company’s founder, took some time out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions about the XGEN brand. His home base, Philadelphia, also happens to be his hometown. He is 37 and a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Temple University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration & Marketing. Let’s let him pick up his story from there.
What were you doing before XGEN?
Lapdance was just a great concept/name from the get-go. I can’t take credit for the name — it was one of my colleagues that I trust very much, and he was right on the money. —Andy Green, President of XGEN Products
I was working for an adult distributor, left the business for three years to manage a high-end watch and jewelry store. Then when the market collapsed in 2008-2009, I left that to start XGEN, in 2009. I wanted to do something different, not just DVDs or toys.
What is your actual executive title?
It’s President now. I just selected a title really since when we started it was just me and one warehouse guy. Now, four years later, it’s seven people in the front office/sales and five in the warehouse.
How do you drive product awareness? Is your online presence an important factor?
We still feel trade shows, magazine ads, and getting out into the field are the best way. We don’t really have too much online presence except for our B2B website where customers can order 24/7.
What about direct advertising: mailers, catalogs, etc.?
We actually just did a full catalog insert into June’s XBIZ so I’m waiting to see how that plays out.
Your Bodywand line of personal massagers has been called your flagship product. Do you agree?
Yes, this is where I have really focused my energies in the past two years, along with our Lapdance line. As I didn’t want to do a “toy” this was the closest thing to come to it. It doesn’t go inside of you, so we felt this was OK to stick to our core beliefs. This is such a crossover product that can be used in many markets. We wanted to create a clean, fresh package and offer a better item with an extended warranty. Recently many other companies that make massagers have imitated our packaging. I guess that’s the sincerest form of flattery! But we are staying ahead of the curve and have some very unique things in the pipeline.
What about the Lapdance line, how did that come about?
Lapdance was just a great concept/name from the get-go. I can’t take credit for the name— it was one of my colleagues that I trust very much, and he was right on the money. The name, coupled with the awesome packaging, is making this line fly off the shelves. We always treat the packaging with the utmost respect in any line we create. The Bodywand line has embossing, UV varnish, foil, the whole nine yards. Same for Lapdance. The photos are crisp, people know exactly what they are going to get, and the price can’t be beat.
Are novelty items like the Power Pole big sellers?
They are hit and miss. I don’t do it to compete with others, rather just to have a good selection for people to choose from.
Has mainstream media attention to things like erotic lingerie and massagers been a driving factor in your marketing success?
It has definitely helped. The Bodywand alone was written up in seven mainstream magazines last year with a total circulation of over 14 million readers. The name is out there and is only growing.
What is your relationship with Baci Lingerie?
We are their North American distributor. The company has gone through a major transformation and now they are more focused than ever and we have goods to ship. New lines such as Dreams and the menswear line Envy are really drawing people back to the brand. We are treating the brand with the same affection as we do all of our others and keeping fill rates high. What customers may have experienced in the past is just that—a thing of the past. They will be able to experience the Baci brand with the utmost satisfaction.
What are some of your overall plans for the rest of the year? Any new lines or products?
Well, I can’t give everything away, but rest assured we will be showing some major new items at ILS in September, covering a lot of our famous lines such as Lapdance, Bodywand and all the rest.
