Trends in the Adult industry

Many of us aren’t aware of what transpires in the back-end of the adult industry.
And while we enjoy new changes and a better experience than we did yesterday, we may not be aware of happens in the background, from a consumer’s perspective.

The truth is, most service providers are working tirelessly to give the best experience possible. Being a relatively new sector, we must give it time to learn from its mistakes and grow like any other industry.

That said, let’s catch up with what you might have missed in the adult sector

Crypto Picked in The Porn Industry 2 Years Ago.

VogoV, a famous porn studio carried out a research which revealed that since the start of 2018, around 470 adult video websites, 50 webcam sites, and 35 sex shops all over the world have been taking cryptocurrencies as a means of payment.

With the digits above, it may seem like the entire sector is into crypto already, but given a large and growing space like the adult sector, it really isn’t— not for an industry that has a reputation of early tech adoption.

Adult sector giants like Wicked and Pornhub talked the “accepting crypto” talk for years without making the walk. For long, Bitcoin became the center of focus as the primary form of crypto that other alternative cryptocurrencies were ignored.

According to Aleksei Maetnyi, the co-founder for VogoV, adult platforms didn’t need to worry about crypto when payments were working pretty well. “Most companies only also realized that, (until of late) very few of their consumers wanted to pay with, crypto, added the co-founder.

However, the adult industry has picked up pace since the mid of 2017. Last year, top adult sites like Naughty America and xHamster finally begun accepting Bitcoin.

Earlier this year, VRPorn.com started accepting Litecoin; and Pornhub and its co-sites also declared partnerships with cryptocurrencies like Tron, Horizen (formerly ZenCash), and Verge.

As expected, entrepreneurs in the adult and crypto spaces have also created new coins and assistant payment infrastructure to serve the adult industry exclusively.

VogoV’s OGO coin, SpankChain’s BOOTY token, The Vice Industry Token, and WankCoin are all developed to help solve the payment problems plaguing the industry better than any other cryptocurrency options. And each of the creators believes they will dominate the crypto payment platform for adult sites and customers.

“We live in an exciting time with really creative people who are willing to explore new systems,” says Alex Hawkins, vice president of xHamster.

Cryptocurrency systems will benefit the adult industry in numerous ways. They’ll probably fill in the gap left by credit card brands and banks who have always considered porn a high-risk sector, full of disputed transactions. Porn sites are forced to pay in the skies to enjoy adult merchant processing.

VogoV claims these fees make up for almost 13 percent of the fee for a digital porn purchase. Najva Sol, SpankChain’s Vice president says cryptocurrencies ensure a clear record of every real transaction meaning no one can enjoy a performer’s content and claim a false refund or argue they have been ripped off.

Cryptocurrencies also bypass banks, card, and payment processor fees significantly reducing the cost of buying and selling content online.

For the adult content consumer, crypto promises an advanced level of anonymity beyond the privacy protection Hawkins says adult companies try to offer.  They leave no details of what you spend on as credit card statements do.

The advantages of cryptocurrency for adult-related businesses are numerous and far-reaching. Most porn companies are now looking to go 100% crypto soon.

Adult Companies Are Pivoting to Non-Adult Content.

Well, the current image of the adult industry is threatening to steal or at least share in the hype Netflix and Hulu have been boasting of? While startups are still struggling to secure adult merchant account, the industry bigwigs have bigger worries.

In early June of 2017, Netflix banned Sense8, a move that stirred furious reactions on the internet.

Many loved the series for what it was — a drama-packed film exploring eight individuals (The Wachowski siblings) linked by an influential mental bond.

It explored sexual, gender, and racial themes in the ever-conservative media backdrop. Then all of a sudden, Netflix ripped it away from the fans putting it to an end.

Soon after, in mid august, a different media company offered the cast another chance on their platform, far more than Netflix’s two-hour finale they dropped to cool down fans after a month of pressure, which didn’t even serve its purpose.

Instead, fans laughed it off. Perhaps because the company that offered Sense8 a deal is one of the top premier porn tube companies—xHamster.

Alex Hawkins, the vice president xHamster wrote to the Wachowskis offering them a chance to discuss a deal. It was easy to turn down this offer as it looked more like a publicity stunt— just like when xHamster called upon Sean Spicer to join them when he left White House.

Image Alt Tag: Enjoyment in adult industry.

But Hawkins recently explained that this offer wasn’t an attention-grabber as viewed by many. He further explained that xHamster has long planned to venture into producing original mainstream content.

“Last year, we produced Sex Factor, which did so well,” said Hawkins who also claims many other adult sites have been looking to produce content that border porn and cinema.

Pornhub’s Vice President Core Price also agreed that they wouldn’t hesitate diving into mainstream film if the slightest opportunity presented itself.

Hawkins added that we are fast moving from an where a few major public corporations ran the show to a world one where any company with a public following can produce original content and benefit from it.

We can tell that what looked like a joke in August is now a sticking point. Could porn studios branch out to production or at least distribution of original mainstream content? Who knows? Maybe..

Improving Customer Experience & Safety in the Online Dating Scene.

The adult industry particular internet dating sites are still working tirelessly to better the quality of service and figure much of its customer experience (CX).

Professionals from the sector are making adjustments to better UX (user experience) and CX by listening to customer problems and making strategic changes.

According to a study by Crunchbase, dating startups are not attracting as much financing as they should. 

But entrepreneurs haven't stopped trying to get their way through the dating space. Crunchbase News spotted over 40 firms in the "dating" industry established over the last three years in their niches where they believe industry giants like Tinder, Bumble, and the likes haven't occupied.

Here's what some of the company founders and executives had to say about their position in the dating industry and the value they can add to this growing space. 

Better representation—friends and family to contribute to your user dating profile.

The CEO of Wingman, Tina Wilson, says the company intends to improve the dating experience by "outsourcing the swipes." It is difficult to tell whether the hobbies or interest people post on Tinder tells what they love. 

Wingman is a dating startup looking to feature friends and family in the dating process, and the founder is positive that the app will bring change. With this app, pals and siblings describe you and your traits to match you with others based on their pals.

According to Wilson, the way users describe their personality is not always "entirely truthful," The app allows other people to support you even if you think you aren't good enough.

Following suit (featuring family and friends) after Wingman is Ship, a dating app by industry player Match Group, and Betches, a content site.

Tackling harassment.

On the other hand, Plum is looking to tackle the issue of harassment in the dating sector. According to Dave Brandner, the company's founder, the firm's goal is to: allow users, more so women, to enjoy their dating experience.

The app—still in testing— looks to "push" men to maintain proper behavior by employing a rating system centered around three principles: communication, follow-through, and profile authenticity.

The online dating app has set these three principles to fight rude and lustful texts, control the ghosting phenomenon, and foster correct representation. Plum ranks men based on their rating, encouraging good behavior.

With Plum, profiles are not linked to social media; neither are occupations displayed. What's more, it limits profiles to the level of education, and not school. According to Brandner, this not only boosts privacy but also widens the group of people willing to use it. 

 "We do not want to divide the dating market by level of education, ethnicity, or fitness, like an app known as The League which distinguishes itself as a dating platform for the elite," Brandner said. 

How Can We Make Porn that Women will Love?

In an era where sex is the order of the day, porn production might just go out of hand.  According to Cindy Gallop, a renowned sex activist and founder of “Make Love Not Porn”— the world’s top social sex sharing website, there are limits to what defines feminist porn. What’s more, there’s a difference between acceptable adult entertainment and porn that not only exploits performers but also displays scenes that may promote harmful stereotype.

The question as to whether porn objectifies women remains a sticking point. And Cindy blames it on men, further stressing that male dominated industries often produce content that objectify and offend women. Especially, when it comes to commercial advertisements where 97% of creative directors in advertising agencies are men and the negligible 3% are women.

Image Alt Tag: Shaping the adult entertainment industry.

This offensiveness continues despite the fact that women are the primary buyers of every product in all product sectors. While much is being done to better the existing feminist porn, what exactly would it take to re-establish the whole porn industry into a more ethical image that doesn’t taint the woman’s image?

Gallop suggests it starts with me and you; yes, we need to voice it. It’s time the world embraced conversations and talks about sex— no need to keep shying off while things go south in the name of porn. A call for action and quick implementation—which may include a series of short feminist porn—will definitely change the whole world’s attitude.

Find below more tips Gallop suggests may help you improve the porn industry;

Talk freely about sex.

Be natural. Begin talking about sex like it’s part of you. Gallop encourages every woman to openly point out that she takes pleasure in watching porn and give honest opinions on what the industry is producing. This will help break down the common mindset that women don’t enjoy sex and never watch porn.

Additionally, it ascertains that women form a significant percentage of the pornography market. And fiscally, the industry is missing out on a lot of money creating porn that rubs women the wrong way while Adult companies should be reaping these benefits.

Recommend the porn you enjoy watching.

Gallop advises women to actively give recommendations and in turn ask other women for porn. This way, it’s easy to find out what porn you may love watching through other women’s suggestions.

The idea of recommending helps in establishing the concept that women actively watch porn. Moreover, these recommendations not only help female viewers but also plays a significant role in assisting film-makers know what’s relevant.

Share the porn you watch with your partner(s).

No need to cut corners anymore; share your porn with your male partners. This is the easiest way to break it down to your male partners (without breaking their hearts) is to share what you like with them. Women should stop giving men the impression that they like the porn males produce.  

The Status of Online Dating in the US.

Look back a few decades ago, and it’s incredible how dating sites have become a critical tool in our relationship lives.

In the past, people met at parties, weddings, cinemas, subways, events, etc., but that was their thing, and it’s all good—because some still do. But really, we’d be damned if we didn’t leave some history behind for when we’re gone or use this perfect invention. 

Digital dating is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of our time. But what next for the diverse and growing online adult entertainment sector? Well, Pew Research Center held a study in the US that may shed light on the today and future of the internet dating sector.
Here are some of the key points that emerged from the research.

Nearly 40 percent of online hook-ups have led to serious engagements and marriages.

Well, that figure is shocking and beyond our expectations. Many people believe otherwise, as we are about to see.

Pics are the number one determinant for a likable internet dating profiles.

Still, users prioritize factors like; (1) type of engagement, (2) kids or no-kids, (3) hobbies, and (4) spiritual beliefs.

More than 3 in 10 US grownups have dated online.

More than 30 percent of grownups in the US have tried internet dating or used a mobile dating app. However, only 18 percent of all those who’ve tried internet dating has at least one active dating account.

Americans still feel dating over the web has done more harm than good to relationships.

Over 25 percent of the interviewed grownups feel internet dating has done more harm than good to relationships. Only 22 percent feel digital dating has impacted relationships positively.

The rest (more than 50%) did not respond to the question of whether dating online has done more harm than good to human affairs.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The good.

1. Easy, instant hook-ups
2. It links you with people locally and internationally.
3. It gives one a chance to scrutinize possible mates before the meet-up

The Bad and the Ugly.

1. Users falsify their identity
2. Some users are all-out scammers looking to harm others
3. Not many online links lead to emotional ties.

Respondents also cited unwelcome “sexting” or provocative sexual messages from strangers or other users.

The bottom line.

The above disruptions in the adult entertainment sector is a sign we are better than we were a decade ago. And while we may not have gotten rid of all the would-be threats of online dating, it is important to acknowledge where are so far.

It’s true, meeting strangers online puts you in significant danger. But we can never overlook or underestimate the critical role of the dating sector as reflected in this recent research.

The truth is, most service providers are working tirelessly to give the best experience possible. Being a relatively new sector, we must give it time to learn from its mistakes and grow like any other industry.

Hopefully, the adult industry will work to lessen those risks so that Americans can enjoy stress-free online hook-ups.