Meet the entrepreneurs aiming to erode the stigma around adult entertainment

VITAL STATISTICS

• Company: Zaucey.com
• What it does, in a sentence: Zaucey is a secure online platform featuring a library of British-made adult entertainment, designed to bring couples together.
• Founded: London, April 2019
• Founder/s: Anna Kieran and Chris Ratcliff
• Size of team: 10
• Your name and role: Anna Kieran, co-founder and Director

What problem are you trying to solve? 

Our mission is to solve the nation’s lovelife– or lack of it. We know that 71% of us aren’t happy with what happens in our bedrooms, 30% us don’t have time and one in five can’t be bothered for sex. This isn’t ok – we want to create a space for couples to enjoy closeness and time together, without shame or embarrassment. Sex is basic to life – and we want to help people have more of it, and better.

How big is the market – and how much of it do you think you can own?

Although the adult industry in UK is massive and brings significant annual revenue, it is mainly online hardcore content which is off-putting for many. We’re not taking on major online competitors, rather creating a niche. Zaucey stands alone as a brand-new offering designed for grown-ups to watch and enjoy without feeling dirty or ashamed.

How do you make money?

Zaucey is a Netflix style subscription model¸ which is age verified and thus adult only.

Who’s on your team that makes you think you can do this?

Zaucey is brought to you by the company who own and run Television X which has been broadcasting for the past 24 years.  Many of our team have been with us for a long time and we have our finger on the pulse of what is hot and what’s not in the wonderful world of adult entertainment.  We get direct feedback from customers all the time – and so we know what people want, and how to give it to them.

Who’s bankrolling you?  

We are self-funded but, we’re lucky to have been able to explore synergies with a number of companies with aligned media and technology interests which has allowed us to keep tech support and development costs down.

What do you believe the key to growing this business is?  

Fundamental for us has been listening to consumers and understanding the market. Also, we’ve chosen to do this at point in which we’re ready for it – with decades of experience and the right contacts under our belt. But most importantly, the key for growth is to be creative. With lots of traditional routes to finance, marketing and sales simply not available to us, we know that a creative approach to how we run, sell and grow this business is fundamental, and is also asset – we get to make our own rules.

What metrics do you look at every day?

Our web traffic, sales and what customers are browsing and watching on the site

What’s been the most unexpectedly valuable lesson you’ve learnt so far?

People have very fixed views of what adult entertainment is. Although Zaucey is a whole different offering which could surprise viewers, we have to be able to get their attention in the first place – that means talking first to people about the things they feel comfortable with first.

What’s been your biggest mistake so far? 

We are trying to avoid making mistakes! Key I think is to not try and compete with the online tube sites.  We are offering a different product for a different audience, and thus digging into a niche no one else has explored yet.

What do you think is on the horizon for your industry in the year ahead?

The conversation around adult entertainment is changing, but slowly. It’s happened with sex toys – all of a sudden, they’re not taboo. Likewise, we know that huge numbers of men and women watch adult material, but there needs to be more on offer than just unregulated hardcore. I think people will start to understand what erotic content is and what it has to offer, and this could help spark a new debate which starts to erode the stigma around adult entertainment.  I think couples starting to watch erotic movies together is the next frontier – and we want to lead the way in breaking down the taboo.

How would a no-deal Brexit affect your business or others within your industry?

We celebrate the best of British with Zaucey, and we are proud of what we do. As our films are British made and with a specifically British focus (our UK humour is one of our selling points), Brexit is unlikely to affect us too much. Actually, it’s given us some creative input – we have a parody around the Brexit proceedings site, called ‘Hard Brexxxit’.