We recently had the chance to speak with Susan Colvin, the President and CEO of California Exotic Novelties (or CalExotics), a major manufacturer of sex toys. Here’s what she had to say about working in the adult industry.

 

Orgasm News: CalExotics has been around since 1994. What do you attribute your success to—especially in the ultra competitive sex toy industry?

Susan Colvin: Our success is because we intuitively understand the market. The company was founded on a different approach to making and marketing sex toys.  As a woman I understood that the products were designed for women and couples; that was the target demographic.  Twenty years ago sex toys were unimaginative things, offered in black and ivory colors, with no imaginative features or benefits.

I decided to shake things up and created toys in pink and purple colors because that’s what women like.  The men in the industry back then laughed, they didn’t think such toys would sell.

California Exotic Novelties has a long list of firsts, including the first to introduce water-proof massagers, the first to remove the female model from the packaging, the first to introduce rechargeable products, the list goes on and on.

 

Orgasm News: After Nick Hawk’s penis molding scene in Gigolo’s aired, you received a lot of public interest. Is a penis-molding service a viable business venture that CalExotics might be looking into?

Susan Colvin: It’s an interesting business model to consider, don’t you think?  We were stunned at the response we got because of the Nick Hawk molding in Gigolos.  Unfortunately we’re just not set up to do penis moldings for the average consumer.

Creating a replica is a big process: we have a team of experts that mix the formula, cast the body part, craft it into a toy, create the mold, etc..  It is a costly endeavor and I doubt the average person could afford it.

People are captivated by the process, though, and I think that’s one of the reasons replica sex toys are so popular.

 

 

Orgasm News: What do you look for when collaborating with adult industry stars such as Nick Hawk, Gina Lynn, Jill Kelly and Devon?

Susan Colvin: Nick has a mass appeal because of his hit show, Gigolos.  Women love him!  Nick has a vivacious personality, a keen sense of marketing, and understands what it takes to appeal to the ladies.  It is his personal brand that makes him a successful candidate for making a sex toy.

Gina Lynn is every man’s fantasy and her fame as an adult performer is what makes her line of products so successful.  We have Jill Kelly and Devon dolls, which are also popular products for the fellas.

All of our celebrity lines offer fans the opportunity to live out their fantasy.  We have popular starlets like Jana Cova, Ayana Angel, Dayton Rains, Lisa Ann, Alexis Amore, plus many, many more.

 

Orgasm News: What separates you from other Sex Toy and Adult Novelty companies?

Susan Colvin: CalExotics is known for providing quality, dependable products that offer something for everyone.  With over 3,500 products, we truly are the largest pleasure product manufacturer in the world.  With so many products to choose from, it’s safe to say that CalExotics is the most prolific sex toy manufacturer in history.

California Exotic Novelties has a keen focus on sexual health and wellness.   We enjoy educating the consumer, helping them understand our products, and encouraging them to explore their own sexuality.  For example we’ve attended events such as the Romance Convention, or “RomCon”, where we’ve conducted educational workshops.  It is all part of our corporate mission to help provide people with the pleasure they deserve.

 

Orgasm News: We noticed that you have an interesting Fifty Shades of Grey promotion where you will be featuring sex toys used by the characters in the novel. Along with being an entertaining read, do you believe that “Fifty Shades of Grey” has been instrumental in educating people about topics such as BDSM, self-pleasuring, and sexuality?

Susan Colvin: California Exotic Novelties is very supportive of educating the consumer.  Once people discover and understand the products, it unleashes a whole new world of possibilities for them.

For example we’ve seen a significant increase in the sales of orgasm balls because of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” book.  These amazing items, which have been around for years, are suddenly the hot, new “it” product of the season.

Amazingly, E.L. James admittedly wasn’t extremely knowledgeable about the intricacies of how the items she wrote about, actually worked.  For example, virtually nobody in our industry would use masking tape for bondage—like the tape Mr. Grey purchases from the hardware store that Anastasia works at—they of course would use bondage tape!  Giving us a jumping off point to truly educate and inform the consumer is probably the biggest thing the trilogy has done for our business.

 

Orgasm News: Customer service is obviously an important factor in your success. What do you do to keep customer’s satisfied and coming back?

Susan Colvin: We have dedicated customer service people who address calls from consumers.  We are very proactive when it comes to customer service. Additionally we provide a platform for feedback with our online community, Club CalExotics.  We feel that giving people a way to communicate with us, our resident sex experts, and Sexperts, helps them learn about us and products.  We understand that providing people with education goes a long way in creating satisfied customers.

 

Orgasm News: The Triple Orgasm, which Orgasm.com will be reviewing soon, has consistently been one of your most popular sex toys. Why has it been such a hit with your customers? What makes it special?

Susan Colvin:  The Triple Orgasm is a big hit because it targets almost every erogenous area at the same time!  It has an insertable shaft with three functions of reversible rotation, vibration and pulsation.  It has three rows of unjamming beads and eight levels of vibration.  Three amazing triple motors provide complete arousal.  The operation is smooth and consistent and easy to operate.  With all of that going on, no wonder the Triple Orgasm is such a big hit!

 

Orgasm News: Thanks for your time Susan!