THE SEX FILES: Steve Callow of Perfect Fit Brand Inc. Talks New Adult Products and the World of Sex Toys

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As founder & CEO of Perfect Fit Brand Inc., Steve Callow has been an industry leader in sexual health and wellness for nearly eight years, receiving over 50 award nominations, five product of the year awards, and two “Company of the Year” awards. Perfect Fit’s medical-grade, ergonomic, award-winning sex toys, and arousal rings have consistently exceeded cultural standards, while the company moves forward in creating new tools for functional, pleasurable, and healthy sex lives. With a strong initial push in gay, lesbian, and transgender markets in the past three years, Steve and his staff have expanded their products for straight couples, lessening the stigma of sex toys as just a sex enhancer, instead showcasing their importance as a sexual health tool.

I spoke with Steve about his just-released, totally fulfilling (in many ways) “Xplay Finger Grip Plug Starter Kit” (see the picture above) and about the current world of sex toys.

How do you decide what toy to make or which one needs to be made next?

There is less science and more guessing than there probably should be, at least for me. I spend a lot of time in the idea phase of any product. I’m fortunate that I have a noisy brain, and as a result, I constantly have ideas, many of which need to be sketched and shelved for another day. The ones that other team members like are the ones that will become the focus of my “contemplation.” I’ll usually chew on 6-10 ideas over months or even years. During this time, I also assess many factors that may drive a deployment schedule, like which factory is best suited to manufacture. Is there significant Research & Development or testing still to be done to evolve the idea? Is it a hot product concept? Of course, we look at how it ties into our current product assortment and the upcoming releases already planned.

What trends have you seen come and go…and which of all the types of products you make stand the test of time as far as popularity goes?

Many companies in this industry believe that the product lifespan is only 1-3 years, and then they should be replaced with newly designed models. We certainly disagree with that approach. We think good product design from the beginning means you will have products that establish the “customer experience” bar other competitors will aim for – which in my experience causes the knock-offs to have a shorter lifespan than ours.

Our first few products launched in 2010 are now also our strongest revenue earners. This includes the Fat Boyâ„¢, Cruiser ring, Tunnel Plugs, and the Ergo enemas. In fact, we have seen many of our products continue to grow in sales 10 years after their launch.

Is there a product that seems to enjoy a great big rush of order popularity more than any other?

Our Fat Boy’s deserve special mention as they have become so popular, we have customers paying $100+ shipping to get their $39 Fat Boy shipped to their home country.

Has any product taken you by surprise, as in, how much it flew off the “shelves,” as much as those you had a lot of faith in that didn’t sell as well as you would have hoped?

Yes, for sure! The Hump Gear and Tunnel Plugs were what I had thought would be too specialized to become a huge hit, but boy was I wrong. The Hump Gear was licensed by two other companies, and it was the number one toy at several major gay-focused e-tailers for some time. Tunnel Plugs also blow me away. This invention has led to many companies making similar designs, and even with that, we continue to have a growing customer base for all three styles.

What are the specific challenges of selling online, good and bad?

I’d say it’s developing content and related graphics and getting great photography taken of each product; an important tool to sell the products. Getting models to use on the website is a big plus, but photoshoots are expensive and time-consuming. All the top online retailers that carry us will often reshoot the product instead of using our photos and creating lifestyle or model-focused imagery for their e-commerce and email campaigns. Let’s say content, photography, and website graphics are the most time-consuming and head-achy things for me.

What’s the biggest misconception about anal play from those who have never played’ this’ way? 

I think that is that it will hurt a lot. It actually can feel great, and this is because the anal sphincter is loaded with nerve endings and can generate a lot of pleasure. 

Through all the many awards you’ve received and the obvious positive feedback you receive for your products, of which are you proudest?

My first invention was an enema product; it was the first-ever low-pressure shower enema kit. I spent two years developing the concept, then focus group testing the ideas and finally all the R&D on where to make it, how to make it, how to distribute it, etc. The building of a factory in Toronto to make it was perhaps one of the silliest decisions I’ve made but also one of the bravest.

Do you indeed have one product that exemplifies the Perfect Fit Brand more than any other?

When we set out to make the first-ever penis extender that could give the wearer and the receiver an orgasm, we knew this would be revolutionary. The first means you must really launch a well-designed product, or it will quickly just be an idea that didn’t work. However, we made sure the Fat Boy worked, even when we faced making a choice for materials that would lead to less than the ideal performance from the design. We spent a year developing the first-ever TPR/Silicone blend in our industry, specifically for the Fat Boy. The SilaSkin material is so loved, we make half our products with it now.

What do you have coming on the horizon? Are there any new cool toy ideas you can hint at?

This will be a big year, we already just launched the new XPLAY Line, but I’m thrilled to say we have been successful with two new patents building on the Zoro strap-on, as these patents are issuing. This is exciting for us, and you will see products based on those new patented design concepts. We are also developing more anal toys than we have in the past. There are some more exciting plans too, but I can’t mention them here (but soon!).

Go here to experience all FitBrand has to offer: Perfect Fit Brand

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