Page 60 - AVN January 2016

STOP, THIEF | |By Nate Glass DROPPING KNOWLEDGE | | By Angela White
Being the Brand Angela White on how to build market visibility
When AVN approached me to write an article about how a foreign performer breaks
and must be the focus of continued attention and thought. As the market changes,
into the American porn market, my initial response was one of hesitance. There
so must one’s brand.
are, in my opinion, many individuals more qualified than me to answer this ques-
Branding is, in the final instance, about communication. Not only the communi-
tion. Following the hesitance, I was taken by contemplation: What does it mean to
cation of a certain product, which in the case of this article is the adult performer,
have “broken into” the American porn market?
but a certain quality, a certain value and a certain philosophy. For adult perform-
If we take “breaking into” the American porn industry to mean the realization of
ers in 2015, this communication has to take place constantly: with fans, fellow
sustained market visibility and profitability, then a foreign performer breaking into
performers, directors, producers, all manner of crew, agents, PR representatives
the American porn market is neither new, nor unique. A quick scan of the current
and event managers, not to mention potential endorsement providers. And it has
U.S.-based performer pool, particularly male performers, reveals many foreign
to take place via all mediums: performances, interviews, articles, social media and
performers who have enjoyed great success. Five-time AVN Male Performer of the
public appearances.
Year Manuel Ferrara is one; reigning AVN Male Performer of the Year Mick Blue
Good branding has more foundations than simply being true to the perform-
is another. To this list, add prolific performers Ramon Nomar, Toni Ribas and the
er’s identity. Firstly, it needs to be integrated, coherent and pervasive. Building
now Budapest-based Erik Everhard.
on one’s performances, it can encompass how an individual dresses, speaks and
Turning one’s gaze abroad, Steve Holmes, Rocco Siffredi and Nacho Vidal have
acts—the list is almost endless. Secondly, this honest, integrated brand needs to
all established themselves within the American porn market as talented directors.
have a voice. Akin to the way production houses such as Jules Jordan Video, Hard
Add to this list the superb work of Mike Adriano and the impact of director Greg
X and Blacked add voice to their branding through their use of everything from
Lansky—the creative mastermind behind the Blacked/Tushy juggernaut—and the
logos, font choices and color palettes to location selection, wardrobe language and
influential presence of overseas talent in the U.S. porn market is undeniable.
music, performers need to give themselves and their brand an easily recognizable
Foreign female performers, it has to be said, haven’t been quite as successful as
voice. With so much content being produced featuring so many performers and
their male counterparts when it comes to breaking into the American porn market
being consumed via so many mediums, performers need to make sure they remain
in terms of quantity, longevity or influence. Nonetheless, their presence cannot be
visible to and in communication with the American porn market.
ignored. Anissa Kate (two-time AVN Foreign Female Performer of the Year) and
Intelligent branding has played an important role in the careers of many of the
Valentina Nappi are part of a long list of foreign performers who have established a
industry’s most successful performers: Bonnie Rotten and Kayden Kross, to name
name for themselves alongside individuals such as Sandra Romain, Rebeca Linares,
a couple. These stars of U.S. adult entertainment are heavily branded and in both
Katsuni and Aletta Ocean. The list continues to grow with newer performers like
cases it is an honest, integrated voice that complements and communicates their
Amirah Adara and Misha Cross.
innate talent, skill and commitment to creating professional and passionate con-
So back to the question: How did these performers make it in the American porn
tent. While the brand that is Angela White is always evolving, it remains honest
market? While there may be some different steps demanded of foreign performers,
and carefully crafted.
I think the ones they share with American performers—and one in particular—
While the process of branding enhances communication and hence plays
are more deserving of attention.
a role in sustained market visibility, it also plays a pivotal role in an adult
Professionalism, performance, passion and persistence are important
performer achieving sustained profitability, whether they be male or
universally. But the bottom line is that these are a given; without these
female, U.S. or foreign. With the disruption caused by technology to
qualities any performer, male or female, U.S.-based or not, would face
the global adult entertainment industry over the past decade, diversi-
a difficult if not impossible time breaking into the American porn
fication has become increasingly important. Companies, for example,
market.
that were once heavily focused on DVDs, such as Wicked Pictures, now
What my observations suggest, and what my personal expe-
have a meaningful web presence and have branched out into tangible
riences consistently emphasize, is that branding is supremely
goods. In this process, they have given themselves powerful tools
important when it comes to achieving sustained market visi-
to meet the current challenges that confront porn producers.
bility and profitability. What branding offers a performer in
Brand equity, built up over decades, played a central role in
terms of identity formation, communication and potential
this process. It allowed the positive associations with Wicked
diversification makes it an extremely important aspect
Pictures’ DVD product to be transferred to new domains and
of any performer’s profile in the contemporary adult
revenue streams. Many of today’s biggest adult performers have
entertainment industry. Regardless of whether performers
achieved similar outcomes. Alexis Texas, Asa Akira and Tori
actively brand themselves or not, they are branded, and it
Black have all taken advantage of their branding and branched
plays a role in how they are perceived and received by the
out into directing, unlocking lucrative revenue streams such
porn consumer in America.
as feature dancing and establishing meaningful passive income
In 2015, an adult performer must aim to be an identifiable
through their Fleshlight endorsements. The growth of these
product: a brand. With a stream of highly talented performers
individual brands has been vital to achieving sustained visibility
continually entering the U.S. porn industry, the importance of
and profitability for both foreign and U.S. performers in the
separating oneself from the crowd has never been greater. Being
contemporary American porn market. All of this success would
an amazing performer is no longer enough. This is not to
have been impossible without branding.
suggest that new performers should craft a fake persona
that they think is marketable or only focus on their
brand at the expense of their product. One’s
brand, first and foremost, has to be honest. It has
to complement a professional, passionate and
dedicated attitude to excellent adult performance.
But one’s brand needs to be actively developed
Since entering the adult industry in 2003 at the age of 18,
Australian Angela White has explored her sexuality while opening
minds and promoting sex-positive porn. The University of Melbourne
graduate directs and performs exclusively for her website, Ange-
laWhite.com, as well as her DVD studio, AGW Entertainment
B.V., which is distributed by Girlfriends Films.
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