How to Find Multiple Ways to Pleasure?

By: Abby DivDate: May 25, 2021

In Le Sex Lab's podcast, we are talking about finding multiple ways to pleasure. In the lab to talk about the design, development, and social buzz of Her Ultimate Pleasure are sales and marketing veterans at Pipedream Products, Heather McNeely and Mona Madrigal.

Abigail Div
Hello, everyone, we're going to be talking today about the multiple ways women have options for pleasure with pipe dream product. I'm your host, Abigail Div, Founder of Le Sex Lab and experimental media lab exploring sexuality and creator this podcast featuring media creators and innovators. In today's interview, we'll explore the following: How to guests Mona and Heather get involved with Pipedream Products. How is Her Ultimate Pleasure designed R&D, Q&A, to its final product? As a B2B business, how do they know that users like what they're making? And finally, how do you use social media buzz to propel the product? With me today to talk all about their creations of their new multipurpose adult toys are Heather Mcneely and Mona Madrigal, veterans of sales and marketing at pipe dream products. Welcome Heather and Mona!

Mona Madrigal
Thank you so much for having us. I amMona Madrigal. And I have been in adult novelty business now 16 years and I built with protein products for the last, oh, this may age me, maybe a little bit since 2014. So we'll say eight years.

Heather McNeely
And I'm Heather McNeely. I have been in the industry for 14 years I I actually started in the home party realm, and was recruited from there worked for a lubrication company, and four years ago, pipe dream recruited me to come over to work for them as well. So thank you for having us today. I appreciate it.

Mona Madrigal
And just so you know, Abby haven't always been in the adult industry myself, I've worked for a company called Ronco Inventions, which was the rotisserie oven and food dehydrator. So I've been in mainstream for a very long time before I came over to the adult novelty business. So you know, as long as you know, your features, and you know your functions of an item and saw anything.

Abigail Div
That's true, there's a lot of conversion over from one to another.

Mona Madrigal
Absolutely. Absolutely. And just a little bit of history of Pipedream Products, they've been around now, since 1973. We've been a world renowned manufacturer of adult velvety products, anything from gag gifts to pleasure products, we distribute networks all the way out to six continents, we have over 140 countries that actually spread the love with our items. And I think over the last four years, I believe we've won over 80 Awards, and just the adult novelty industry. In 2014. We were purchased by a private equity company, and we had just been evolving ever since. And we have you know, we haven't followed other companies out there under us, one of them, including Jimmy Jane. So just to give you guys a little bit of history, what our what our manufacturing, you know, where we come from how it started, just how do you became, you know, you know, wide, world known, maybe people don't know us as Pipedream Products, they might know us under certain collections. One of them being which is the one item that we'll be talking about today and adjusting today is our Fantasy for Her item. And I'll let Heather kind of go over some of those SKUs or some of those functions and features a little bit.

Abigail Div
Yeah, well you to market and sell an eclectic assortment of adult products from your most recent icicle dildos to life size silicon dolls. But as a b2b, your website has over 45 categories of products, at least from what I can count, that all have like a wide range of functionalities for men for women, you know, there's something for everyone literally. You've pretty much gotten the entire sex toy market covered in some facet. How did you guys though start selling toys? Heather, it's not your typical sales and marketing job that you're involved in?

Heather McNeely
No, I'm really not. So you know, how I actually you know, got into or started selling is is my husband was in the military and he read he just recently retired but he I was we traveled we went around the world and I started out with a lunch it was home parties like Tupperware and I started doing that because I saw the need for it and ways to keep couples intimate while their partners were deployed or their you know, their their spouses were you know, not available so it's a great way to keep intimacy but also keep people connected and it just evolved into me working for Pipedream I never grew up saying I was gonna sell dildos for a living but I am proud to say I sell dildos those for a living.

Abigail Div
Were there any previous prerequisites if you will that were particularly adapt for you to be able to say like, Yes, I wanted that sales and marketing job when he saw it listed on LinkedI n.

Heather McNeely
With Pipedream?

Abigail Div
Yeah, with Pipedream

Heather McNeely
With pipe dream, absolutely, I knew that they were the leader in the adult industry and the innovation that they have and the reputation they had. I wanted to be part of that team. And it was a true honor. When they recruited me to come work for them. It was an honor. And I had to say Yes, right away being the top leading manufacturer in adult.

Abigail Div
Well, speaking of the name, what does pipe dream mean, for our audience? Is it literally a pipe dream?

Heather McNeely
Well, I mean, we could go that route. Right. But I mean, Mona, I mean, what the history of that I mean, we actually started out by selling smoke accessories. Most people in the adult industry, that's how they actually started. But back in the 70s, that's when they were cracking down and the war on drugs in the 70s, and 80s. And so they all had to revert to build their business into something else. And so a lot of people instead of producing smoking accessories, swapped over to novelties and gag items. And that's how we got our start, and just grew into, you know, the whole yard today.

Abigail Div
Great, let's get into the actual design of the product that we're talking about today, which is Her Ultimate Pleasure. pipe dream currently produces a number of variants, which makes a very hefty U-linesque catalog of content. It's not easy to keep track of what's coming and going on the market, though you've refined your offerings to be a bit more selective. The Fantasy for Her line is this purple product line for women that has kago balls, suction vibrators that are in the shape of a butterfly finger massagers. It's like every shape and size. Basically, how did the line start?

Heather McNeely
The line started. Truly because pipe dream, it's always about the fantasy. So we have the fantasy extensions, the fetish fantasy. And we really were more catered towards males or couples. And as Pipedream, we didn't really have anything catered towards women. And so we came out with the Fantasy for Her line to really help capture that audience because we were so derived towards males that we knew that that was a market that we were missing out on. And we really knew that we had the innovation and the creativity and the great research and development to help be able to cultivate and grow that category as a whole for the company.

Mona Madrigal
Yeah, Abby, and just so you're aware, when we come out with a fantasy for her ultimate pleasure, we actually came out with a full line. And when I say a full line, I believe the original skews were about 25 skews. So again, they're all dedicated, aligned for her. And definitely Heather is very key on the point that we had more male driven items.

Abigail Div
So in terms of how the design process came to be it with this really robust selection of products within a very refined line for women. How did you design the products who was involved?

Heather McNeely
Well, we're extremely fortunate, we have an amazing team. It's a collaboration. And we have a Swedish engineer that works specifically with our factories to help create those products, and works with them hand in hand. And then, you know, Mona on ourselves and a lot of other people for the company are lucky enough to be part of I guess,

Mona Madrigal
Product testing and testing

Heather McNeely
And to help give that feedback back to our team to be able to build the product to be the best that it needs to be right.

Mona Madrigal
And this line was just generated for women. But we also have a large core of people that actually were involved with this line, including men as well, because this this item is not just actually made for a woman it's it can be used for him to.

Abigail Div
It's fascinating. So what was actually the process of designing this specifically, her ultimate pleasure from design to the conception is it does seem like there was some amount of evolutions in some of the products have features that are similar to Her Ultimate Pleasure. But this one seems to be like, you know, the grand old pawns in the compilation of all these other elements.

Mona Madrigal
Absolutely. What we did, what we basically did was we turned around and said, what, what item out there has everything and one that was the original concept, and then we took it from there. And then from there, our amazing engineer took it and ran with the idea. And that is literally what we came out with when it came to the fantasy for her ultimate pleasure. We just put we were basically looking for that one item that was just going to take care of all you know, and I hate to say it but it was it was almost like that, you know, that replacement for that one partner in the sense but actually what ended up coming out to the multiple people that use it at one time.

Heather McNeely
One of the things that I really think is key with it is there was a big whitespace. And a lot of people think that when they think of this toy will give you oral pleasure, it has sucking, it has vibration penetration, it can be utilized with your partner or by yourself. But one of the things that a lot of people are always focusing on is either, you know, slowly clitoral stimulation or slowly badgal. And they don't realize that the entire labeija is something that can have has all those nerve endings, and adding that sucking motion at the same time brings that ultimate stimulation for her ultimate pleasure. I think it was one of those things that it took a lot of people's communications and openness to talk about what people are looking for, and to be able to have that dialect with your team. It's it's very exciting, but yet it was intimate at the same time.

Abigail Div
Right? The the actual product for those who have not intimately used it does suck, has a tongue and vibrates all in one product, which is a compilation as I was saying of many product concepts, Did this come for after multiple iterations or testings if you will, consumers? prototyping?

Mona Madrigal
Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, this wasn't like, you know, something that just came out of our, you know, minds, it took several prototypes, it took several consumer testings, and definitely our test groups in house as well. Like I said, it wasn't something that just came overnight, this product was probably took me about a year and a half to for us to put together and design with our team.

Abigail Div
Great. Well, let's get into the feedback then about the testing. And also the product itself in its final compilation. As Pipedream is b2b, there's a certain separation of design to selling it directly to the consumers, obviously, that's not to say that you don't know what people are thinking, as this consumer group is very vocal when it comes to gratification. How did you get your feedback? Is it direct from consumers? Or do you get it from the companies and stores that you sell to?

Heather McNeely
We have great partnerships within our retailers, and they train their staff amazing. And they bring back that feedback to us of things that people are looking for that they want or what they enjoy. And, you know, they also utilize their social media. I mean, to be honest, the retail staff within these stores are, you know, there are eyes and ears out there to know what consumers want. Because so many consumers are they still think it's taboo and are afraid to share with many people. So we find, you know, when the retail staff shares that type of information and knowledge with us, we find it invaluable. And we try to utilize it when we make products and put those concepts right to the board.

Abigail Div
And what about her ultimate pleasure? Were you able to get instant gratification from your customers? Or was that also a moment of iteration of putting out multiple designs to what we see today on your website and other retailers?

Heather McNeely
That one model was that everyone really excited about it? Right?

Mona Madrigal
That was Yeah, the technology once that once our retailers and distributors saw it, they were in awe with it, and they picked it up right away. They the exciting part of this whole thing is that it only took maybe a month before it hit, you know, viral for us. That's where it really really gained its its name, and what it does, and how it was so unique and different and innovative in the market.

Abigail Div
You're speaking of innovation, you have this patented tongue design. How is yours different from you know the plethora of suctioning and clitoral stimulating toys on the market?

Heather McNeely
Well, one, we have two cops that are interchangeable. So one, it can be designed to go over the vaginal area so that we can cover the whole labia. And then there's a taller, shorter air attachment that you can do to give you more of a nipple stimulation or if you wanted to play with the testicles or along the peronism. So it has a little bit of a different head that can attach to it, which is really nice. Those are things that we took into consideration. And that's part of the design that helps with that as well.

Mona Madrigal
Yeah, I mean, this product has, you know, four powerful modal motors inside and with the three suction patterns that does take on and what I mean just the one that tongue has seven motion patterns. So the difference between a lot of the items or authors that this is all one, this is completely different. And this is completely different from any other items that I've seen out there.

Abigail Div
Yeah, I feel like what as you're saying that I'm having a throwback moment to Tim Allen home improvement, more power moment.

Mona Madrigal
I mean, we definitely, definitely, that's the route I would love everybody to think and feel and be excited about. Because it's hard to find an item that does all that. Now it doesn't, I don't want people to take it, it's like, it's a scary thing. I mean, bringing blood flow to any part of that area and giving it a sensation is amazing. And that's one thing that people tend to be like, Are you sure? Are you sure I am nervous and scared. And at the end of the day, it's gonna be the end result that what you're going to get, and that's just one amazing orgasm.

Abigail Div
The idea of having multifunctional toys, I think, can be sort of dichotomous in terms of like your preference for it. Like there's some very purists of like, one thing, one option does one thing really well. And then there's the flip of that, which is like the more the better.

Mona Madrigal
And that's why we have the different the different sections and the different, the motions for it. Because not we know everybody is not made the same. You know, people want more than others. So that's why we do have the different functions on this item. Yeah, it was the response positive in terms of having multifunctional toys versus your single use ones? Absolutely, absolutely. By far, people are going to spend, you know a lot more money for something that they get it all in what I know,

Abigail Div
is like that, that aspect of like, you're getting more for your money,

Mona Madrigal
Absolutely

Abigail Div
That you don't have to buying each thing individually, in order to do this

Heather McNeely
And having to have the parts work simultaneously, you know, like there is a lot of pumps out there female pumps, but they don't have a vibration or flicking at the same time. So we're giving you both of those. So it's bringing all the blood flow along with the motion and the vibration, you know, and then to turn it around to be able to use it internally as well. It's, it's, there's nothing like that on the market. And that's what makes it so special and amazing. really does.

Abigail Div
Yes, definitely. In terms of the imagery, it is unique. And it has created quite a bit of social buzz on its own, as it's a very visual product inherently as the tongue waggles and undulates. As you're saying it's one of your most popular products on the line. Did you do any sort of advertising along with its launch?

Heather McNeely
You know, didn't do too much in the beginning, because we we didn't have to because it went viral right away. We again, we have great partnerships with our retailers, so they kind of promoted a little bit, and we help them with that. But truly, the social media, viral videos is what, you know, skyrocketed it faster than we were ever expecting. I think we knew it was great. Just now the world knows. Right?

Abigail Div
Yeah. Was there any social campaigns and that you had behind it that were just picked up automatically? Or did it self propel?

Mona Madrigal
Self propel self propelled originally self propelled and his self propelled for I would say, a good six months to a year before we actually started advertising it in our b2b only because soon as soon as it hit the market out there, we couldn't keep it in stock.

Heather McNeely
So it's been too much advertising. We couldn't even get it in,

Mona Madrigal
Right. I mean, it was just flying off the shelves. And it was, and it still continues to be this way. And I recommend every woman out there any man out there to definitely go out and buy this item?

Abigail Div
How did you make sure that you got as you will, in the right hands in front of the right eyeballs? How was it picked up so to speak.

Mona Madrigal
We again, our elite partners were definitely the ones that we had no problem with them picking us and they saw it, they saw that it was going to be below the Olympic torch of all items out there. They knew it was going to be a great solar for us. When getting it into the right eyeballs, I believe that our consumers are the ones are going to speak for our product. And they're going to say, you know what actually sells and it it. They got into several hands. And it went viral. If we didn't have to put it in anybody's eyeballs for it to get where it is today. I mean, it really just it really, you know, advertise itself. Personal endorsement and referral and personal referral is a great way to gain very organic and natural traffic.

Abigail Div
And before I mentioned that, you know, like as consumers this is the market for instant gratification. So if you're not instantly gratified, or you're gratified it after a period of time of using it, then you will be very vocal about it positively or negatively. So certainly having consumers be the ones who are endorsing your products is a great way to promote it and doesn't require a heavy ad spend or heavy social media campaign speaks for itself in many ways. That said, What are the plans for the next fantasy product?

Mona Madrigal
Well, Abby, you know, I've talked about it with the team earlier, and you guys will just have to see. I mean, we always have something in the work. So what are the plans, you will probably see you say real soon. So I hope everybody's truly excited out there.

Heather McNeely
Pipedream is about truly filling all your fantasies, whether it's you know, with your partner or by yourself, whether you're male or female we have we have something to cover every fantasy for you. So, you know, check out pipe dream products, and it'll fill all your fantasies.

Abigail Div
Wonderful. And thank you, Mona and Heather, for joining me today to talk about pipe dream products and Her Ultimate Pleasure.

Heather McNeely
Thank you, Abigail.

Mona Madrigal
Thank you for having us. Thank you.

Abigail Div
Yeah, and if you like what you hear, join me again next time for another feature on Le Sex Lab.