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.
The other major project Honey’s Place implemented was upgrading our internal system. Like many companies, the challenge was trying to add needed features to an outdated system; this not only became cumbersome but also, very expensive for the company. -Inga Van Riper, Honey’s Place
The following question about the year in review was asked to those running for the Tech Leadership Award:
XBIZ: What tech advancements/trends did you find most valuable this year?
Scott Dantis
Director of Sales And Marketing, Williams Trading Co.
“As a leading distributor within the adult channel, we rely heavily on speed to market with constant product information changing. This is especially important with new line product launches and weekly new releases. We use a digital catalog format to instantly connect with our valued customers along with a robust social media platform, including Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, YouTube and our own custom blog and interactive digital catalog. We link our digital catalog’s direct-to-order placement for optimal speed to market. We can engage our customers with interactive experiences, making it easy to purchase wholesale directly from the pages of our digital publications. We also back this up with the old-school printed versions for our customer base. We see the trend of waiting for printed paper spec sheets going away, as our customers become comfortable with our digital formats. Not all customers use every form of social media across the board, but we serve up the information simultaneously in each channel based on our customers’ preferences.”
David Yu
Designer, Svakom
“Svakom is a young company. We have launched many high-tech features in the past, and this year is no different. With rolling G-spot movement and heating being implemented in smaller toys, we have realized that no matter how good the technology is, the most important is always the customer experience. That’s why all products that we released this past year have been tested and reviewed until we are 100 percent sure about the shape, angles and strength. For Svakom, this year has been all about satisfaction. In the past 12 months, we have launched products in three new segments, and they have all been developed with the user in mind. It takes a lot of planning, trials and remakes to mass-produce high-end products that have the perfect shape and size — and it’s worth the time. We are sure from the success we have seen in just four years that this is what makes us stay focused and (keeps us) delivering the best intelligent sex toys on the market.”
Erik Van Riper
Director of Technology, Honey’s Place
“Our old site was not built to give our customers a good user experience. It was designed with an outdated B2B interface that made it difficult for customers to find their way around. The new design is very B2C, lending itself to having no real learning curve to use. Additionally, the site has a large number of B2B additions that are intuitive and exactly what our customers have been asking for, such as custom data feeds and single screen ordering. We used to process about 40 percent of our orders through our old site; now, near 95 percent of orders are submitted through the new site, far exceeding our expectations so quickly after launch.”
Frank Alde
CEO, Epi24
“I saw two major technology trends driving value for business in 2016. The first is the continued integration of mainstream consumer electronics technologies in products of the erotic toy industry such as use of smartphones, aps, bluetooth connectivity and WiFi integration. Most are directed to either broaden the emotional texture that a sex toy experience can deliver or to enhance the partnership bond, up close and personal or via distances. The second technological advancement is The Womanizer’s revolutionary own PleasureAir Technology that produced tremendous sales and growth for participating trade partners in 2016. It provides an alternative, truly unique and incredibly intense orgasmic experience that clearly goes beyond the premise of the off-center electric motor that has powered sex toys for decades. And the trend continues: we are about to see several revolutionary and highly relevant Pleasure Air-based products coming to the market in 2017 as well.”
Dan Liu
Founder, Lovense
“The explosion of interest in VR porn had a huge impact last year and continued to have a lingering effect this year, but the trend that affected our business most was the wider acceptance of interactive sex toys in the cam industry. In late 2015 and early 2016, we had a hard time convincing cam sites to use our technology; we ended up developing independent software and marketing directly to the models. Models saw an increase in income compared to alternatives, and word spread fast. As 2016 progressed and our unique interactive features became more popular on a couple of big cam sites, other sites started getting requests for interactive toys directly from their models. The wider acceptance of our patent-pending camming software has not only been a big financial win for us, but also for the cam sites we work with and their models.”
Inga Van Riper
Senior Project Manager, Honey’s Place
“The other major project Honey’s Place implemented was upgrading our internal system. Like many companies, the challenge was trying to add needed features to an outdated system; this not only became cumbersome but also, very expensive for the company. Not only does this system upgrade improve our efficiency today and get our customer’s orders out to them faster, but it also allows us to go to the next step for automation in our warehouse. We now have the flexibility to add and modify components in the future.”
Toon Timmermans
CEO, KIIROO
“The rise of virtual reality porn in 180° and 360°, in my opinion, has to be one of the most valuable tech advancements/trends of 2016. To further elaborate, virtual reality itself is a fascinating concept that is still in the early development stages. Thus, there is a lot of the unknown to explore, especially with regards to porn. With the growth of virtual reality porn content, we are able to gain more of a sense of self and what our sexual pleasures and needs are. We are enabled to explore what we want as individuals, and we can be completely immersed in ourselves and fulfill our sexual desires. To finally be there in the moment and experience what you sexually crave without ever leaving your room is, to be quite frank, mind-blowing. VR porn is still in the beginning phases, but it is evident that this is where the future of porn and sex is leaning towards.”
Brian and Suki Dunham
Founders, OhMiBod
“From our perspective, the high-yielding tech improvements have come in the area of Bluetooth design and connectivity. Both the Bluetooth chips themselves, as well as the Android and iOS, have improved overall speed and reliability. These advancements are contributing to a smoother and more enjoyable experience for the end customer who chooses to have a connected product by their bedside.”
