Electric Novelties Lands Industry Powerhouse Rob Phaneuf as VP of Sales & Marketing

By: Andy Powell — Senior Correspondent | B2B Pleasure Products News

NEW YORK, NY — (September 6, 2026) — Electric Novelties is adding more than 25 years of adult retail, sales and product-development experience to its executive ranks, naming industry veteran Rob Phaneuf vice president of sales and marketing, effective immediately.

The appointment represents considerably more than a change behind the sales desk.

Phaneuf will oversee Electric’s sales strategy, team development, key-account growth and new-business initiatives while helping push the company into new product categories. His expanded mandate will also reach into original product development and private-label opportunities utilizing Electric’s manufacturing partnerships.

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For an executive whose career has crossed sales, marketing, packaging, retail strategy and product creation, the new position puts Phaneuf in a role capable of drawing on virtually every part of that experience.

From Pipedream to XR Brands — and Now Electric

Phaneuf arrives at Electric following his tenure as director of sales and marketing at XR Brands, where he was appointed in October 2024.

At the time, JRL CHARTS reported on Phaneuf joining XR after an extensive career at Pipedream Products, where he had spent nearly two decades working across sales, business development and product development.

His career at Pipedream placed him alongside the growth of some of the pleasure-products industry’s most recognizable brands and gave him extensive experience connecting product development with the realities of distributor and retailer sales.

That experience earned industry recognition.

In 2018, Phaneuf was named Business Development Executive of the Year at the XBIZ Exec Awards while with Pipedream Products. More recently, while serving at XR Brands, he was among the nominees for Marketing Executive of the Year in the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards.

Now, less than two years after his move to XR Brands, Phaneuf is taking another major step upward — this time into the vice president’s office at Electric Novelties.

Electric Sees Experience, Energy and Creativity

Electric Novelties Senior Sales Executive Adam Hasner pointed to Phaneuf’s combination of industry experience and customer relationships as key assets behind the appointment.

“Rob brings an incredible amount of experience, energy and creativity to Electric,” Hasner said. “He knows how to connect with customers, build excitement around products and turn ideas into business.”

Those capabilities could prove particularly important as Electric looks beyond simply expanding sales of its existing portfolio.

Phaneuf’s responsibilities include identifying new business opportunities and product categories while supporting original product development and private-label programs through the company’s manufacturing network.

That puts product creation and manufacturing strategy squarely alongside traditional sales growth in his new portfolio.

Phaneuf Eyes Electric’s Manufacturing Potential

For Phaneuf, those manufacturing relationships appear to be one of the biggest attractions of his new position.

“What really drew me to this opportunity is the strength of Electric’s factory relationships and what we can create through them,” Phaneuf said in announcing his appointment.

His goal is to take an infrastructure that already includes established customer relationships, an experienced sales operation, brands and manufacturing capabilities and use those assets to help drive Electric’s next phase of development.

“The infrastructure and connections are already there,” Phaneuf said. “Now it’s about unlocking their full potential.”

That could mean a broader pipeline of original products as well as increased private-label opportunities for distributors and retailers looking to develop proprietary merchandise.

It also gives Phaneuf something particularly valuable for an executive with extensive product-development experience: an established manufacturing platform through which concepts can move from the drawing board toward retail shelves.

A Career Built Around Turning Products Into Business

Phaneuf’s move carries additional weight because his career has rarely been confined strictly to selling finished products.

During his years at Pipedream, he worked across business development and product strategy as the company built and expanded numerous established pleasure-product lines. Industry coverage from that period documented his involvement in discussing product performance, merchandising and the evolution of major categories.

When XR Brands recruited Phaneuf in 2024, the company similarly highlighted his experience in sales, marketing, product development, branding and retail education.

He was tasked with strategic sales leadership and multichannel marketing while helping expand XR’s portfolio through its network of distributors and retailers.

Electric is now giving that experience an even wider runway.

As vice president of sales and marketing, Phaneuf will have the opportunity to connect customer demand, retailer feedback, sales strategy, product concepts and manufacturing capabilities under one executive role.

For a B2B marketplace in which retailers increasingly look for differentiated products, exclusive concepts and stronger brand stories, that combination could become an important part of Electric’s growth strategy.

From Competing in Categories to Creating New Opportunities

Perhaps the most significant element of the appointment is Electric’s apparent ambition to use its existing infrastructure for more than competing within established categories.

Phaneuf has indicated that he sees an opportunity to turn the company’s manufacturing capabilities into a more consistent innovation pipeline.

That means developing concepts and brands capable of opening new business opportunities rather than relying solely on existing product segments.

It’s an ambitious mandate, but one aligned closely with the experience Phaneuf has accumulated throughout his career.

After more than 25 years working at the intersection of sales, marketing, retail and product development, Phaneuf is entering his newest position with both an executive title and a broad operational canvas.

And he appears ready to get started.

“I’m excited to work with Elan, Adam and the entire Electric team to make Electric a true innovation leader,” Phaneuf said.

For Electric Novelties, the appointment brings a familiar industry name into senior leadership.

For Phaneuf, it marks the latest chapter in a career JRL CHARTS has watched evolve from Pipedream Products to XR Brands — and now to the executive ranks at Electric Novelties.

For more information, visit ElectricNovelties.com.

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