I’m going to say something that might sting a little.
Most sexual wellness brands are leaving serious money on the table. Not because the products aren’t good, often they’re excellent. Not because the market isn’t there, it absolutely is, and it’s growing. But because the marketing? It’s working against them.
After more than 20 years in this industry, I’ve seen the same patterns play out over and over again. Brilliant founders. Innovative products. Real potential. And marketing that quietly sabotages all of it.
So, here’s what I keep seeing and why it matters.
You’re Talking to Yourself, Not Your Customer
This is the big one. Brands fall in love with their own product and forget to fall in love with their customer. The messaging becomes about features, materials and specifications when it should be about how your customer feels; before, during and after.
Your customer isn’t buying a product. They’re buying confidence, connection, curiosity or freedom. When your marketing doesn’t reflect that, it doesn’t land. It doesn’t convert. And it doesn’t build loyalty.
The brands that get this right? They’re magnetic. The ones that don’t? They wonder why their beautifully shot content gets likes but no sales.
The Branding Doesn’t Hold Together
Scroll through the Instagram, then visit the website, then open the newsletter. Do they feel like the same brand? For a lot of sexual wellness companies, the honest answer is no.
Inconsistent branding isn’t just an aesthetic problem; it’s a trust problem. When your customer can’t get a clear read on who you are, they hesitate. And hesitation kills conversions, especially in a category where customers already need a certain level of trust to buy in the first place.
Brand consistency isn’t about having a nice logo. It runs much deeper than that.
You’re on the Wrong Platforms, in the Wrong Way
Yes, sexual wellness brands face real restrictions on paid advertising. I know. It’s frustrating and it’s unfair and we’ve all had accounts flagged or posts pulled for no good reason.
But here’s what I’ve noticed: a lot of brands use platform restrictions as the reason their marketing isn’t working, when actually the strategy was the problem before the restrictions even came into play.
There are ways to build genuine reach and community in this industry. Brands are doing it right now, brilliantly. It just requires a different kind of thinking, and a strategy built around the reality of the landscape, not against it.
Inclusion Is an Afterthought
The sexual wellness customer is not a 25-year-old straight woman with a specific body type and a millennial pink aesthetic. Never has been, never will be.
When imagery, language and product ranges don’t reflect the actual diversity of your audience, you’re not just missing a beat culturally, you’re missing revenue. People buy from brands that see them. It really is that simple.
Getting inclusion right isn’t about a single campaign. It has to be built into how you operate.
The Strategy Stops at Launch
A product launch is not a marketing strategy. I cannot stress this enough.
I’ve seen brands pour everything, budget, energy, creativity, into a launch moment, and then go quiet. The algorithm doesn’t care about your launch week. Your customer has a short memory. The brands that win are the ones that show up consistently, long after the launch excitement has faded.
Sustainability in marketing isn’t glamorous. It’s not the fun bit. But it’s the bit that actually builds a brand.
The Good News? It’s Fixable
Here’s the honest truth: most of these mistakes aren’t down to lack of effort or lack of talent. They come from not having the right strategy in place, one that’s built specifically for this industry, by someone who actually understands it.
Sexual wellness isn’t like other categories. The rules are different. The nuances matter. And generic marketing advice from outside the industry will only get you so far.
If any of this sounds familiar, let’s talk.
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