Inside Lelo’s Sexual Wellness Marketing Strategy

This isn’t a LELO roast or a fan letter, and these are by no means LELO’s only moves. Just three things I've clocked while studying the sexual wellness space closely for two decades.

LELO has more marketing money than most sex toy brands will ever see, so of course they can afford to be bold. But they also do a few things consistently well that smaller brands can adapt today. You don’t need a global team or massive ad budget to show up like a leader. 

1. Consistent Brand Ecosystem

LELO isn’t reinventing the wheel with every campaign. Instead, they reinforce the same brand story across every touchpoint. Social content, ad copy, B2B media kit, and website banners all support their identity as an upscale, high-tech, design-forward brand. Even when they test new concepts, everything still looks and feels unmistakably LELO.

Smaller brands can borrow this consistency without a $50k rebrand. Start with alignment.

• Does your Instagram bio match your website headline?
• Is your packaging voice reflected in your online product descriptions? 
• Does your latest press release sound like something your brand would actually say?

You don’t need to go luxury or minimal. Just pick a lane and stay in it.

2. They Capitalize on Sex-Positive Holidays

LELO doesn’t just wait for Valentine’s Day. They use lesser-known sex-positive holidays like International Masturbation Month and Orgasm Day to anchor full campaigns, driving traffic and conversions through themed discounts, banner takeovers, and high-gloss visuals that align with their brand voice.

This kind of seasonal alignment keeps their messaging timely without relying on cliché. For smaller brands, it’s a reminder to map your content calendar around more than just traditional retail cycles. If your brand has something to say about intimacy, there’s probably a day for it, and a creative way to claim a piece of that conversation (without being performative). 

3. Real-Time SEO and the Power of Being First

When news broke that sex tech brand Lora DiCarlo shuttered in 2022, LELO was already running Google ads for the keyword "Lora DiCarlo". When people searched “Lora DiCarlo,” the top result was a sponsored ad from LELO linking to their bestsellers page with the headline: “Lora DiCarlo is no more.”

This wasn’t subtle. It was fast, calculated visibility. And it worked. LELO captured search intent in real time before most people had even finished reading the news.

By the way, that is just one example of how a contentious relationship between sex toy manufacturers can play out. I've been saving my stories about working at Lora DiCarlo from 2020-2022 for another day, but you can read this Fortune article about what unfolded in the meantime.

Opportunistic SEO like this isn’t always possible or ethical for smaller brands, but the takeaway is clear: speed matters. Visibility matters. When the sex toy industry (or more specifically, your core category) gets mainstream attention, whether it’s from a viral TikTok video, a news headline (see WNBA sex toy controversy; Harry Style's line of sex toys), or a competitor going under, do you have a plan to show up?

LELO didn’t invent confident marketing, but they’ve mastered the art of consistency and timing. You don’t need to copy their style. You just need to decide what your brand stands for, repeat it clearly, and keep showing up when your buyers are paying attention.