When the Economy is Down, the Sex Goes Up!!

Is Recession Sex Even Better Than Makeup Sex?
Or Could Analytics, Marketing Be Behind Rising Sales of Personal Lubricant, 'Sexual-Enhancement Devices'?

By Jack Neff
Published: May 20, 2009

BATAVIA, Ohio(AdAge.com) -- The recession hasn't taken any edge off the sexual-accessories trade and may well have helped: Data show that such things as his-and-hers lubricants and mass-market sexual-enhancement devices are producing fireworks in supermarket and drug-store aisles.

First-quarter sales of personal lubricants soared 32% to$41.2 million, according to Information Resources Inc., led almost entirely by continued strength from last year's launch of Johnson & Johnson's K-Y Yours& Mine his-and-hers lubricants. That was even before ads from Mother, NewYork, launched last month behind K-Y Intense, the first major mass-market female-arousal gel, which has gotten major end-aisle displays in such surprising places as Walmart stores this spring.

Meanwhile, the small but suddenly booming"sexual-enhancement devices" category in food, drug and mass-market stores is growing even faster, albeit off a very small base, up 74% to $10.1million for the full year ended April 19, according to IRI, with Church &Dwight's Trojan and Durex products leading the way.

"When the economy goes down, sex goes up," said a J&J spokesman by way of explanation, but he and the brand team declined to elaborate on why their products seem to be booming when the economy isn't.

Jim Daniels, VP-marketing for Trojan at Church & Dwight,has some more-developed theories about why what he describes as the"sexual health" business is so healthy these days.

 For one thing, he said, he believes package-goods analytics and marketing are potent forces when applied to sex, something that, at least from a product standpoint, the industry really hadn't paid that much attention to until recent years.

Classic CPG research

"These are areas where there are unmet consumer needs," he said."So what you're seeing is that companies like Church & Dwight, Johnson& Johnson, are investing in classic CPG research, and bringing that research and skills to bear in the sexual-health category, which really hasn't had a lot of classic CPG activity. ... Once those insights are uncovered,package-goods companies move very quickly to meet those needs with products, as well as advertising to make people aware of them."

The other theory is that recession actually helps.

"These seem to be products people are actually gravitating toward in a recession," Mr. Daniels said. "I'm not a psychologist, so I don't know why that is. We are seeing people spending more time at home. We're seeing people's relationships being stressed. We're seeing people looking for means to reconnect with their partner and invest in relationships.In some cases, people may have more time on their hands if they're not working."

But the reality is that some of this was always a pretty big business, just not one conducted in grocery, drug or mass-merchandise stores,where it's still illegal to sell some of these products in seven states.

Church & Dwight estimates sexual devices are actually a$1 billion business in the U.S.,not the tiny $10 million measured by IRI in food, drug and mass stores. While the business overall is growing too, it's up by more like mid- to high single digits than the double digits IRI can see, Mr. Daniels said.

Most of those device sales today come online, through adult stores or through home parties organized by direct sellers such as Pure Romance, he said. Much of the business done to date by Trojan Vibrating Touch,a product launched last year that fits on the fingertip, has been through TV and online direct-response advertising.

Mainstream activity

Use of some of these products is remarkably mainstream, Mr. Daniels said.Church & Dwight is preparing to release a study conducted through Indiana University and Knowledge Networks of more than 3,000 U.S.adults showing that half have used a "vibrating product" at some point in their lives and a third have used one within the past year. Of those,Mr. Daniels said, 80% have used it with a partner.

All of this seems to bode well for future growth -- maybe for the U.S.population, too. Sales in Trojan's main business, condoms, aren't growing nearly as fast as in other areas of "sexual health." IRI data reported by Deutsche Bank show sales flat last year and down 2.1% in the first quarter, though Mr. Daniels said sales are up slightly in all channels. And IMS Health reports that contraceptive prescriptions last year were flat for the second year in a row.

Ladies!!

Even the experts know that the romance enhancement business is booming! Here in Illinois, Pure Romance is seeing a 25% increase in it's sales so far this year - and it's not even our busy season yet!

Pure Romance is still in it's infancy compared to other direct sales companies out there (i.e. Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Stampin' Up,etc). Currently, we have ONLY 10,000 consultants nation-wide. Seems like a lot, doesn't it? By comparison, Mary Kay has 1,800,000 active consultants; Party-Lite has over 50,000; and there are over 60,000 with Pampered Chef! Your point of view just changed, didn't it? It's easy to see then how Pure Romance is still on the ground floor of it's growth and it's only going to get bigger!!

So, how about it? How satisfied are you with your life right now? Do you love your job? Wonderful!! Keep doing it then!! But, maybe you could use a few extra bucks each month - get ahead on some bills, put aside a little extra for a rainy day or a fabulous dream vacation, buy something that you have always wanted but were afraid to ask for.

Maybe you are just so-so about your job or maybe you down right hate it? But, it does pay the bills, doesn't it? You're comfortable in that thought, aren't you? Really? Is that what you really, really want out of this life? Wouldn't you rather be making a difference in people's lives? How about actually looking forward to going to work and actually having a wonderful time?

And, then, maybe you're already doing the stay-at-home thing. And, you're loving the fact that you get to be there for your children and watch them grow and learn. It's an awesome feeling, isn't it? Wish you had some time for yourself, though? Just you? Wish you had some regular adult conversation? No kids. Just adults talking adult stuff. Wouldn't that be something?

What I am trying to say here is that no matter where you are in your life right now, Pure Romance can be the answer you have been looking for all along. Career women, college students, SAHMs, WAHMs, white collar and blue collar, full-time and part-time, experienced business owners and brand new business owners (the list goes on and on). It doesn't matter your lot in life, Pure Romance has something for EVERYONE!

Do yourself a favor TODAY! Just take a moment to look into Pure Romance and see what we're about. Call or email me and let's talk! You have questions and I have your answers.

It's that simple. It's that easy!

Pure Romance by Christina
ChristinaTrejo@pureromance.com
www.PRChristina.com
(708) 770-2657