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Articles by Brian Gray

opinion

A Look at the Psychology of Color in Branding

We all know that certain colors are synonymous with the business of love and lust. Given that you’ll be reading this in the run up to Valentine’s Day there will be no escape from red.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

Raising a Glass to Your Marketing Health in the New Year

Happy new year to all! Who was nice and who was naughty over the Christmas holidays? Either way, I hope you made the most of the festive season, both personally and commercially.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

The Importance of Structured Customer Surveys

As you read this, I’m hoping it’s while you’re having a well-earned rest having survived Black Friday and before the rush of kinky Christmas customers coming through your doors.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

How to Develop Your Online Brand Identity

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or in a cave for years, you can’t have ignored the hullabaloo around “personal branding.” The young, hip and trendy have all been jumping on the bandwagon, “developing” their “brand identity” as have some older peeps for good measure.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

How to Do Your Own Retail Market Research

In last month’s column, I was opining about costly sex toy or lingerie “industry reports” and my subsequent doubts about their value to the average erotic retailer. And for the record my trepidation still stands until I’m offered the opportunity to see one of these reports — in full — for myself. I’ll keep you posted, but don’t hold your breath on this!

Brian Gray ·
opinion

Should You Trust Adult Industry Market Research Reports?

If like me, you have Google Alerts set up for things like lingerie, sex toys, fetishwear and the like, you’ll often see web links for sex toy or lingerie global market reports.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

6 Must-Read Books for Marketing, Branding Professionals

What sort of sexciting books do you have at your bedside? Do you have a well-thumbed copy of “Fifty Shades of Grey?” Or perhaps a story that shook the country such as “Lady Chatterley’s Lover?” Or Highland passions — and kilts — courtesy of “Outlander?”

Brian Gray ·
opinion

How Strict Data Protection Laws in the U.K. Can Affect Your Business

When reading the likes of XBIZ and words such as “permission,” “consent,” “controller” “enforcement” and “punishment” bandied about, you’d be forgiven for expecting a feature on BDSM or kink trends of some sort. I’m sad to be the bearer of disappointing news, but in this case, it’s not to be.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

Evoking Sensuality, Sales With Pleasure Product Promotions

A quick question for all XBIZ readers who are also Instagram users: why is there such a huge chasm between lingerie and sex toy brands on the social media platform?

Brian Gray ·
opinion

Marketing Strategies for Retail Success

Sun Tzu famously opined: “Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” If he’d been alive today he’d have wept at the state of modern marketing, including that within the erotic retailing sector.

Brian Gray ·
opinion

How to Survey Retail Customers and Reap Benefit

With the peak Christmas and Valentine’s Day periods now past, some of you may have enjoyed a moment’s rest. But if you’re a lingerie or pleasure products company that formulates your next marketing plan after this peak period, don’t spend too long with your feet up on the desk!

Brian Gray ·