The sexual wellness industry has grown into a $43.1 billion market, yet brands still struggle with advertising restrictions, compliance and retail gatekeeping.
In this article, we'll break down the most effective marketing strategies for sexual wellness brands in 2025. Here's what you'll learn: how to navigate platform restrictions, build compliant marketing strategy for your sexual wellness brand, and create customer relationships that drive long-term growth.
Why is the Sexual Wellness category the next big DTC opportunity?
The market opportunity has never been bigger. According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, The global sexual wellness market reached $43.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit $62.4 billion by 2030, representing a 7.68% CAGR. This makes it one of the fastest-growing consumer categories.
Consumer attitudes have fundamentally shifted. Today, 73% of Gen Z adults view sexual wellness as essential to overall health, compared to just 42% of Baby Boomers. This generational change has created massive demand for innovative products and educational content.
Direct-to-consumer brands are disrupting traditional retail. Companies like Maude, Dame, and Unbound have raised over $20 million combined, proving that venture capital now views sexual wellness as a scalable business opportunity.
This makes it harder for brands to rely on traditional advertising channels. Platform restrictions have created a complex scenario where success requires education-first approaches and owned media strategies.
That’s why leading DTC brands are turning to mobile apps.
Appbrew helps sexual wellness brands bypass ad gatekeeping, build compliant educational experiences, and convert more customers through native mobile apps.
Which brands are successfully marketing Sexual Wellness products?
New age direct-to-consumer brands are reshaping the sexual wellness market through bold marketing campaigns. These brands are focusing on community building rather than just selling products.
1. Maude
Maude has raised $10.1 million by making intimacy mainstream through minimalist aesthetics and inclusive messaging. Their coverage in Vogue, The New York Times, and mainstream publications demonstrates successful category repositioning.
2. Dame
Dame focuses on closing the "pleasure gap" through research-backed product development and feminist messaging. Their crowdfunding campaigns and PR stunts generate significant earned media coverage while building community.
3. Unbound
Unbound targets younger consumers through bold, sex-positive marketing across social media platforms. Their subscription box model creates recurring revenue while introducing customers to new product categories.
What marketing strategies work best for Sexual Wellness Brands?
The most effective strategies combine compliance-conscious advertising with community building and customer education.
1. Personalized messaging
Each generation responds to different messaging approaches and visual styles. Understanding these preferences helps brands create content that resonates without alienating other segments.
Gen Z consumers (ages 18-26) respond to authentic, inclusive messaging that celebrates diversity. Use bold visuals, educational anatomy content, and partnerships with sex educators and progressive influencers.
Male consumers across age groups often prefer discreet, performance-focused messaging. Highlight practical benefits, durability, and partner satisfaction without alienating female customers through separate messaging strategies.
Millennial women (ages 27-42) prioritize wellness integration and premium quality. Position products as self-care investments and emphasize ingredients, materials, and health benefits through partnerships with wellness influencers.
Older consumers (45+) value discretion, quality, and health benefits. Focus on relationship enhancement, sexual health, and medical validation through healthcare provider partnerships and conservative visual approaches.
2. Educational content marketing
Educational content serves multiple purposes from brand awareness and trust building, to long term growth. Brands that become trusted information sources often see higher conversion rates and customer lifetime values.
Content marketing opportunities include:
- Beginner guides that rank for high-intent common questions keywords
- Health and wellness articles that position products within broader self-care contexts
- Video tutorials that demonstrate proper usage and safety
- Expert Podcasts and interviews with healthcare providers and sex educators
3. Influencer marketing & celebrity partnerships
Influencer marketing works exceptionally well because personal recommendations reduce purchase anxiety. Choose partners who authentically align with brand values and have engaged, relevant audiences.
Micro-influencers (10K-100K followers) often deliver better ROI than mega-influencers because their audiences trust their recommendations more deeply. Focus on sex educators, wellness coaches, and lifestyle influencers who regularly discuss intimate topics.
Celebrity partnerships can mainstream your brand and reach new audiences. However, ensure celebrities match the vibe of your brand to maintain authenticity and long term growth.
How does mobile apps help in marketing for Sexual Wellness brands?
Mobile apps solve the biggest challenges facing sexual wellness brands: privacy, education, and platform restrictions. Apps create controlled environments where brands can provide personalized experiences without external limitations.
1. Privacy drives customer comfort
Mobile apps create a safe, secure space for customers to explore and shop without the exposure that comes with social media ads or shared browser histories.
This privacy advantage leads to:
- Higher conversion rates as customers feel more comfortable completing purchases
- Longer time spent comparing and researching products
- Fewer abandoned carts due to a judgment-free, distraction-free environment
2. Educational content
Mobile apps allow sexual wellness brands to deliver private, personalized educational experiences. However, they must still comply with content guidelines from platforms like Apple and Google. That said, mobile apps remain a powerful channel to educate users discreetly and meaningfully.
Sexual Wellness brands can use in-app content to share:
- Step-by-step product guides and safe usage instructions
- Expert-led insights and medically reviewed tips
- Discreet learning formats such as push notifications, Q&A modules, or private journeys
3. First-party data enables advanced personalization
Your app is the richest source of behavioral insights. Every tap reveals customer preferences, and shopping intent. The data which otherwise you don’t get from retail channels. Appbrew helps use this first-party data to create powerful personalized experiences.
First party app data helps in:
- Personalized product recommendations based on browsing and purchase history
- Email, push, and SMS segmentation for retargeting campaigns
- Automated campaigns triggered by specific in-app actions like abandoned carts, wishlist additions, or search activity when synced with Klaviyo.
4. Native subscription management
Mobile apps provide seamless subscription experiences that increase customer lifetime value and reduce churn rates. Sexual wellness products often require ongoing replenishment, making subscription models natural revenue drivers when integrated thoughtfully into app experiences.
Native app subscription management offers several advantages over web-based subscription:
- Simplified subscription setup during initial product purchase without redirecting to external payment pages or signing on the website
- Easy modification options allowing customers to adjust delivery frequency, swap products, or pause subscriptions
- Predictive restocking alerts based on usage patterns and previous order history
5. Push notifications
Mobile apps offer unlimited free push notifications compared to costly SMS campaigns and email service fees that scale with audience size. While email marketing costs increase with subscriber count and SMS campaigns charge per message, push notifications remain free regardless of how many customers you reach.
The most effective push notification strategies for sexual wellness brands include:
- Exclusive personalized app-only offers for abandoned cart recovery
- New product announcements for relevant customer segments
- Restocking alerts for wishlisted or previously purchased items
However, given the intimate nature of sexual wellness products, timing and frequency require careful consideration to avoid embarrassing customers. Allow users to set their preferred notification times and frequency during app onboarding. Some customers may prefer weekend-only notifications, while others might want immediate alerts for restocks or exclusive offers.
With AI-powered personalization, advanced push campaigns, and subscription management, Appbrew gives you a direct channel to grow without worrying about bans, flags, or ad limits.
What are the advertising rules for Sexual Wellness Brands?
Platform policies vary dramatically, but none make advertising easy. Understanding these restrictions helps brands avoid account suspensions and wasted ad spend while identifying opportunities competitors might miss.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
Meta allows sexual wellness advertising to users 18+ with important distinctions. Ads must focus on health benefits rather than sexual pleasure. Products promoting sexual pleasure face stricter restrictions than reproductive health items like contraception.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram) works best when brand:
- Use educational framing and avoid explicit imagery
- Target broader interest categories rather than sexual behaviors
- Focus on wellness and health benefits in ad copy
- Note that women's sexual wellness products historically face higher rejection rates
Google Ads
Google permits sexual wellness products when positioned educationally. Ads cannot be sexually suggestive or focus on pleasure, and personalized advertising for sensitive health topics faces restrictions.
Google Ads works best when brands:
- Use broad match keywords focused on wellness and health
- Ensure landing pages remain educational without explicit content
- Target users 18+ with family-safe page content
- Avoid explicit sexual terms that trigger automatic rejections
TikTok
TikTok prohibits sexual products but allows health-focused discussions. While direct promotion is banned, educational content about sexual health is permitted if non-explicit and health-focused.
Tiktok works best when brands:
- Partner with creators for educational sexual wellness discussions
- Focus on destigmatization rather than product promotion
- Build audiences through health education, then drive to owned channels
Reddit offers the most flexibility for sexual wellness brands. The platform allows open discussion and advertising in relevant communities focused on wellness or sexual health.
Reddit works best when brands:
- Target relevant subreddits with authentic, educational content
- Provide genuine value to community members
- Engage in discussions rather than purely promotional posts
Conclusion
Marketing Sexual wellness products in 2025 requires a strategic approach that works within platform restrictions while building direct customer relationships. The brands succeeding in this space combine educational content marketing, compliant advertising strategies, and owned channels like mobile apps to create personalized experiences.
Want to see how your Sexual Wellness brand could grow with an owned mobile app? Schedule a free strategy call with Appbrew.
