XBIZ Premiere is pleased to present “Execs of 2016: The Year in Review” — a special showcase of the thoughts and strategies of 2016’s most influential and motivational leaders as they offer their take on the year’s top trends.
Each of the executives we spoke to is among the finalist nominees for the retail industry edition of the 2017 XBIZ Exec Awards.
There is a reason that the industry still generates billions of dollars per year: content is king. Customers want better content, hotter stars, great production value and more bang for their buck. -Adam Hasner, Pure Play Media
The following question about the year in review was asked to those running for the Business Development Executive of the Year Award:
XBIZ: What new opportunities generated the most business this year?
Adam Hasner
Vice President, Pure Play Media
“There is a reason that the industry still generates billions of dollars per year: content is king. Customers want better content, hotter stars, great production value and more bang for their buck. Keeping on top of the trends that make the most money is essential to the success of our company. Customers have an excess of options to choose from now, and we must ensure that they do not go elsewhere. Producing titles in more specific genres, using the industry’s best established talent, finding new, fresh faces, licensing and continuing our expansion into video-on-demand, VOD, are all ways to maximize our content to fulfill the needs of our customers.”
Briana Honz Watkins
Senior Sales Manager, Pipedream Products
“This year, we really worked together with our partners to understand their needs and try to find a solution within our company that works for everyone. We have a lot to offer in terms of product mix from Diamond Products; so we were able to create special packages and tailored offerings for our customers. Dildos and rubbers has been one consistent trend Pipedream has really excelled at. We hit a huge milestone of sales with our King Cock line; that’s been our biggest success this year. I love being able to go to my customers and find what is right for their unique needs and product assortment. That’s what makes us the leader in adult novelties. We look for opportunities in the marketplace and work together as a team to master that opportunity. We have variety with consistent quality that has helped us grow and sustain the business over the years.”
Carmen Miller-Branch
Key Account Manager, Oneup Innovations
“The biggest trend in business this year is the mainstream market’s recognition of sexual wellness and well-being. Companies embracing the sexual wellness movement have a lot of momentum these days, especially with retailers like Target, Walgreens and Brookstone. Retailers want in on the lucrative business our industry has worked so hard to create and build. Assistive devices such as vibrators and dildos have made an unprecedented jump from the adult world to the mainstream shelves in such a short period of time. However, there are limitations with marketing sex toys that are far outside the adult market. Though the advanced technology within this sector is great for enhancing orgasms, the question is: how are they improving relationships? More and more couples are focusing on creating or repairing their sexual relationships. They are learning more about how intimacy helps create stronger and healthy sexual bonds. This year, products like Liberator have had great success in crossing over into the mainstream as an intimacy enhancement aid.”
Colin Allerton
Vice President, Adult Empire
“The industry trend that generated the most business this year is partnering with the best complementary businesses to expand your brands. This past year saw us partnering with top retailer TLA Video and Popporn to handle their purchasing, order fulfillment and customer service. The VOD division continues to sign lots of new studios to our VOD platform and Unlimited. Our affiliate program Adult Empire Cash has continued to grow and add new affiliates and tools. We’re building membership sites for top content producers such as Forbidden Fruits Films, launching numerous Roku channels and creating custom studio or performer stores so that our sites, customer service and technology can be leveraged by other site owners. 2017 is looking to be an extremely promising year where the right partnerships can grow any adult business.”
Ken Herskovitz
Vice President, Sex With Emily and Chick Flick Productions
“From our perspective, the most successful brands are those that have expanded their focus on connecting with consumers. Serving as marketing and advertising outreach partners, we love working with companies who have returned to the concept of separating sales from marketing. They are ditching the distracting trend of viewing short-term results as the only measure of success and really making an effort to establish a presence within a market. With access to our vast audience of industry-supporting consumers, our sponsors are finding that brand recognition and even brand loyalty is alive and well.”
Kristen Denton
Account Manager, Doc Johnson
“The most powerful driver of pleasure product sales this year has been mainstream media exposure. This year, Doc Johnson has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, Forbes and many more top-tier publications and outlets. All of this mainstream press coverage has had a huge impact our on sales, especially when it has centered around a new product launch. For example, we saw an immediate spike in sales for both Tryst and the OptiMALE Rechargeable Vibrating C-Ring when they were featured in Cosmopolitan, and we haven’t seen any loss of momentum in the months since. But in addition to boosting sales in the short term, this kind of positive press is really the gift that keeps on giving in terms of attracting new leads over time, driving awareness across a wide range of demographics, and — most importantly — establishing and building trust and credibility with consumers.”
Lupe Martinez
International Business Development Executive, CalExotics
“One trend I see across multiple channels is cause marketing. This is where a company or product is aiming to build a better world with its connection to a nonprofit or charitable organization. CalExotics has been following this trend for over a decade, and in 2016, we expanded our efforts. In January, we launched the Inspire collection in partnership with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). LBBC is a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to people whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. Their goal is to provide information and a community of support. This partnership enables CalExotics and its customer to help fund an incredible cause. We know, from a variety of research, our target market loves buying products associated with a cause. It is the perfect combination of charitable giving and company growth. It is a win-win.”
Monique Carty
Director, Nexus
“Prostate massagers have always been the most lucrative area for us. Nexus was launched as a prostate massage brand, and although our range is a lot more diverse now, the legacy and strength of the initial branding along with new and unique technology means that we are still the go-to brand when people are looking to buy a prostate massager.”
Brent Aldon
Director of Sales and Marketing, Aneros
“I have noticed an industry trend — more like a shift — into the sexual health and wellness category. With the continued taboos and stigmas about our industry, many companies are focusing towards this category to give them an additional alternative and/or avenues to promote products. As one of the global leaders in sexual health and wellness and the pioneers of prostate toys, we have strived and continued to pave the way to transcend the message that our products have dual purposes with health and sexual benefits.”
