Page 16 - AVN Intimate Summer 2018

FEATURE
By ShERRi L. ShAULis
Brand Building
Changes under way with new leadership at Pipedream Products
“I have led billion-dollar business units
and the framework stays the same, whether
I’m selling luxury retail products, solving
tough problems with technology, or selling dog food.”
—Matthew Matsudaira
Team Huddle New CEO Matthew Matsudaira brings the staff together for a quick daily meeting. Photo by Pipedream photographer Farley Magadia.
Matthew Matsudaira isn’t
wasting any time in starting
to change the culture at
Pipedream Products. In the
few weeks since he took over as the first
new CEO in more than two decades at the
pleasure products manufacturer, he has
started hosting daily team huddles, where
staff members spend 15 to 30 minutes
every morning discussing current and
future projects, key developments in each
department, and more. He’s ensured the
building that houses the offices received
a fresh coat of paint, and other cosmetic
changes are on tap for inside.
Some of the changes come from his
experience with major mainstream
companies, including Chewy.com,
Nordstrom and Amazon, while others are
gut instincts based on his observations of
the company and the pleasure products
industry. He still observing—he assumed
his new role on May 8 after only 60 days
with the company and in the industry as
a whole—but his employees already seem
receptive.
“There’s a shift,” said Patrick Lyons,
vice president of marketing for the
company. “The aim now is to foster
growth in employees.”
16 | INTIMATE | SUMMER 2018
In addition to a promote-from-within attitude—evidenced by the recent elevation of Kristian Broms
from vice president of design to chief design officer—there is also a move to use employees’ interests and
skills to better themselves, their departments and the company, Lyons said. There are now plans to use
more research and rely on statistics, customer feedback and more for product development, as opposed
to a “design it and hope they come” approach.
“People are the upside of the business, and I want to see our people disrupt the way things have
always been done,” Matsudaira said. “I know we have the team to do that.”
One of the first things to focus on, Matsudaira said, is the customer, and that means every customer
down the line, from distributor to retailer to end user. In the days of social media, where interaction can
be immediate, there’s no reason customer feedback can’t be considered at all levels of production, he
said.
“This is a business, and at the end of day we are selling widgets aka dildos and vibrators within the
same framework [as mainstream manufacturers],” he said. “Our focus is to deliver an amazing customer
experience. We will be innovative with our products. I will be supportive and focused on developing our
people both personally and professionally.”
Lyons noted part of improving customer service is being clear with the message and brand of
Pipedream Products, as well as to focus more on what happens to products once they leave the company.
“We do a good job of getting products into the hands of distributors and retailers,” he said. “But we
have not been so good at selling through from there. We want to work to be more approachable, as well
as offering support at all levels.