Five minutes with Nikhil Daftary, MD at Moments Condoms

Sexual wellness has become a hot topic in the last few years, with more big-name brands beginning to support a more holistic understanding of the role sex plays in our lives. We speak to Moments Condoms’ MD Nikhil Daftary about why the company is turning a male contraceptive into something women will feel comfortable purchasing.Inside FMCG: Why do you think it’s important to be making a condom brand that is focused on appealing to women? Where did the idea come from?Nikhil Daftary: I always felt that it was part of my role to help change the culture for women taking charge. I’m a proud husband and father to my beautiful wife and two children. I want my daughter to grow up having her own voice and confidence. I started to develop the Moments brand because I noticed some women were uncomfortable buying and carrying protection. My wife was quite uncomfortable buying condoms when at the supermarket, where, in comparison, I felt more relaxed when buying tampons. This was the start of a curious journey in which I started to wonder if the hesitation and shyness that my wife felt were felt by other women.I invested in some research in 2017 to better understand how women felt about purchasing condoms. The research proved there was a stigma attached to buying condoms; 71 per cent of women were not comfortable buying condoms and 56 per cent were embarrassed to buy condoms.I wanted to do something to help change those statistics. What do you think about the recent push in retail to explore areas of sexual wellness, with brands like David Jones and Adore Beauty now selling vibrators?Sexual wellness has become one of the biggest growth industries, especially since lockdown, as people have been spending more time at home and so placing sex high on the agenda. People are also more open about discussing sex and sex toys than they were 20 years ago, so businesses such as Adore Beauty and David Jones likely want to ensure that they’re catering to consumer needs and the market by carrying products of sexual wellness. For some context, amid the Covid-19 crisis, the global market for sex toys was estimated at $34.1 billion in the year 2020, and is now projected to reach a revised size of $52.1 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual rate of 5.7 per cent from 2020-27.Why do you think we’re seeing more of a focus on sexual wellness in our society? What do you think has changed?In recent years, the number of brands that talk more openly about sexual wellness has dramatically increased as more consumers embrace sexual wellness as an important part of their health, beauty and wellness routine. What we at Moments are trying to do is break the stigma surrounding sexual awareness, in the hope that women can bravely explore themselves and encourage society to look at sex with a healthier attitude.Moments are now on sale in Coles. How does putting Moments into Coles help to push the brand’s message?Most supermarket shoppers are women and we want to encourage women to take control of their sexual health. Coles is a major supermarket retailer that can not only display our product but also spread our brand messaging of health, empowerment and play, which we hope will help women feel confident in purchasing condoms. What’s next for Moments? Any plans for the rest of this year?We have been working tirelessly over the last four years to bring out innovative and consumer-friendly products. We are always on the lookout for new and upcoming markets. From a product perspective, we’re working on new variations of condoms, non-latex versions, hot and cold lubricants, massage oils and feminine personal hygiene. From a new market perspective, talks are in progress with other supermarket retailers and pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in overseas markets. By the end of the year, we want to be in Asian and European markets.