Are novelties a necessity in a recession? Considering that our economic volatility might not be as short-lived as retailers would hope, it's more important than ever to put some thought into marketing your merchandise once the high-volume holiday season has passed. Even though gay DVDs and toys tend to sell well despite the economic climate, how can you tempt shoppers with limited funds?
Simple: be well informed about what's available and how to promote it. Fortunately, manufacturers realize the power of the personal endorsement as a sales tool. A dildo or jockstrap with a familiar name and face affixed to it holds far more appeal, and in the last few years, several major gay studios have teamed up with leading toy manufacturers to release name-branded toy, apparel, and lubricant lines.
Novelty producer California Exotic Novelties has one of the longest-running licensing agreements with a gay studio. It's been making Colt-branded sex toys, lubricant, and apparel for several years, and numerous items have been featured in Colt's DVDs. In the 2009 release Inside Out, Jasper Van Dean and Eric Valentin both wear the Colt Basics Mesh Brief, and Luke Garret, Sky Thompson, and Rick Parks sport Colt Jockstraps. Use this as a selling point for customers who are fans of Colt's films or its stars.
Colt underwear and jockstraps have also been prominently featured in Cal Exotics' wall calendars. Fans of Colt are naturally drawn to its stable of studs, so taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with which styles the stars wear is a strong sales strategy. This will allow you to cross-promote the specific styles of Colt gear with the brand's DVDs and calendars as well as answer customers who spot the calendar and ask, "What is he wearing?"
Titan Media, another powerhouse gay DVD studio, secured a deal with Doc Johnson for a line of TitanMen Tools and with pjur Group for TitanMen lubricant. Titan runs a short promo at the beginning of its DVDs to showcase the line of toys used by its roster of ultra-masculine porn stars. The new Folsom Prison DVD also features the large TitanMen Nite Stix prominently throughout the film-and, as a boon to retailers, on the DVD cover and in the marketing materials.
"We are very excited about integrating the new line of TitanMen Tools into our films," says Titan Media Vice President Keith Webb. "In Folsom Prison, we were able to use the large Nite Stix as a signature piece throughout the film. The prison guards used it to both poke and prod the inmates, and it showed up as a key marketing tool on the box cover and press materials. As soon as the film hit, we were inundated with requests for the Nite Stix. Our viewers loved it and wanted it for their own prison fantasies."
Doc Johnson's new Stix and Anal Trainer tools bearing the Titan name are also featured in the studio's latest release, Double Standard. Webb tells AVN Novelty Business that Titan is absolutely committed to the TitanMen Tools line, and that consumers will see more items popping up in Titan's features in the coming years.
Another manufacturer working in concert with a studio is Topco Sales, which inked a deal with industry stalwart Chi Chi LaRue and the popular Rascal Video line. The collection has steadily increased in popularity since its release—and LaRue confesses to ANB that some of the items even beat the real thing.
"I love our Rascal Toys line from Topco, especially the Sensafirm and Cyberskin signature pieces molded from our Rascal exclusives," LaRue says. "A lot of fans have told me they love our signature toys because they're so insanely enhanced." LaRue jokes that the Blake Riley Cyberskin 7-Speed Vibrating Ass is better than the real thing, because the real Riley doesn't vibrate!
Johnny Hazzard, one of LaRue's exclusive stars, tells ANB he will never forget the experience he had being molded for his dildo. "It was single-handedly one of the most memorable, rewarding, and difficult activities that I have had to do in this business yet," he confesses.
Cameron Marshall, another exclusive LaRue stud, talked to ANB about his experience getting molded at Topco. "I got to take a tour of their amazing facility and see how everything was made," he explains. "Then they took me into the room where they do all the moldings. The whole thing was pretty surreal." Marshall says the process included being covered in a grease-like substance and slipped into a canister while the molding substance was poured over him, and then waiting while it set.
Many items in the Rascal Toy line make cross-promotion a breeze, as the packaging features select DVD box covers so you can keep these stocked in the company's provided POP display or on your own kiosk nearby as an upsell. Some newly released offerings include the Josh Vaughn Blow Job Stroker and the long-anticipated Blake Riley Ass. Topco also has new 7X Vibrating Cock and Balls models, molded to the exact likeness of Rascal men including Tommy Blade, Johnny Hazzard, and Brandon Lee. For a truly lifelike experience, the items are all made of the manufacturer's signature CyberSkin material.
What better way to sell both DVDs and toys than to recommend a toy seen in the film or crafted to replicate their favorite porn star? By staying current on the latest offerings from both novelty manufacturers and production studios, so you'll be stocked up on the items customers want most.
