opinion

How Gen Z Is Reshaping Pleasure Product Marketing

How Gen Z Is Reshaping Pleasure Product Marketing

Gen Z is breaking the customer funnel, and it’s exactly what we need. In the past, figuring out customers’ purchasing habits, both in-store and digital, was relatively straightforward. But Gen Z’s priorities are completely different from those of their predecessors, and so are their shopping habits. Social media isn’t just where they decide to support a brand or not; it’s where their lives play out. It’s where all social interactions take place, where they learn about the world and where they go for entertainment. Generation Z is forcing us to break the tradition of the customer funnel and get out of our comfort zone by speaking to their core values in innovative ways… but how exactly do we do that?

Corporate Social Responsibility

Although Gen Zers are less accustomed to in-store purchases than millennials and Gen X, event partnerships with local brands can help lure them out of cyberspace and into the real world.

We’re seeing the Greta Thunberg effect everywhere. The majority of Gen Zers list the environment as today’s most crucial issue and want to know that the companies they support are ethical and doing their part to fight climate change. They want to back transparent companies that don’t greenwash or make claims that end up being performative.

Embodying those values is the quickest way to ensure customer trust and loyalty from Gen Z. This can be accomplished through third-party testing or certification, as well as transparency in the manufacturing process. After all, many cheap, shoddily manufactured sex toys end up in landfills after a short time, and the antidote is brands like Love Not War, for whom sustainability isn’t just a brand value; it’s their whole identity.

A Custom-Tailored Experience

Although extensive product research and comparison on marketplaces like Amazon play a major role in determining a purchase for Gen Z, so does personalization through an appealing digital experience. They want a journey designed for them so they can best see how a service or product will fit into their lives. Buying sexual wellness products is a wildly personal experience for different bodies. AI-powered shopping journeys integrating technology like chatbots can help Gen Z, a generation that already has decision fatigue, figure out what product they want.

The Power of Video Platforms

Traditional marketing isn’t enough for Gen Z. Instead of billboards and magazines, dynamic social media platforms are king — namely, video-based ones that are easily digestible. Stories and reels on TikTok and Instagram, as well as YouTube videos, are the primary way that Gen Z de-stresses, so when they’re scrolling and come across an ad, they’re more likely to be tuned in.

A video format offers a more authentic and versatile experience that can be consumed through audio, visuals or a combination of the two. Not only is it more eye-catching than traditional ads, but it’s how Gen Z absorbs and makes sense of the world around them. By focusing on social media-friendly video advertising, we’re speaking their language. Plus, with all the time Gen Z spends on these video-centric social platforms, businesses and agencies have a rich source of insight-packed data that helps us develop more effective targeted campaigns with a focus on customization.

Leveraging Influencer, User-Generated Content Partnerships

Gen Zers aren’t automatically going to invest their trust in your brand, no matter how much you try to be their friend. They’re also not likely to believe celebrities with whom they feel a disconnect. PR and marketing pros can help bridge the gap by taking on more approachable partners who carry weight in the Gen Z community.

This means targeting more micro-influencers and focusing on user-generated content (UGC), which once again circles back to the Gen Z core value of authenticity. In organic marketing, UGC shines a spotlight on the beauty of diversity, featuring a variety of body types, skin tones, ethnicities and races rocking products in their own style. Gen Z is more ethnically and racially diverse than prior generations, so advertising that targets them should reflect this.

Additionally, since education is such an essential part of selling sex toys, influencers and social media users can provide that integral info to their followers. In a world where comprehensive sex ed often isn’t readily available, influencers are leading the sex-ed revolution in an accessible and informative way for their young peers, using their own personal lives to lead by example.

Partnering with these smaller influencers also requires less of a budget than securing a bigger name, a plus for brands, retailers and agencies alike. Instead, that budget can be spread out across multiple micro-influencers and users. Strategic earned or gifted partnerships often don’t entail a fee, allowing for sponsored content that reaches your ideal customer base but doesn’t require paying for ad space. Due to Gen Z’s budget-conscious nature, partnering with micro-influencers for raffles, giveaways, hashtag challenges and personalized discount codes for sex toys can help entice this demographic even more.

Capitalizing on FOMO

Although Gen Zers live a digital-first lifestyle, “IRL” experiences are still important to them, especially when it comes to local brands. An in-person experience is much more exclusive than a virtual one and also offers a chance for sharing photo and video ops on social media, namely through events like pop-ups, early access to sales, meet-and-greets with influencers, or live music. Although Gen Zers are less accustomed to in-store purchases than millennials and Gen X, event partnerships with local brands can help lure them out of cyberspace and into the real world. While social media provides a community, it can also cause users to feel alienated when they process too much of life behind a screen.

Helping Us All Evolve

Earning the trust and loyalty of this generation is no easy task in today’s saturated market. But their radical thinking prevents us from relying on old patterns and encourages us instead to think on our feet in new and innovative ways. Sexual wellness professionals have always been propelled forward by innovation, and Gen Z inspires us to get even more creative in shaping our industry’s future.

Naima Karp is a content writer and PR intern with over a decade of experience in crafting lifestyle, sexual health and wellness content writing for a variety of platforms.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Why Inclusivity in the Pleasure Industry Is More Important Than Ever

2025 has kicked off with a series of unsettling events. Tension and anxiety are high across North America as the unknown impact of tariffs, climate change and attacks on human rights loom ominously. In times of unrest, seeking pleasure is not frivolity but necessity.

Sarah Tomchesson ·
opinion

Tips for Keeping the Adult Retail Trade Show Momentum Going

Trade shows are a whirlwind of energy, excitement and opportunities. You spend days on a vibrant, buzzing show floor, making valuable connections and discovering innovative and exciting new products. You spend time, energy and money to be a part of this fabulous circus.

Rin Musick ·
opinion

2025's Top Tech Trends That Adult Retailers Should Know About

I just got back from the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo, also known as “Retail’s Big Show,” where I walked the floor, sat in on key panels, talked with industry experts and influencers, and did my best to sift through the b.s. so I could report back to you all on the things you need to care about.

Sean Quinn ·
opinion

Understanding the Importance of Graphic Design in Sexual Wellness Social Media Marketing

In the world of social media, graphic design is more than just making things look visually appealing — it’s a vital tool in shaping and maintaining a brand’s identity. Your social media is your storefront, so aesthetics mean everything.

Hannah McManus ·
opinion

How Adult Retail Is Shaping Sexual Health One Customer at a Time

Remember back in health class, when they taught us about boundaries, consent and how many nerve endings are in the clitoris? Of course you don’t, because it didn’t happen. In fact, sex education is still severely lacking in much of the U.S.

Kimberly Scott Faubel ·
trends

Meet the Up-and-Coming Pleasure Brands of 2025

Over the past year, the pleasure industry has witnessed the emergence of new brands across various adult retail categories — brands that are now entering 2025 with ambitious goals for success and growth in their sophomore year.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
profile

WIA Profile: Nefertiti Mitchell

Local retailers are the backbone of the pleasure industry. Driven by passionate business owners who are deeply dedicated to sexual wellness, brick-and-mortar stores serve as safe spaces that uplift and delight customers — while greasing the wheels of commerce for manufacturers and distributors.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Industry Vet Mike Savage Discusses Comeback, Goals With Full Circle Distribution

"We never know where life’s going to take us,” says Mike Savage. He should know. The pleasure biz veteran, who describes himself as “a poor Irish kid from Philly,” first made his name in the adult retail biz over the course of a nearly 40-year career.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
profile

Sensually Yours Founder Shellee Rose on Boosting Sex Positivity in Hawaii

Honolulu pleasure store Sensually Yours has served Hawaii for 40 years, establishing itself as a top destination for adult products. Founder and President Shellee Rose says her most important strategy for achieving four decades of success has been prioritizing customers.

Quinton Bellamie ·
profile

Gregory Dorcel on Building Upon His Brand's Signature Legacy

“Whether reflected in the storyline or the cast or even the locations, the entertainment we deliver is based on fantasy,” he elaborates. “Our business is not, and never has been, reality. People who are buying our content aren’t expecting reality, or direct contact with stars like you can have with OnlyFans,” he says.

Jeff Dana ·
Show More