On Jan. 1, the team at CC Wellness rang in more than just another new year. The start of 2023 marked a huge milestone for the veteran lubricants manufacturer: the company's 20th anniversary. Team JO officially kicked off celebratory activities at January’s ANME, where booth visitors were treated to photo ops and a taste of JO's newest champagne- and red velvet cupcake-flavored lubricant. The CC Wellness booth featured a “Cheers to 20 Years” theme focusing on the company's 20 bestselling products and the launch of a limited-edition anniversary gift set.
Mimi Anderson, chief marketing officer of CC Wellness since September 2020, says industry partners and consumers can expect lots of exciting announcements and promotions throughout 2023.
The CC Wellness mission is to expand the cultural dialogue and celebrate shame-free sexual wellness as a pillar of health.
“This is a very exciting year for us,” says Anderson. “We will continue to focus on formulation innovation and our 510(k) leadership. Shibari will be rolled out into the adult specialty retail channel. Lube Life will continue to expand into leading ecommerce marketplaces globally, while our white-label solution, Make Waves, is expanding its offering to include Amazon management services to strategic partners. Lastly, we might even launch a new brand this year!”
In addition to new products, CC Wellness is currently running an anniversary-themed window display contest for retailers and an affiliate program through new website ShopJO.com.
“The brand is excited to offer exclusive social giveaways to followers throughout the year and partner with top-selling products in the industry,” notes Anderson. “Last but not least, a consumer giveaway will be launching in July with a few lucky winners receiving a free supply of JO for a year.”
Often known as System JO or simply JO to industry insiders, CC Wellness is the parent company that encompasses the entire family of lubricant brands. Founded by original owner Solomon Levy in 2003 as United Consortium, the company began as a world-class pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of Class II medical devices as well as cosmetic, OTC and organic products. Levy sold the business in 2015 and it was subsequently revamped to meet changing consumer and retailer needs in both adult and mainstream spaces.
“The CC Wellness mission is to expand the cultural dialogue and celebrate shame-free sexual wellness as a pillar of health,” says Anderson. “Achieving a sense of well-being and a satisfying sexual experience is the goal.”
Over the last few years, the company has worked on honing its brand messaging and product offerings to create a more easily navigable shopping experience.
“Since we sell products across a variety of brands in multiple channels, we are working toward this on multiple platforms,” explains Anderson. “And because we live in an omni-channel world, we want to be sure there are products and brands that meet individual consumers’ needs, wherever they may shop.”
The CC Wellness umbrella now includes four major brands, each aimed at unique market sectors. System JO is the company's premium brand, focusing on offering more clinically-tested personal lubricants than any other brand in the U.S. sexual wellness category, Anderson points out. Lube Life, a brightly packaged, playful brand of water-based and flavored lubes aimed at millennials, is reportedly popular on Amazon. The recently acquired Shibari lubricants brand will be positioned between JO and Lube Life as a mid-tier brand. Anderson says Shibari will continue to be sold in ecommerce and will expand into specialty retail in 2023. Lastly, Make Waves is providing premium turnkey and white-label formula development to partners across FDM (food/drug/mass) retail, specialty retail and ecommerce channels. Clients can expect quality, FDA-cleared formulations produced with U.S. pharmacopeia-grade ingredients. The inclusion of U.S. Pharmacopeia-grade, USDA organic ingredients leads shoppers in the direction of an overall healthier lifestyle and a more holistic approach to sensual wellness, the company says.
CC Wellness is also taking an interesting new approach to merchandising. Anderson says the COVID years and high staff turnover have made it challenging to educate consumers in adult stores, so instead of traditional “brand blocking” or “formula blocking” methods of arranging products on shelves, the company is employing a new, simpler arrangement that requires less one-on-one customer assistance.
“The JO brand has developed a breakthrough method for thinking about shelf sets and planograms,” Anderson explains. “Usage blocking. Regardless of brand or base formula, products are grouped by primary use to educate consumers and help them quickly narrow their purchase options by use groupings such as taste, touch, lubricate, etc. We believe this shelf display simplification will be both intuitive and easy to navigate for consumers and retailers alike.”
Upon joining the marketing team in late 2020, Anderson grew the team substantially. She says this group of “rock star marketers” has helped to grow JO and newer brands like Lube Life.
“In the last year, we hired an adult specialty retail veteran, Jeremy Tsipouras, as creative director, and he just hired our newest lead designer, Luke Martin, who joins us with over 25 years of design experience, nearly half of those in adult specialty retail,” notes Anderson.
“Of course, there would not be a CC Wellness or JO without the international distributors team,” she elaborates. “Brian Woolard, international distributors general manager, has been instrumental in the evolution of CC Wellness, with very strong support from his sales team: Regional Managers Staci Cruse, Timothy Ferencz, Ngaio Miller and Becky Buffham, and Account Managers JB Brown and Brendi Garcia de Quevedo.”
Over the past year, Anderson says, her team has nailed key achievements, like anticipating consumer needs, navigating the post-COVID retail environment and staying focused on driving the business forward. Praising her staff for helping to make CC Wellness a leader in the pleasure industry, she declares, “We know we would not be where we are today without the support of the industry as a whole, and we know we would not be where we are today without each one of you.”
“While the last few years have had many highs and lows, the industry is innovative and strong at its core,” she says in conclusion. “Together, we will keep working to celebrate shame-free sexual wellness and strengthen the judgement-free zone. Cheers to another 20 amazing years!”
