episode

05

Inga Bohn (Amorelie): Breaking Taboos, Shadowbanning & the D2C Love Brand Playbook

narrative now by getpress

How do you build a love brand for sexual wellness in Germany—in a category where algorithms shadowban you, paid social is restricted, and yet everyone knows your advent calendar?

In this episode of narrative now , host Max talks to Inga Bohn, Head of Brand & Customer Centricity at Amorelie in Berlin—one of Europe’s best-known sexual wellness brands and the company behind what is likely Germany’s most famous advent calendar. They discuss how a D2C online shop evolved into a mainstream brand now visible in drugstores, TV spots, and out-of-home campaigns across the DACH region.

Together, they explore how Amorelie breaks taboos without being crude, how the advent calendar became their strongest brand asset, why data-driven PR and the "Amorelie Sex Report" capture the attention of newsrooms across Germany, and the roles that creator marketing, shadowbanning, LLMs, and community strategies play in brand building in the age of AI.

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In a nutshell

  • Brand first, performance second Inga explains why pure performance marketing would have only taken Amorelie so far—and how a strong, consistent brand ensures that campaigns perform better, retail partners are easier to convince, and customers across the DACH region keep coming back on their own.
  • The advent calendar as a D2C love brand turbo From a hand-filled DIY calendar to a national icon: the Amorelie advent calendar generates social buzz, creator content, and earned media year after year, serving as an emotional anchor that helps the brand scale across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
  • Media mix despite shadowbanning and advertising restrictions Because paid social and shopping features are restricted on major platforms, Amorelie relies on a mix of out-of-home, (digital) TV, and creator marketing—using the brand as a unifying thread to ensure all touchpoints feel cohesive.
  • Data PR and the Amorelie Sex Report as an earned-attention machine With the annual "Amorelie Sex Report," the team creates a recurring PR platform that reliably provides content for newsrooms—increasing brand awareness without having to burn through new campaign budgets every time.
  • From taboo niche to inclusive everyday brand Instead of focusing on the taboo, Amorelie highlights positive, relatable imagery: shifting from "for women" to "sexually fulfilled humans everywhere"—a branding shift that opens up new target groups and markets.
  • Personal brand as a lever, not a crutch Amorelie benefited greatly from its founder's personal brand before consciously moving beyond it. Inga discusses how to leverage personal visibility without making the company brand dependent on it—and why this step is crucial for sustainable scaling.
  • Brand building in the age of AI and LLMs As people increasingly turn to ChatGPT and similar tools for recommendations, brand strength will determine who gets mentioned. That’s why Amorelie approaches SEO through prompts, communities, and reputation—not just keywords.

this is for you

This episode is a must-listen for CMOs, brand leads, e-commerce managers, and communications professionals who…

  1. want to understand how to in regulated categories (e.g., sexual wellness, health, finance) build brands even when algorithms restrict or shadowban content.
  2. want to scale a D2C or e-commerce business in the DACH region—expanding beyond their own online shop into drugstores, retail, and marketplaces.
  3. are looking for inspiration on how creator marketing, out-of-home, (digital) TV, and data PR can work together effectively in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
  4. want to know how to turn a single hero product—in Amorelie’s case, the advent calendar—into a brand asset with pop-culture status .
  5. want to strategically position their brand in the context of AI, LLMs, and new search methods (ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Reddit recommendations) rather than just optimizing campaigns.
  6. want to learn how in-house teams and external agencies can collaborate so that brand consistency, speed, and fresh input are all possible at the same time.

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