B. Wilde considers herself a strategic, creative, analytical and entertaining person by nature — all useful traits for a “marketing girlie,” a label she happily embraces.
She studied marketing and business management at university, and her professional background in fashion, beauty, health and wellness, as well as in agency settings, has given her a diverse array of experiences and skills to draw upon. Throughout the years, Wilde has honed her abilities in digital media management, copywriting, influencer management, brand strategy, events, content creation and project management. Pairing that switchblade skill set with a desire to genuinely connect and empathize with talent has proven fruitful in her current role as digital marketing manager for multifaceted brand services company NMG.
We A/B test pricing, copy, sales strategy and marketing techniques, then run reports on the results in order to adjust our overall strategy.
Now, as WIA’s Woman of the Month, Wilde delves into her approach to fostering creator success, her tactics for ensuring marketing has solid ROI and her goals for the future.
XBIZ: What led you to team up with NMG Management?
WILDE: One thing about me is that I am very much “pro ho.” I’d been interested in making a move over to the adult entertainment space for a few years before finding NMG… on LinkedIn of all places! The first position I applied for wasn’t a fit, but a few job postings later, the perfect opportunity arose. I’m thankful to Amanda Casillas for keeping in touch as new positions arose. I’m also very thankful for Megan Stokes believing in me as I took the plunge into the adult space.
XBIZ: Discuss your approach to managing all things content for the talent that works with NMG.
WILDE: This most important aspect for me is empowering the talent to remain in touch and control the content they submit to us. Once the content goes through our current process, it’s ready to be used in every way imaginable. The time we spend on the front end sets us up to utilize content for everything — from fan, clip and tube sites to VOD, licensing, SFW and NSFW marketing/promo campaigns, and more.
I have to shoutout Megan and Amanda on this one again. They tinkered with the Creator Program for a couple of years before I joined the team, so most of the process was already in place. What I was able to do was use what they created but modify the process in a way that can be taught to anyone, managed by anyone and has an end result that can be useful to everyone on our team.
XBIZ: How do you gauge ideal pricing and marketing for talent?
WILDE: This is another area where we empower the talent to take whatever route works best for them. We are an extension of the creator and the business they have built. My job is to uphold their brand and pricing standards while also consulting them in a way that considers trends for the market, the fans and overall spending habits. I constantly monitor all of this and collect data to support any suggestions I make. We never want anyone to feel like they can’t be themselves or that they have to cheapen any aspect of their business. Everything is very personalized, and we always come with receipts.
XBIZ: Talk about your strategy for maintaining close relationships with the models.
WILDE: My strategy is simply to establish myself as a safe space, and that is something I am really proud to offer. The models know I am genuinely here to help them make as much money as possible from the content they own and produce. Our industry is funny in that many standards for professionalism go right out the window, but I use that to my advantage in a way. When models see me as a safe space, a confidant and a friend, they open up about aspects of their personal lives that they wouldn’t have mentioned otherwise. It benefits everyone when creators are comfortable with me. If I’m privy to what is really going on in their lives, it gives me room to reevaluate goals, expectations, strategies and timelines. The ability to have raw, honest conversations really helps the partnerships to thrive.
XBIZ: How do you go about keeping a pulse on trends, monitoring fan spending habits and tracking data?
WILDE: The only reason I am on social media is to keep up with what’s going on and who’s who in the industry. I examine every market/trend report for takeaways I can bring to the talent so we can apply it to their content strategy. We keep a pulse on social media algorithm changes too, and honestly, that has become a total downer at this point.
We A/B test pricing, copy, sales strategy and marketing techniques, then run reports on the results in order to adjust our overall strategy. We look at everything and personalize our approach for each creator. This is something I could talk about all day!
Some things we just “know” will work and other aspects are entirely unpredictable. We’ve found a correlation to so many, frankly, regular things, from gas prices to current events, bank holidays, school schedules, sports, etc. as they all have an impact on fan spending and engagement. We rely on evolving tech, internally built automated processes and AI for a lot of this, but much of it is still random. I like to joke that people could never fathom the amount of spreadsheets that fuel the porn industry!
XBIZ: What’s it like working with head honcho Megan Stokes and the rest of the team?
WILDE: I am sure I will not be the first or last person to mention how much of a powerhouse Megan is! I am incredibly lucky to have come into the space and be mentored by someone like her. I am constantly in awe of all the things she does personally, professionally and as an amazing mother. She and I established our workflow early on, and it truly set the tone for how we work together and communicate. I’ll even put it on record that Megan is the best boss I’ve ever had!
Valerie and Amanda have all had decades-long careers in adult, too. I make it a point to soak in as much as I can. I’m always learning from them, and everyone on the team continues to contribute to my professional growth. Not a lot of people can say they have been in the rooms I’ve been in so early on in their adult career. They have trusted little old me with countless opportunities. I’m incredibly thankful.
XBIZ: What NMG services are key drivers of success for models?
WILDE: NMG’s extensive rolodex means we get a lot of exclusive and “first look” opportunities from some of the biggest in the biz and some of the hottest up-and-coming tech. It’s really exciting to be the first to explore new developments as they appear. From AI companions and new features on established platforms to traffic and studio deals, we are granted early exposure to projects that allow us to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s coming next.
XBIZ: What’s next for you this coming year, as far as career and personal goals?
WILDE: Traveling regularly for work is a long-standing career goal of mine that I only truly started to realize this year. I went on three trips between Q1 and Q2. That’s a big step, but also something I’d like to pick up the cadence on. By this time next year, I am hoping I have some international shows included in my travel plans.
August of this year will mark just two years in the industry for me. I admit I am still pretty “green.” This wild ride is still just getting started! I’m looking forward to more personal travel too. I plan to take better advantage of the fact that I work remotely.
I’m thankful I came in with the freedom to make my role and processes my own, because the job I was hired for is now maybe half of what I do. My skills, background and understanding of the industry have put me in a position to really expand my role and responsibilities with NMG. We have some really exciting projects on the horizon that will mark my biggest challenge and biggest changes to date.
I’ve grown so much in the past couple of years, and my career shift has played a huge role in that. It’s an environment that has allowed me to put less pressure on myself, have more fun and do a lot less sweating the little stuff, but that took a lot of focus. Now that I am feeling more established and settled, I’d like to make more time for some of my long-standing hobbies like painting, candle making, gardening and reading, to name a few!
Each month, XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry’s most influential female executives.
