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For many, today’s electronics are sexier than sex itself!

Nearly half (47 percent) of British men surveyed earlier this year by a consumer electronics retailer stated that they would give up sex for six months in return for a 50-inch plasma TV. (One-third of women said they would do likewise.)

Before you dismiss this as a wacky bunch of blokes who’ve lost their libido, know that MSNBC posed the same question on its Web site soon after the initial survey and 44 percent of the 10,185 responders, mostly Americans, (presumably both men and women) said, “Show me the plasma!”

Can anyone question the motivating power of consumer electronics?

What's popular in the electronics world constantly changes, of course, but the category itself has long held the top position in terms of redemption at BI, a Minneapolis-based performance improvement company that creates sales incentive programs for thousands of employees at Fortune 500 companies around the world.

In past years, BI offered about 40 different products in its inventory of consumer electronics, according to purchaser Sandy Schrock. Now, the company stocks more than 100 items in the category and updates them monthly if not more frequently.

Studies have shown that non-cash incentives — specifically, those items that people either can’t afford to purchase or feel guilty doing so — are significantly more effective than cash in motivating employees to reach goals. Electronics is the sweet spot of these so-called hedonic luxuries.

Interactive Web Feature:  Hover your mouse over our sales go-getter below for more tips and ideas...

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A Sense of Direction
Innovation in GPS technology has raised consumer awareness and interest and unearthed new applications. The Consumer Electronics Association reports that one-fourth of online consumers say they plan to purchase a GPS device within the next year (and would spend an average of $410). Magellan is one of the most recognized and respected names in this category. The Magellan Maestro 5310, with its 5-inch widescreen, responds to the request for an easy-to-use vehicle navigation device with increased map and font sizes. For more information, call Raphel Finelli at 408-250-1778 or e-mail rfinelli@magellangps.com.

Why Wait for the Paperback?
The portable, paperless Kindle electronic book reader from Amazon is a hit. The company doesn’t release sales numbers, but publishing insiders have estimated that more than 10,000 have been sold since it was introduced last November. Amazon sells most Kindle books for $9.99. It also downloads daily newspapers and magazines. For more information on incorporating Kindles in your next incentive program, visit www.amazon.com/merchrewards.

Picture Success
How much do Americans love photography? Some 9,000 people a day are said to visit B&H Photo-Video, a 70,000 square-foot emporium of camera, audio and video equipment. “What I learned at B&H was that if you want to kill the afternoon,” writes Patricia Marx in an electronics column in The New Yorker, “ask a Nikon person why Nikons are better than Canons, or vice versa.” If you’re looking to motivate serious photographers and day-trippers alike, you can’t go wrong with Canon’s EOS Rebel XSi, an easy-to-use digital SLR that brings technological innovation to the masses. For details about using Canon products in an incentive program, call 866-50-CANON, or visit www.usa.canon.com/corporategifts.

The Measure of the Man
There’s no getting around it: a man’s TV says a lot about him. The XBR6 series from Sony includes a USB port for music and photo playback; for the latter, Sony includes an Ethernet port on the back that can communicate with DLNA-compliant networked PCs to display digital photos on the big screen. Experience Sony unique features like an enhanced Xross Media Bar® with 3D graphics and integrated TV Guide program information, DMex functionality that allows you to add capabilities to your TV, and BRAVIA Engine 2™ for an even better picture. For more details, call Sony Premium and Incentive Sales (www.motivation.sony.com) at 800-833-6302.

It’s A High-Def World
Hitachi’s DZBD7HA camcorder records in full HD, and can save video on both the 30GB hard and either DVD or Blu-ray Discs. Capturing six times the data of standard definition camcorders, his camcorder delivers great detail and texture. It also takes beautiful 4.3-megapixel still photos and saves them on to an SD memory card. For more information, call Eric Anderson of PMC at 262-743-2095, or e-mail eric@pmcusa.com.

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