Every year, the pleasure products industry is introduced to a new crop of entrepreneurs venturing into the world of manufacturing. Inspired to bring innovation and introduce new sexual experiences to an even broader range of consumers, the newest brands to emerge over the past year were dealt unique challenges as they persevered with their launches despite the pandemic.
While some brands were able to get their products in retailers’ or consumers’ hands prior to the worldwide shutdowns, others have had to rely entirely on introducing their goods virtually. The unexpected change has served as both a blessing and a curse — as manufacturers are still experiencing delays in production and shipping, however, the demand for their products is there. This year’s “new brands on the block” are still navigating through these unprecedented times as they prepare to take the next steps towards fulfilling their aspirations of becoming the next must-have pleasure accoutrement.
I think Kiki has an established brand that people trust, and it invited a lot of people who didn’t already own a vibrator to buy one.
Luxury fashion and lifestyle brand Kiki De Montparnasse launched its in-house Instruments of Pleasure division at the start of 2020 after two years of development.
“We launched in January with a plan and roadmap for the year that had to change a lot,” said Molly Murphy, the brand’s co-founder and managing director. “It is hard to introduce new products to the category when you cannot visit retailers and really educate on the brand. But we launched with a few key retailers in 2020, and focused on our ecommerce, and building up brand awareness.”
Soon after Kiki De Montparnasse’s collection launched, stay-at-home orders were issued in the U.S. and abroad — nevertheless, the company reported that its Dual Wand became the No. 1 selling product on KikiDM.com. Last July, following an influencer’s review of the Cloud Massager, Kiki De Montparnasse saw Instruments of Pleasure sales increase by over 375 percent.
“This year wholesale will be a much bigger focus,” Murphy said. “We participated in the 2021 ANME/XBIZ show and have a lot of plans for expansion this year.”
While some new brands like Kiki De Montparnasse had rolled out just before the pandemic hit, some manufacturers’ debuts were hindered, which also prevented them from taking advantage of the widespread sales boost of pleasure products that was reported in the wake of the global crisis.
“Coronavirus delayed our initial production six months, which was super challenging as a small company,” Cute Little Fuckers founder Step Tranovich said. “This delay caused us to miss the stimulus check boom in sales across the market, which is another bummer.”
Although Cute Little Fuckers missed out on sales in the first half of the year, the progressive brand managed to make a name for itself with its powerful mission of bolstering gender inclusivity in the pleasure products marketplace — which earned the company a trophy at the 2021 XBIZ Awards.
“It’s hard to complain about any of this when I look at just how much we achieved in such a short period of time, pandemic or not,” Tranovich said. “I mean, we won [LGBTQ+ Pleasure Product Brand of the Year at the XBIZ Awards] despite only getting products into the market halfway through the year. That's awesome.”
According to Tranovich, the hardest thing about the pandemic has been not having the opportunity to meet the people that the brand is working with face-to-face. Megan Swartz, whose invention — the women-focused Together Vibe — won Couples Toy of the Year at the 2021 XBIZ Awards, also wishes she would have gotten to introduce her toy to more people in-person.
“I would say that the biggest difficulty of the pandemic was probably the inability to launch the brand at an in-person trade show where you obviously have a greater chance of creating an impact,” she said. “As I am sure most brands would agree, this item is better to understand while holding it for yourself so you can really get a good idea of the intensity of each function but most importantly the real-time feedback response of the Echo function. That is a bit tricky to show through a computer screen.”
During a virtual meeting, buyers on-screen may be able to see that the Together Vibe features a W-shape that allows couples to enjoy internal and external stimulation together while facing each other. However, its innovative Echo function indeed is more inconspicuous, as it allows each partner to squeeze their kegel muscles around the internal portion to echo the vibration-squeeze being experienced to their partner.
Another couples’ play innovator, Nadgerz unveiled its creation balldo at the beginning of 2021. Billed as "the world’s first dildo that uses your balls for penetrative sex," balldo hopes to introduce men to the “ballgasm” with its patented design that includes spacer rings that can be added or removed to accommodate different bodies. Inventor and Nadgerz CEO Jerry Davies said that the first lockdown was actually good for the company.
“I taught myself CAD design, molding and we fast-tracked the final design of the balldo to the stage where it was nearly production ready — and, of course, we did lots of testing,” he said.
Once the product development stage came to a close, Davies was faced with obstacles that many other manufacturers faced due to the pandemic, such as, “delays to manufacturer, delays with the IRS, reduced investment funds, face-to-face meetings, factory tours etc.,” he added. “It hit us in every way possible. We really had to do everything online and that meant a lot of trust of web-served contractors who we had to use for PR and web dev.”
Stript Erotic Designs’ Maxine Lynn said that the main problem she experienced with her company — which produces an array of "lustfully-created" jewelry — was shipping.
“ As I began to try to get product out of China, China began shutting down in various areas,” she said. “Then, even as they opened up, shipping delays remained as PPE was, rightfully so, prioritized over other packages. So, the roll out of our products was surely delayed because of the pandemic.”
Manufacturers had to become more flexible in order to thrive during the pandemic, and found new modes of collaboration. Honey Play Box Marketing Director Alisa Martineau said that the company transitioned to an entirely remote workplace.
“[It] allowed us more freedom in our hiring search and was ultimately a huge win,” Martineau said. “We also tried a lot of different project management and relationship management applications until we found ones that worked. There were some growing pains but it taught us a lot about our capacity to evolve.”
In the industry’s quest to evolve to the current times, new brands such as Viben are rolling out new products in packaging that promotes safe shopping.
“Viben has embraced the ‘new normal,’ encouraging contact-free selling with smart, innovative packaging,” Viben Toys’ Char Lopez said. “Our packaging features a window, so customers can see what they're buying, and easy-to-read icons to highlight all the functions of the product. Consumers are always looking for something new, and the huge boom our industry is experiencing due to the pandemic actually seems to have helped.”
Nanciland Innovations’ Nanci Smith — who was named Woman of the Year at the 2021 XBIZ Honors Awards — said that being a new company actually made it easier to navigate the pandemic’s hurdles.
“The pandemic has been felt worldwide and has affected everything down to the core of how things are made,” she said. “I think the pandemic threw a lot of bumps in our process but being that we are new, we don't know the easier way that things used be done.”
According to Smith, with the pandemic affecting every manufacturer equally, it felt like “a more level playing field,” she said, “The pandemic has brought a strong loving industry even closer together.”
Netherlands-based pleasure product brand Biird debuted its first product — Obii, a silicone clitoral stimulator discreetly concealed as a “mood lamp” — in August of last year. With social distancing orders firmly in place, Biird’s co-founder Andrea said that the company enjoyed a successful launch.
“Suddenly, a whole chunk of the population ends up with extra disposable income, and investing in a fantastic pleasure product like Obii now becomes a very logical decision,” he said. “We can think of worse ways to spend the lockdown than with an Obii.”
With more pleasure products being sold during the pandemic, it makes sense that consumers are also in search of storage units to keep their new purchases in. Enter Amina’s Pouch, which debuted its flagship product, the Ervah — a pleasure product pouch designed for discreetly storing sex toys.
According to Amina’s Pouch founder and owner Traci Ariran, launching at the height of the pandemic was profitable for the new brand as she able to quickly pivot to focus on online marketing.
“With the majority of the world at home, a lot of individuals focused on their sexual health, I was able to collaborate with other brands by interviewing them via Instagram Live and the exposure converted into sales,” she said. “In the beginning, the focus was more wholesale, but with many of the local stores closing I became creative and switched gears as an e-commerce business.”
Behind the Brand
Every year, a new class of pleasure products brands emerges with new items and collections that seek to improve sexual experiences, as well as introduce new ways to explore pleasure.
Balldo creator Jerry Davies, a self-described “experimenter” and “risk-taker,” said that his invention is the result of a fetish for stainless steel jewelry paired with his constant thinking “in a way that unlocks opportunities to try something completely new.”
After testing out stainless steel ball stretcher rings, he was pleasantly surprised with how painless the experience was.
“It seemed that the balls, when handled with respect, are very resilient,” he said. “It is the poking and twisting that causes pain and I think this is what underpins the reason why this product didn’t exist before —men are afraid of damaging their balls. What followed was research on testicular torsion, how it can be caused and a number of experiments on encasing the balls in a cage that kept them in their preferred orientation, i.e. protecting them from twisting or separating.”
According to Davies, initial balldo designs focused on caging the balls without hurting them. “Balldo was born when we decided to put a tip on the cage and the rest is history,” he said. “We had no idea that we would ever create a ballgasm —that was a massive surprise and it was just incredible the first time it happened. It came from nowhere and was very confusing because it felt like my penis was being stimulated when it wasn’t at all.”
Now, Davies says he’s unlocked a new level for men to experience pleasure through “ballsex.”
“It’s certainly a void in the market that the market never knew it had,” Davies said.
Tired of seeing sex toys divided according to gender, Cute Little Fuckers’ Step Tranovich created their brand in an effort to make sex toys more personal, approachable and gender-inclusive. The line reflects Tranovich’s "love of sex and weird monsters and is centered around values of inclusivity and play," they said.
“Dissatisfaction is the inspiration for many of the best inventions,” Tranovich said about the motivation behind the brand’s concept.
The mission behind the launch of Honey Play Box also was inspired by inclusivity, as well as promoting sex education. Alisa Martineau of Honey Play Box said that the company’s offerings are meant to introduce consumers to new sensations.
“We further hoped to offer affordable products without compromising on quality,” she said. “Bringing in our marketing team allowed us to more clearly define our target demographic –– a younger generation that had not had access to comprehensive sexual education and was deeply committed to social change.”
With retailers at the front lines, hearing directly from customers what their needs and wants are, two of this year’s brands to watch — and XBIZ Honors winners — were born from such shopper feedback.
“My brand was inspired by the lack of variety in the lesbian category that we had to offer our guests,” said Together Vibe inventor Megan Swartz, who also serves as the director of purchasing at Deja Vu. “I wanted to provide couples with a product that would offer both users pleasure simultaneously, but that was not as intimidating as an 18" double-dong. I also felt suggesting more traditional strap-ons would leave partners having to decide who would be performing verses receiving, leaving one person out of the physical pleasure component.”
While the original intention for creating Together was for lesbian couples, Swartz says that people of all genders can use Together.
“Now any vulva-owner can feel the state of arousal of their partner,” she said. “The proprietary Echo function now fills the void of either partner’s ability to actually feel their partner’s state of arousal. The best way to describe how it works is to compare when a vulva-owner naturally clenches to a penis during the arousal process. The toy can feel the change in the body, and provides a natural, real-time feedback response with an increase in vibration to the other partner.”
Nanciland Innovations’ Nanci Smith fully credits her invention to the request of a stranger that came into the store where she worked sales.
“I had a guest approach me looking for something to help with an erectile problem,” she said. “He was able to achieve an erection but lost it as quick as he got it and was wondering if we had something that could help him out. I had Stealth Shaft Support pop in my head because everything I had to offer him really wasn't able to help him. Nothing like the Stealth Shaft Support existed, so I realized there was a need and want for the Stealth Shaft Support, so I decided to develop it to help them out.”
The Stealth Shaft Support is made so that the wearer can still penetrate and stroke with a flaccid penis. It provides skin-to-skin sensation while being supported. “I designed it to be discreet, and made it with soft material for comfort for both partners,” Smith added. “You are able to get erect in it and finish, with easy clean-up. The Stealth Shaft Support was made with comfort and safety in mind. It is also condom compatible.”
Being a dissatisfied consumer oneself can also lead to creating the next bestselling pleasure product accessory. Traci Ariran of Amina’s Pouch entered the pleasure products industry with no previous experience in the biz.
“I have been working in Corporate America as a senior accountant for the past 10 years,” she said. “As a consumer, I searched for the perfect novelty bag that would carry my vibe.”
According to Ariran, she hated the thought of her and her friends spending upwards of $100 on a vibrator and having to store it in a makeup bag.
“I wanted to be sure that if my pouch fell on the floor, my vibe wouldn't break and included extra compartments for lube and chargers,” she said. “I jotted down everything I personally wanted in a novelty pouch and Ervah was created.”
With their fingers on the pulse of the market, experienced pleasure product industry entrepreneurs also have the potential for creating the next bestselling brands based on their unique perspectives and connections.
“Biird was launched just over half a year ago from a collaboration of four pleasure industry veterans,” said Andrea. “We felt like the marketplace was missing a product that was more approachable — something for first-time users and [that is] non-intimidating. That's how Biird was born.”
Veteran pleasure products distributor Honey’s Place launched its new Viben brand “to bring fun to the bedroom.” According to Char Lopez, Viben is a curated collection that reflects the discerning taste of women with over 35 years in the business.
“Viben is a brand that represents movement, emotion and self-love,” Lopez said. “We wanted to introduce a line of high-functioning, beautiful pleasure products to the market, for a fair price, in elegant packaging for all body types and lifestyles.”
Kiki De Montparnasse is a NYC-based, luxury lingerie brand that has been around for about 15 years. According to Molly Murphy, co-founder and managing director of the company’s recently launched pleasure products division, Kiki De Montparnasse is the name of an artist muse in Paris in the roaring ‘20s, who was known for her “unapologetic self-confidence, and sexual expression during a time when women were really sexually repressed.”
“I set out to build the Kiki De Montparnasse pleasure product brand on this basis,” Murphy said. “The aim was to bring luxury materials, attention to detail, and the modern boudoir aesthetic to the category in a new way. While the products meet all the standards of a sextech or sexual well-being company, I wanted them to feel sultry and sexy, and really indulgent while still being competitive in their price points.”
Maxine Lynn has been involved in the erotic industry for years on the tech side of the business prior to pursuing her artistic endeavor with Stript. Known as the “SexTech Lawyer,” she is an intellectual property attorney and she publishes the Unzipped: Sex, Tech & the Law blog as well as the Sex Tech Patent IndeXXX bulletin at SexTechLaw.com.
With an eye for beauty, and a finger on the pulse of what’s hot in adult, she has curated her Stript Erotic Designs collection to appeal to women of varying tastes and desires.
“I launched Stript Erotic Designs as I was inspired to create beautiful pieces that allow people to, not only experience, but also show off their sexuality,” Lynn said. “Appropriately, our tagline is ‘Sexuality as a Showpiece.’ To that end, we make sexual empowerment necklaces, which are beautiful representations of aspects of human sexuality, as well as gorgeous nipple clamps that are aesthetically sexy and sensual in addition to useful.”
Highs and Lows
Despite being faced with the unexpected challenges of COVID, this year’s newest brands forged ahead and are basking in the success of having overcome them.
“We have been extremely lucky with the launch of Viben,” Char Lopez said. “We made sure to have everything in place before we began shipping our first orders. Viben had such a positive response; I think that the biggest challenge was making sure that we secured enough stock to support the orders that we received.”
Lopez is particularly proud of Viben’s packaging, which was one of the brand’s main focuses, she said. “We spent countless hours making sure that the packaging conveyed the message of Viben and what it means.”
Nanciland Innovations’ Nanci Smith’s XBIZ Honors win for Woman of the Year was a moving experience for her, and for anyone who saw her acceptance speech during the virtual awards presentation in January. Her new company was also nominated in two XBIZ Awards categories — New Pleasure Products Company and Sexual Health & Wellness Brand of the Year.
Smith said that it has all been a learning experience — including how to maintain the drive needed to keep all of the company’s moving parts progressing along.
“It takes so many companies to come together with Nanciland Innovations to get the end product, and some companies need more pushing than others,” she said. “Our main accomplishment is things finally coming together so we can launch. Another amazing accomplishment is being nominated for two different awards from XBIZ. We were surprised and excited about being nominated.”
Cute Little Fuckers started its launch process through Kickstarter, which Step Tranovich called “a big source of both pain and pride,” pointing out that the company had received a lot of push-back from the platform, but fought tooth and nail to become the first adult toy on Kickstarter in seven years. “Once allowed on the platform we reached our goal in 12 hours and tripled it overall, bringing a lot of excitement to our brand before our toys were even available,” Tranovich said.
“Since launch, one of our biggest challenges has been timid buyers, despite our overwhelming positive response from the market (both LGBTQ and straight markets),” they added. “What we do is new and different, and while many big stores see our appeal and are benefiting from working with us, I think our uniqueness scares other less progressive buyers. Again, despite the fact that we frequently receive online orders from ‘less progressive’ areas.”
While the brand has been praised for its uniqueness in explicitly catering to all genders and sexualities, Tranovich said that Cute Little Fuckers still has to fight to avoid being pigeon-holed as an LGBTQ product.
On top of trying to change society’s views on gender and sexuality and having to justify their right to be allowed on a crowdfunding platform, doing so during the pandemic added even more complications.
“We were due to launch our crowdfunding campaign at XBIZ/ANME on January 11, however we could not because the IRS has at least a 60-day backlog on new corporation EIN issuance,” Nadgerz’s Jerry Davies said, noting that the company had to delay to February 1 and then again — this time, indefinitely — to accommodate for the IRS’ COVID-induced delay. Nevertheless, Davies said that he anticipates that the first balldos will be arriving to customers and distributors in early May.
“It’s not ideal, but we can see that our subscriber base is very, very keen to get their balldos and they will wait,” Davies said. “We are proud of the noise that balldo makes, it seems to be such a ‘WTF!?’ product that it just induces conversation wherever it is floated — i.e. ‘ballsex is that real?’ So amongst the ‘I’m never going to do that to my balls’ responses in blogs and forums, we get an equal amount of ‘hell yes, please tell me I can buy this now’ responses, which is really encouraging. At one point we were getting 500-1,000 concurrent page views on our website and this broke our web hosting company’s servers twice!”
New pleasure product designers must also protect their innovations, which is yet another hurdle that new companies face.
“There are many challenges associated with launching a new brand, outside of the most notable, which is the financial aspect,” Megan Swartz said. “There are very few sexual stimulation devices that hold a patent because you must meet the U.S. patent criteria by providing proof that whatever item you are applying to obtain a patent on serves a purpose in the related field that has not yet been filled. Knowing I had an original concept that hadn't yet been seen in our industry, I was determined to protect that technology, which took nearly two years to develop. Seeing my idea go from a scribble on a napkin to a patent and then production is the accomplishment I am most proud of.”
As if starting a new business isn’t difficult enough, adult-related companies are constantly denied access to the same tools and support that non-adult businesses benefit from. Social media is a major source of frustration for any pleasure product company, which has made it nearly impossible to utilize popular platforms like Instagram for marketing and even much-needed sex-ed.
“The major barrier to success is that the traditional marketing channels are not available to pleasure brands,” Biird’s co-founder Andrea said. “That's where we have to get creative, and where all the fun lies. Getting the word out and getting customers to see our product has been our major focus in the past six months.”
Social media is viewed as one of the largest areas of opportunity, according to Amina’s Pouch CEO Traci Ariran, who launched her brand last February. She points out that among the obstacles to overcome are avoiding use of the word “sex” — which is shadowbanned on Instagram, and explicit images, which are constantly removed and her company also is unable to participate in sponsored ads.
“It’s extremely hard to grow your following if you’re not already an established brand or product,” Ariran said. Despite the challenges, Amina’s Pouch received a nomination in the category of New Pleasure Products Company of the Year at the 2021 XBIZ Awards, which Ariran calls one of her biggest accomplishments to date.
“I was working when a lot of my colleagues started texting and I had no idea why they were sending congratulatory messages,” she said. “I was then sent the nomination link, and I cried. In our industry, this is like being nominated for a Grammy and I was very humbled that such a huge platform took notice of my brand.”
Similarly, Alisa Martineau of Honey Play Box said that the company’s recent win for the 2021 XBIZ Award trophy in the Sex Toy Of The Year (Powered - Non-Vibrating) category for its Seduction device was a highlight in the company’s short history. Nevertheless, the company also had to devise a marketing strategy for social media.
“Many modes of marketing are simply unavailable to us as an adult brand while Facebook/Instagram and TikTok grow increasingly hostile to sexuality professionals in general,” Martineau said. “To overcome this, we’ve leaned into an influencer marketing strategy that includes sex educators, sex writers and sex-positive creators.
We try to focus on the educational components of the brand, and not just the products themselves. And while it has been challenging working with an entirely remote team, we may not have formed our team without having to look for remote workers. Through that search, we found sex researchers, toy connoisseurs and meme queens who are passionate about bringing inclusive values to the adult industry.”
As Martineau points out, particularly due to COVID, many companies reached out into the virtual world for support and found new untapped resources. According to Kiki De Montparnasse’s Molly Murphy, among the company’s adjustments was reducing costs around marketing materials and collateral and instead focusing on its online platform, influencers and press outreach to build the brand awareness at the consumer level.
“I am really proud of how well we did considering it was year one for the brand and all during a pandemic,” she said. “We were featured in a number of leading publications and even had two products selected for the Goop Holiday Gift Guide.”
Stript Erotic Designs’ Maxine Lynn says that she’s just proud to have launched her company, admitting that it was more of an undertaking than she initially thought. She describes the process of finding the right materials and jewelry parts was a time-consuming trial and error experience; followed by finding the right packaging to suit each of her styles. “It’s not feasible as a start-up operating on a shoe-string budget to stock packages unique to each of over 25 styles,” Lynn said.
“From manufacturing, to sourcing, to shipping, to packaging, adjustment and pivoting was required at every step along the way,” she said. “I am so pleased that in the end, the products are everything I wanted them to be.”
Survey Says…
Over the past year or so, the 2021 class of pleasure products purveyors featured in this report have stepped out into the spotlight, attracting acclaim and constructive feedback from consumers and retailers alike.
“ As a new brand, Viben is committed to listening to our customers and taking their feedback,” Viben Toys’ Char Lopez said. “There has been an overwhelming positive response to the brand. The support that Viben has received is amazing and we are so grateful. With the help and insight of our customers, we are constantly upgrading and improving our products. It is very important to Viben that we create items that resonate with the consumer.”
Seeing as her creation was a direct result from a customer request, Nanci Smith says that retailers also recognize the need to offer the Stealth Shaft Support in their shoppers.
“We have a lot of positive feedback on how Stealth Shaft Support has brought guys’ mojo back,” Smith said. “[The users] love how they are supported and still have the skin-to-skin contact — ladies can hardly tell the difference when one is being worn. They love that it is discreet.”
Megan Swartz’s Together Vibe also has begun to make its couples’ sex lives, and the shared intimacy that the toy encourages is said to have already brought partners closer together.
“I have had many people state that Together has completely changed their intimate relationships for the better,” she said. “It has helped to create a closeness that some people struggle to feel. That feedback is very empowering and offers reassurance that a more diverse range of consumers are being catered to. It has encouraged me to continue to think outside of the box and conceptualize items that really do serve a greater purpose for users.”
From the familiarity of feeling a partner’s body unencumbered by a pleasure-enhancing device such as the Stealth Shaft Support or sharing an orgasm with the Together Vibe, to turning to a familiar brand like Kiki De Montparnasse for a deeper journey into sexual stimulation, the newest pleasure products brands to emerge seek to bring new shoppers into the adult realm.
“I think Kiki has an established brand that people trust, and it invited a lot of people who didn’t already own a vibrator to buy one,” Molly Murphy said. “I focused a lot of time on ensuring these items, and specifically the vibrators, really work and feel good. They are deep, rumbly and have unique shapes and features — yet simple and organic in their shape. I feel a sense of responsibility knowing it is some people’s first vibrator, you want every part of the experience to be positive.”
While receiving industry accolades and plenty of press for the creative Cute Little Fuckers line, founder Step Tranovich isn’t getting too comfortable in the brand’s success and is already accepting feedback to implement into future designs.
“We really take the time to read into what specifically people love, and what things could work better for them,” they said. “We make sure to incorporate everything people are saying when designing our upcoming new rounds of toys.”
Biird’s Andrea says that her company also has begun collecting feedback from consumers who have allowed the brand to part of their “pleasure journey,” she said. Biird follows up on customer experiences by sending surveys, asking for feedback on Instagram, and also accepting feedback. “It's so interesting to hear everyone's thoughts and to see the different needs and use-cases,” she said.
The latest crop of pleasure products brands is intent on introducing consumers to new ways of exploring pleasure — and hearing about customer experiences is key to future creations. In addition to hearing customers’ direct feedback about product design, gathering feedback from shoppers allows companies to better serve their audiences, including, “how [a] website needs to look to best serve that audience, and what education to provide on our website and social channels,” Honey Play Box’s Alisa Martineau said.
According to Jerry Davies, Nadgerz has so far only been able to ship prototypes to testers, and while he’s heard a lot of positive response from pre-order customers, he said that he’s most eager to hear feedback once they’ve received their orders.
“Have they had the same positive experience that we and our testers have had? — We kind of need that reassurance that the mainstream market gets it, and has the same amount of fun we had,” he said.
By connecting with others in the pleasure industry through social media, Amina’s Pouch's Traci Ariran said that not only did she hear a positive response to the quality of her Ervah pouch, but it’s also led to increased business opportunities.
“[Sex workers and sex educators] share how they’re using it for their sex toys or cannabis — which I thought was hysterical until I was recently asked to collaborate with a popular CBD oil company,” Ariran said. “I’m learning that Ervah allows people to curate their own experiences. One sex educator shared that she fills her Ervah pouches differently based on various experiences. She allows her partner to randomly select a pouch each night and both are surprised with what the evening will entail.”
Stript Erotic Designs is especially making noise with its necklace featuring a clitoris-shaped pendant, says Maxine Lynn. “I always mull over every piece of user feedback so as to use it to improve the products for the future,” she said. “I am very excited, as the vast majority of our customers are very happy with their items.”
Looking Ahead
Now that these pleasure products industry newcomers have gotten their first taste of being on the manufacturing side of the biz, they’re looking forward to further building their brand this year.
“Viben's goal for 2021 is to build brand awareness and support those that have supported us,” Char Lopez said. “We want to grow the line and become the go-to brand of the future.”
Nanciland Innovations’ Nanci Smith has global expansion on her mind, saying that her goal for 2021 “is to be on retail shelves all over the world,” she said.
Manufacturers such as Cute Little Fuckers and Together Vibe are gearing up to expand with new product releases.
“We have three new toys coming out this year, which we are very, very excited about,” Cute Little Fuckers’ Step Tranovich said. “So, what are our goals? Sharing these, and our original three toys with more happy people in the world, connecting with more awesome wholesalers, increasing our presence in Europe, and continuing to give people a fresh and fun way to express themselves with our toys.”
Together Vibe is slated to introduce the latest generation of its signature couples’ toy. Without revealing exactly what the reinvention entails, Megan Swartz said that the new version would have some additional bells and whistles. “Please be on the lookout as this is an item as amazing as Together 1, but elevated to new heights,” she added.
Molly Murphy was happy to report that Kiki De Montparnasse is now available from its first distributor, Entrenue — which is destined to help the brand’s expansion, she said, also revealing that the company will be introducing new items later this year.
“My main goal is to re-introduce us to the industry and really establish ourselves as a go-to, premium brand in the market,” Murphy said. Now that Nadgerz has introduced the world to ballsex, Jerry Davies says that he’s ready to ride the wave of the new genre that his brand has created.
“We have so many spinoff products that are covered by our patents and we are confident that we will be the brand associated with ballsex,” he said. “I guess we are just quietly frustrated that the pandemic has delayed our launch and our ability to share the product so much. Ultimately, we are very confident that 2021 and 2022 will be very good years for us and we can’t wait to build the team around the brand.”
For Amina’s Pouch, a new colorway for the original Ervah pouch is set to be released soon, Traci Ariran said, adding that she’ll soon be expanding her selection of products. “I’m excited about some new items that will be introduced in our lifestyle division,” she said.
Honey Play Box’s Alisas Martineau says that this year, the company will continue to do outreach across the sex-positive community and ramp up the sex education that the company provides on its website and social channels — which Martineau says the company will continue to monitor to avoid being banned.
“We would also like to engage more meaningfully with our audience, whether that’s through a Facebook group or improving direct communication on the social channels we already have,” she said. “Finally, we want to give back to our community and customer base by working closely with creators, donating to causes we believe in, and ramping up our affiliate program.”
While Stript Erotic Designs has primarily dedicated itself to direct-to-consumer sales, Maxine Lynn says that her next focus is on getting her jewelry line in retail stores.
“That will take time as we need to streamline the manufacturing and packaging processes, but I am confident we’ll get there,” she said.
Empowered by their uniqueness and understanding of their customer base, last year introduced adult retailers to a new class of pleasure product brands that didn’t let a global pandemic stop them from making a name for themselves. By staying nimble and adapting as they ventured into the unknown, these brands are getting a crash course in the always-evolving pleasure products industry that’s sure to propel them into future success.
