Roman ($PRIVATE:GETROMAN) sells products men need for things like erectile dysfunction and treating hair loss, that most guys don't want to talk about. When it's hard to get word-of-mouth marketing, you have to do something to get on men's minds. And, increasingly, tried-and-true techniques that get dudes' attention, are coming under the microscope for being insensitive, crass and downright sleazy. 

So what's a direct-to-consumer disruptor of the men's health and products market to do? How about sticking your brand behind nearly every single pitch thrown in the Major League Baseball playoffs, for starters? Roman ads are plastered in spots most men can't miss, behind home plate and along baselines in this fall's playoffs, and it looks to be working for them (there are televised ads too). Our first chart tracks the company's Facebook ($FB) Talking About Count, which measures how much buzz a brand is generating on the social network. And Roman is racking up fans in multiple places. 

It looks like Facebook isn't the only place people are piping up about Roman's products. The company's Twitter following is up more than 170% since the beginning of the year - and it was only founded in 2017 - so it is still early stages in terms of both the company's growth and Roman's social scale developing. 

Part of the recent growth Roman is seeing on social could go hand-in-hand with the funding spree the startup has gone on, adding more than $170 million in venture backing, according to Crunchbase, from investors including FirstMark and General Catalyst. Roman has been scaling up MLB ads, from this year's postseason to Boston Red Sox former slugger David Ortiz, who did an ad for Roman. 

Our final chart tracks a key impact - one that goes to longevity. And, let's not forget, it's notable for a company that sells products many men would prefer to keep quiet (Roman advertises "discreet" shipping and packaging) is garnering so many likes on Facebook.

Thanks to the cash infusion, Roman launched products in women's health (Rory) and for smoking cessation (Zero) that is also helping it gain traction in the marketplace - and with more than 30,000 Facebook likes, it looks to be working. 

About the Data: 

Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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