Sexual Health Products in an Adult Novelty World

What's in a name? A name is a label— it brands a concept or idea and it distinguishes a product as a class or category. So what's the difference between "Adult Toy," "Novelty," and "Sexual Health Products" or "Sexual Wellbeing Products"? Is it just a linguistic exercise in political correctness? Is it a name game? Is it a category differentiator?

For some manufacturers of sexual oriented products, and for some retailers, distancing themselves from the "adult" or "novelty" references and iconography is much more than just political posturing— it is a business plan.

There are more high quality sexual products making their way to market than ever before and they are broadening our sales potential because they are broadening the market place options. It isn't just the Walgreen's, Rite Aids and Sharper Images that are making this happen; it's the Babeland, the Booty Parlors, the Freddy and Eddy's, and the Pleasure Chests.

As the president of Tantus, I've come to realize that this alignment with "sexual health and wellbeing" is a big bright future for us. We have been the science of sensation® with our anatomically targeted designs and healthy for the body™ with our unique high-quality, 100% ultra-premium platinum silicone. We have presented ourselves to a couple's clientele with tasteful packaging that emphasizes our benefits. What we haven't done, until now, is remove the "novelty" and the "adult" from our own lexicon.

The leasing of porn personalities or video production company brands is still a healthy profit making model and there is nothing wrong with it. But for Tantus, the further we distance ourselves from Porn and the "Adult Industry" the more apt we are to get mentions in Marie Claire, Women's Health, Men's Health or O Magazine. This is central to our business plan and we are not alone.

Tantus has some amazing businesses it stands with on this business issue: Natural Contours, Pjur, Lelo, Fun Factory, Njoy, Big Tease and Vibratex are just a few of the manufacturers who have stepped up and edited the "Adult" out of their marketing material. Many had the foresight to never let it enter their business in the first place. It isn't difficult to understand the benefits of this when Natural Contours is able to land Etos, a chain of pharmacies in the Netherlands.

And if you think it's just the small manufacturers who are moving this direction think again. California Exotic Novelties may license Tera Patrick and Gina Lynn but they also have had a licensing agreement with the Berman Center Inc since 2004. And Susan Colvin has even had the foresight to trademark Intimate Accessories™.

SSL Healthcare is probably the biggest player who has positioned themselves as a sexual health and wellbeing company. I'd like to repeat for you the verbiage on SSL Healthcare's 2007 annual report to its stockholders. SSL Healthcare is better known to most of us in the business as Durex. "This broader product portfolio is at the heart of Durex's repositioning, from a condom brand offering safer sex to a sexual wellbeing brand offering consumers the promise of better sex." Not once is "novelty" or "adult" used in the 100 page document. And with a healthy 17.5% adjusted growth in Durex division sales (£187.1m or $367m US dollars of the corporations nearly a billion overall sales), I'm paying close attention to this leader in a big way.

Pjur USA CEO, Richie Harris is very impassioned about the way personal lubricants are presented. "The adult industry has been lax in disguising class 2 medical devices as topical use only ointments. Pjur does extensive research and FDA approval in every product we bring to market. It costs a lot of money, but it's responsible. In our category so much product is available that isn't researched and isn't safe for putting inside your body. Much of it comes from Asia and consumers don't know what their getting."

Harris goes on to say "a lot of responsible retailers are cleaning house; they are shopping the personal lubricant category as well as their other products much more carefully and, in doing so, they are making their stores couples friendly and making sales through educating their clients because the market for the dirty little bookstore is dying."

While discussing this article with Xbiz I was questioned if Tantus is going this direction, away from the "adult toy" or "adult market", did I even want my product to be sold besides Juli Ashton's ass. Of course I do Juli's a friend of mine. Broadening the market isn't alienating the markets we've managed to get healthier products into. It's about bringing customers into brick and mortars, or onto those websites having given them more educational information to help them have more satisfying sexually healthy experiences. Bringing people in who may not be the type that would ever venture through those doors because of the porn.

Change is a very interesting thing— some embrace it, some are neutral, and others abhor it. With "sexual health and wellness products" some companies are positioned to drive into new markets and ways of doing business by marketing directly to end users, marketing to mainstream business models, marketing to the medical industry, etc, and some aren't. This isn't an "us vs. them" argument; in the end it's just plain business.