Page 12 - AVN August 2016

WE’VE GOT ISSUES | | By Sharan Street
Selling Ideas
Experts talks about what’s new ... and next
AUGUST 2016
This issue is dedicated to the backbone of the
adult industry: the companies that work hard to
make sure the goods produced by adult studios
and pleasure product manufacturers get into
the hands of consumers—from distributors to online
retail giants to the brick-and-mortar shops on Main
Street, U.S.A.
The individuals who work at these companies have
the best understanding of what consumers are looking
for, and what will get them to open up their wallets to
purchase new DVDs or pleasure toys.
These experts can offer insight on many things in
this issue. Distributors have to stay abreast of all the
products that come into the marketplace, and it’s a
daunting job. They’re looking for innovation—items
that will stand out as unique products and make
consumers pay attention.
As Larry Garland of Eldorado says, the most
important thing to look for is “uniqueness above all
else.”
He adds, “Since there is so much duplication in
the marketplace, we get excited when a new and
innovative product comes out. A bonus is when we
find a company that shares our guiding principles.”
Given the monumental job they face in sorting
out the slew of products hitting the marketplace,
distributors also can offer valuable insight on
customer service, cutting-edge technology in sex toys,
and sexual health and wellness education.
From online retailers, we can all learn about
overcoming the challenges of getting consumers to
make purchases when they can’t see the items face
to face. These e-tailers use technology to stay on top
of trends, provide superior customer service, and
create a space online where consumers can get lots
of information about products before they make their
selections.
Megan Wozniak, director of marketing for Adult
Empire, gets right to the point: “We live in a visual
world. Provide users with clear navigation and visual
consistency. If a user is confused by the site, that
feeling will make a site appear less attractive. A site
without quality images will not get the customers to
check out.”
Those are words of wisdom that could help any
retailer make their own websites better.
We also talked to a half-dozen executives at retail
chains, gleaning information about the mainstreaming
of sex toys, the major product trends they’re seeing
now, and their concerns about the future.
Among those who expressed concerns about the
future was Good Vibrations Executive Vice President
Jackie Rednour-Bruckman, who said, “From a brick
and mortar perspective, the biggest obstacle is always
zoning ordinances and landlords with stigma and
shame around sexual health. But that’s always been.
I guess the biggest ‘concern’ I have is dealing with
regulations and legislations against our industry …
I don’t want a government entity telling us what
constitutes safe sex.”
Her words are especially notable given what’s
coming in the next few months.
In California, the November ballot will feature
Proposition 60, the measure championed by
AIDS Healthcare Foundation demagogue Michael
Weinstein. Proposition 60, if passed, would require
mandatory condom use in all adult films shot in
California. The burdensome measure has been widely
opposed by adult performers and producers as well as
public health advocates.
Prop 60 is listed as such: “Requires performers
in adult films to use condoms during filming of
sexual intercourse. Requires producers of adult
films to pay for performer vaccinations, testing, and
medical examinations related to sexually transmitted
infections. Requires producers to obtain state
health license at beginning of filming and to post
condom requirement at film sites. Imposes liability
on producers for violations, on certain distributors,
on performers if they have a financial interest in the
violating film, and on talent agents who knowingly
refer performers to noncomplying producers. Permits
state, performers, or any state resident to enforce
violations.”
Also in November, the entire country will vote
on a new president. Of these candidates, only one is
running for a political party that considers the adult
entertainment industry to be a “public health crisis.”
In a section titled “Ensuring Safe Neighborhoods:
Criminal Justice and Prison Reform,” the 2016 GOP
platform states: “Pornography, with its harmful
effects, especially on children, has become a public
health crisis that is destroying the lives of millions.
We encourage states to continue to fight this public
menace and pledge our commitment to children’s
safety and well-being.”
If such talk sounds familiar to retailers out there,
perhaps you’re thinking back to the 1980s, when
President Ronald Reagan made political hay by
promising to investigate the impact of pornography
on society—a move designed to solidify support from
the religious right. His stint in the White House
begat the infamous Meese Commission Report, which
found porn promoted a “desensitized attitude toward
the sexual abuse of women.”
The hearings were set in motion by then attorney
general Edwin Meese III, and for the many who
are too young to remember, this report launched
the federal government’s attack on the adult mail-
order (Operation PostPorn) and video (Operation
Woodworm) industries, as part of a campaign to rid
the country of explicit pornography.
Think it can’t happen again? Don’t forget
about philosopher George Santayana’s oft-quoted
line: “Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.”
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