I know “sexual wellness” is a term that’s often used and seemingly considered somewhat “desirable” as designers and manufacturers look to create differentiation and leadership for their brands. But I ask myself, is the sexual wellness factor actually something the consumer wants? Of course the answer is “yes” if you are a consumer with a health issue that can be “treated” with a product from within our industry.
Anyone who knows my product line will know that I have many products that can easily be called “sexual wellness” products — so I am talking from a point-of-view of my experience only.
My point is that people don’t really seem to respond to sexual wellness unless they have a certain awareness.
Let me just say “sexual wellness” is more than solving physical sex problems, it also includes overall mental health, expression of love, etc., but for the sake of this article I will specifically discuss the ability of a product from our industry to make someone’s sex life better. If making a sex toy product can make someone’s sex life better, then marketing as such would seem obvious. And you’d think the consumer would want to immediately look into it. However, that implies that the consumer is knowledgeable enough about pleasure products.
Our industry wants to help these customers, but I ask myself, does marketing products as sexual wellness products help a consumer locate a potential solution? I’d say no. My gut feel is that talking about problems in the bedroom should be saved for the bloggers, the doctors and the therapists — who can point to solutions. However, the need for products that address problems is still there, but I think a different spin on them is probably a better way of getting a consumer to try them.
As a designer of products, I never look at what is not possible, I always start with what could change the experience from unpleasurable to pleasurable; or more often then not, what can be added to the usual act to make it a new and different experience. This drives my creative process and a product innovation is born. And many of the products I have created are purely functional solutions to issues I’ve become aware of.
I have found that having the solution to a problem isn’t always going to guarantee any interest from the consumer. And that is why I wonder if people really have an interest in “sexual wellness.” Having said that, I have also witnessed the slow but eventual success of almost all of these sexual wellness products, but it seems this happens because of the experience it has created — often without any acknowledgment of a problem. In short, selling the fix to the problem isn’t key — it is selling the experience without discussion of a problem.
I think that often the consumer will already be set in their mind that something is just not for them. First of all, to fix a problem, there has be the admittance of a problem. Many people may simply not acknowledge anything as a problem, and rather simply think “I don’t like that experience so that kind of sex (position, product, etc.) doesn’t work for me.” I can think of many examples of this, like someone doesn’t like giving oral sex because of a gag reflex, or a certain sex position hurts, or ED makes ejaculation through intercourse impossible (and it isn’t impossible), therefore he never tries.
Marketing a product that can be helpful to any of these conditions would make sense if the person were looking for a solution. But I suspect most people don’t even think in terms of possible solutions, as they don’t see the problem as a problem — but more of a personal preference or fact.
Comparing it to running shoes, when someone’s feet get sore from running, they don’t usually start with “I can’t run” and never try it again; they try a different pair of running shoes. Running shoes are often marketed specifically to help you improve your running and consumers respond to this. But the same mental process doesn’t occur when it comes to something sexual. Something sexual is usually deemed unfixable before any solution involving gear is even considered.
“Gear” is not something in the sexual vocabulary. Maybe it should be! Maybe it needs to be the main focus of education before sexual wellness is even advertised. Sex gear can improve your sex game. And some sex gear will solve some sex problems. And therefore when you have a bad sex experience, you should consider adding some gear or changing it to make it better.
My point is that people don’t really seem to respond to sexual wellness unless they have a certain awareness — which seems to be a minority among consumers. There are more major issues to address regarding changing perceptions before there is enough general awareness surrounding toys and the sexual wellness issues that they may be able to address. I think it’s key to start by getting consumers to embrace the concept of “gear,” or whatever you may call it, as something that’s productive or fun in the bedroom.
Once consumers are ready to address their sexual wellness issues, then they can move beyond specialized discussions in blogs and therapist advice, and into our marketing space.
Steve Callow is the inventor, designer and CEO of Florida-based Perfect Fit Brand. Established in 2011, Perfect Fit is the manufacturer of innovative, high-quality and easy-to-use sexual health aids and sex toys for the full gender and sexuality spectrum. Callow founded the company based on the principle that sex toys should not only look and feel great, but must, above all, perform.
