- MANAGEMENTMARKETlNG
INTO THE ACT OF SEX
HinterdemNamenDurex,demeuropäischenMarktführerbeiKondomen,verbirgtsichmehr,alsman
aufdenerstenBlickerkennenkann. NunwilldasUnternehmenmitseinenProduktenauchnochden
RestderWelterobern.JULIAFINCHberichtetOberdieProdukteunddiePläne. M!i1ll'iBegleitung
Übernahme
Weißrussland
Milliarde(n)
Marke
Konkurrenz
hier:gleiclibleibendeausmat
Gerat;hier:Senpielzeug
A,"",-einenOrgasmusvort.1uschen
fußpflege
Vorspiel -
Besitz
voneinerSachebegeistertsein
(billig!!lImitation
Markenname
Gleitmittel
Altenlieim
Opem-
einenOrgasmustiaben
Orthopadie-Produkte
GewinnvorSteuern
vonprivatenBeteiligungs·
gesellschaften
-sicher
Recherchell,forschung
Straßenkarte:hier:PlanSDnstigstesAngebot
allesändernAbsatl.Umsatz
Leiowand
Soh_.
durchGeschlechtsverkehr
iiberlrageneKrankheit
Aktiexcompaniment1~'k"m~anIJ
atQuisition[,'l'kwl';u['nj
Betarus[,bel,,'TU:~]
billionf'brlj;m]
brand[br~ndJ
competitionl,r.:omp~'llJ·nl
conslstenc)'Lr.:~n'slSl;m~il
deYlceIdi'v:usJ
distributionchannei
I,dlsln'bju;[>nelIsureStil.lm'I:.:!'1[~:"='::J==-~--=~~~~~~g:~'i'etw.gew3hr1eislen,sicheßtellen
enrcfseanoption einOptionsrethtallSiiben
[,eh..salz 311 'orI"TI]
lakeit I'fclkrt]
fOlltcareI'futke..]
foreplay['b:plelI
holdill&['Ii:lUluIlJI
into:be-sth.l'wlUl
knock-oft['nol;:ofJ
~bell'lclb>lJ
lu~nt['Iu:brrblill
nursior;Iiomer'1I3:S11Jb3OlIl]
operaticI,op;,'rn:lltl
O!P-sm[',):!I::CUl1l]
orthol»edlcsr,:.:ll,)'pi:dlks]
pre-taxprofitl,pri:la:ks'pmfnj
privateequityt.prar\'~l'ekw:lri]Inarcccssion,sexisnota badbusinesstobcin."We
areverycarefulnottasay'recession-l!ffiQf,"saysGar-
f)'Watts,..butpt'OplearenotgoingtOStaphavmgsex."
Thcsameis(rueoffoorcare,Wattsadds.Notrhatrhe
SSLbosshasanrsortoffootobsession,butbecausein
additiontolubricantsandvibrators,rhecompanyseils
footcareproductsasit uwnstheOr.Scholl'sbrandOut-
sidetheUSo Thecomhinationofcondomsandfoot
creams,heexplains,isnOtadesiretacoverrhemarket
fromdiscotanursinghQmC- it'sbecausetheproducts
sharethesamedisrributinnchatwels.·proofIpru:f]
researchLri's3:IIl
roadrMp['r.lOl1ma:pjtakeoverL'lclk,;>{)v;,1
transformational:be-
I,Ira:nsr..'melJ>fI.~1j
turl'lO'ltt1'13:n,;>l.lVil] Umsatz
twinkJe;- illsb.'seye['twII)""') hier,ersterAnflugeinerIdee
(twinkJe funkelnl::.:-_~
"""'~~="~lo:·.~"d~,.=·.:;.J'~-----;;u"'"'''.~''''''he ----"The average customer
takes seven seconds to
choose a condom"
"'Ourresearchshowsthat 40 percentofwornenarenot
satisfiedwirh rheirorgasms," saysValle. "'Thar isa
missedopponuniry.And 67 percentdonotorgasmon
a regularbasis.Thatisa bigneed."
Inthelargeofficenexttotheraomwherewewarched
theadareideasfurIlewDurcxproducts.Thereisa fair-
Iylarge,brightpinkpyramid,bmaskingwhatit is,or
whcreonemightputit,seemstoonaive.Next(Clitisa
pieceofelectronicequipmcmrhatcanbeconnectedto
aniPod- forbus)'warnenonthemove,I suppose,
whoaredererminednottOmissanyoppottuniry-
("venif it'sona busorwaitingtobeservedin:lshop.
I
n atypicalBritishofficenorfarfromtheManches-
terUnitedfootballstadiumOldTrafford,themar-
ketinghcadofa largecompanyvicwsherlatcstad-
vertisingidca.Pcojcacdontoa~oneafterthe
other,arethefacesofabout 30 wornen- aUatthe
cxactmomentoforgasm.ThcsoundsarepureMeg
Ryan,fakln~jtinthefilmWhenHarryMet-So/l)'-
althollghthesewOlllenarenotquiteasloudandhave
a lightoperatjcaccolllpanjmellt.Themarketingbossis
assatisfiedwithheradforDurexPlayasitsstarsap-
peartObe.
ThisisSSLInternational,owneroftheDurexeondorn
hri!w;f,a businesstbatIS"'inmrheaetofsex",explams
AnnaValle,thcmarketingchief.Shehasa "'roadmapco
expalldacrossthewholcsexlandscape",andshein-
tendstouseit.HermissionistotransformDurexfrom
beingjusta formofpcorection,imobeingabrandthat
promisesbettersex.
Aspartof(hebrandexpansion,SSLisnowsellingvi-
brarors,penisrings,uilsandlubricanrs\lndertheDurex
Play.1a.bcl.In(Wo}'ears,it hasgonefroma nvinklein
chiefexecurive GarryWatts'seye ro a [40million
(abollt€45million)brand."Forcplay,"declaresVallc,
"'isa keyoccasion."
TheJarestPlayproductis"Play0"- a warminggel
thatpronusesmoreandbetterorgasms.Irwentonthe
marketlastycarandhasbeensellingcxtremelyweil.60 BusinessSpotlight 5/2009