opinion

Why It's Time for Pleasure Brands to Stop Ignoring B2C Marketing

Why It's Time for Pleasure Brands to Stop Ignoring B2C Marketing

For many B2B adult brands, marketing to consumers feels like a waste of time. I’ve heard it so many times: “We sell to retailers, not consumers. Why should we invest in B2C marketing?”

I get it. I’ve worked in adult marketing for years, and I know that B2B brands are constantly balancing limited budgets, compliance hurdles and the reality that their success depends on wholesale buyers — not individual shoppers. But here’s the hard truth: If consumers don’t know your brand, neither will retailers.

B2C marketing is about working with retailers and creating demand that makes selling your products easier.

Let’s look at some strategies for translating B2C marketing into B2B success.

It’s About Generating Demand

If you’re a B2B adult brand, your goal is to get retailers to carry your products. But have you ever thought about how those retailers decide what to stock? They’re looking at consumer demand. If customers walk into an adult store asking for your brand by name, that store is far more likely to carry your products. Retailers stock what consumers ask for.

Retailers and distributors also look at consumer engagement, by checking social media and online reviews when evaluating new brands. If a retailer sees your product trending on social media, in sex-positive communities or in influencer recommendations, they know it’s a smart bet. If they see that consumers are actively engaging with your brand — liking posts, sharing content, tagging their purchases — that’s a huge green flag. It tells them your products are marketable, desirable and worth stocking. If your brand has no presence? No buzz? That’s a red flag.

Ways to Make Your Brand Retail-Friendly

If customers recognize and trust you, retailers don’t have to work as hard to sell your products. Here are some strategies for generating consumer engagement and creating demand:

  • Maintain a strong social media presence. Even without direct sales, engagement on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter fuels brand awareness. Encourage retailers to tag you in posts and amplify their content. Maintain an active LinkedIn for added credibility.
  • Encourage consumers to ask for your brand. A “Where to Buy” page with retailer listings helps drive traffic.
  • Partner with influencers. Sex educators and content creators build credibility and interest.
  • Build an email list. Do this for both retailers and consumers — you want to build brand awareness in both camps.
  • Educate consumers before they shop. Blogs, FAQs and video tutorials help customers feel confident in purchasing.
  • Showcase reviews and testimonials. Social proof makes retailers more likely to stock your products.

Brands that invest in B2C win more retail space. If two brands offer similar products, but one has strong consumer recognition while the other is unknown, which one do you think retailers will choose? When you’ve built a devoted following, retailers seek you out rather than vice versa.

B2C Marketing Isn’t an Expense — It’s a B2B Investment

B2C marketing can and should be an important element of your overall marketing strategy. It’s about working with retailers and creating demand that makes selling your products easier. Here are some key steps to take that can help you secure more retail partnerships:

  • Support retailers with marketing assets aimed at shoppers. Branded content, in-store displays and co-branded promos make selling easier.
  • Conduct PR campaigns and seek out media placements. Coverage in sex-positive publications builds credibility.
  • Hold retailer-driven giveaways: “Pick up our product at [Retailer Name] and enter to win” drives store traffic.
  • Sponsor industry events and workshops: Align your brand with sex-positive education and community engagement.

This isn’t about shifting to DTC or competing with your retailers. It’s about supporting them.

Retailers don’t just want products — they want brands that sell themselves. In a crowded market, with new adult brands launching every month, the ones that invest in consumer recognition are the ones that get shelf space, prime website placement and repeat orders.

Brands that understand this are the ones dominating the adult retail space. Brands that don’t are left wondering why their competitors keep winning shelf space.

It’s time for B2B adult brands to stop ignoring B2C marketing. Because in 2025, brand awareness isn’t optional — it’s the key to survival.

Hail Groo is the director of PR and marketing for Forward Approach Marketing, where they combine their background as a public historian with over a decade of expertise in diverse marketing fields. Beyond their work in PR and marketing, Hail is a published travel writer, magazine contributor, podcast guest, award-winning photographer and Colorado-based journalist.

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

How Adult Retailers Can Enhance Sales With Supplements

The supplement industry is big business. In 2024, Future Market Insights estimated it to be valued at $74.3 billion, and other market research firms anticipate that number will grow to upwards of $170 billion in just 10 years.

Rick Magana ·
opinion

Why It's Time the Pleasure Industry Got Serious About IPX Waterproof Ratings

As someone who regularly communicates with manufacturers, retailers and consumers, I’ve seen how this ambiguity can do a disservice to both the customers who use these products and the businesses that sell them.

Alicia Sinclair Rosen ·
opinion

Tips for Sexual Wellness Brands to Win Over Gen Z This Summer

As summer rolls around, the excitement in the air is palpable, especially for one particular demographic: Gen Z. College and university classes are over, vacations are booked and it’s time to let loose.

Naima Karp ·
opinion

Celebrating the LGBTQ+ Community With Inclusive Packaging Design

Pride Month is a time of visibility, joy and self-expression. In the pleasure industry, projecting that energy can start with something as simple as a box. Market research shows that 72% of U.S. consumers say product packaging influences their purchasing decisions.

Matthew Spindler ·
profile

WIA Profile: Pettus Ashley

Pettus Ashley brings her A game to the world of authentic adult branding, flitting between airports as the American face of U.K. brand Bathmate. As a company brand ambassador, Ashley personifies Bathmate’s dedication to the retail world, showering staff with equal amounts of appreciation and sales education.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Good Relations Fosters Sex Wellness, Positivity for 40+ Years

Melinda Myers, the founder and owner of Good Relations in Eureka, California, was still in college when she got invited to attend her first pleasure products home party.

Quinton Bellamie ·
opinion

The Midlife Movement Is Exploding; Is the Pleasure Industry Ready?

In marketing, there tends to be an emphasis on the younger generation — the trendsetters. The assumption is that appealing to the younger market has a halo effect on older consumers, who look to younger folks for what is on trend.

Sarah Tomchesson ·
opinion

Gender Play Gets Creative With Fantasy Toys

Sex toy manufacturers are increasingly recognizing the value of fantasy products, expanding their lines to include ever more diverse designs. What was once considered a niche market has proven to have broad appeal, demonstrating that people are eager to explore desires that extend beyond conventional human experiences.

Rin Musick ·
opinion

How Sex Toy Retailers Can Better Support Marginalized Communities

As someone who has been in the industry since 2003, I’ve seen countless trends, products and marketing strategies come and go. Yet one thing has remained consistent: a significant gap in how sex toy retailers serve marginalized communities.

Kimberly Scott Faubel ·
opinion

Tips for Boosting Ecommerce Success During Masturbation May

Masturbation May is not just a month for self-exploration. It’s also a prime opportunity for ecommerce brands in the adult retail space to tap into a highly engaged audience actively searching for resources and products to celebrate their sexual wellness.

Matthew Spindler ·
Show More