
Consumers spend more on gadgets every year, yet few electronics companies have figured out how to turn a decent profit. Now two authors and a growing list of academics and analysts say the consumer electronics business needn’t be so brutal for product makers. George Bailey and Hagen Wenzek recently wrote the book Irresistible! Markets, Models and Meta-Value in Consumer Electronics to explain how consumer electronics companies can improve with breakthrough technology, strategic partnerships and–though it may sound obvious–paying attention to customers.