The sex toys market has been releasing an abundance of high-tech products in recent years, and one of the companies that has successfully focused on the growing demand for electro-sex toys is ElectraStim. Based in Hertfordshire, England, ElectraStim has been building its brand with a strong tech focus and a diverse catalog that features masturbators, dildos and many other toys. And after making its presence felt in Continental Europe and the British Isles, ElectraStim is greatly expanding its promotional efforts in the U.S. in 2017.
“We have been supplying the ElectraStim range of electro-stimulation products into the U.S. for over 10 years, but only to a few select distributors who are willing to go through the import process and pay in pounds sterling,” ElectraStim Director Andy Smith told XBIZ. “In order to make ElectraStim more accessible, we have set up a pick/pack warehouse operation in Florida, with the first stock consignment [that shipped] out at the beginning of June.”
Years of knowledge and experience has enabled us to become a world force in the development of erotic digital stimulation techniques. -Andy Smith, ElectraStim
A key part of ElectraStim’s promotional push in the U.S. in 2017 has been its increasing presence at North American adult industry events. After promoting its brand at XBIZ Miami in late May/early June, ElectraStim will attend the ANME Founders Show in July — marking its first time exhibiting at the Burbank, Calif., gathering.
“We have attended previous (XBIZ Miami) Retreats, but only as a U.K.-based company, with the limitations that come with this approach,” Smith explained. “(XBIZ Miami) will be followed by ANME in July, which we are very excited to be at and will be a first for us. So as to further promote ElectraStim in the U.S., we have been running occasional printed and on-line ads — which will escalate in the coming weeks.”
Smith added, “As we have only recently formed a USA company, we have not previously qualified to exhibit at ANME. So, this is a fresh opportunity for us to meet a wider USA customer base as well as mingle with our existing industry friends.”
ElectraStim’s parent company, Cyrex, was founded in 2001. Although ElectraStim has had U.S.-based customers, its North American expansion is designed to bring in a lot more of them.
“To further simplify the ordering process, we now have a USA company, Cyrex Inc., with a U.S. dollar price and invoicing structure to avoid the need to go through the foreign exchange rates and payment process,” Smith pointed out. “In summary, customers will be dealing with us just like any other USA manufacturer.”
In addition to masturbators and dildos, ElectraStim’s catalog has featured products ranging from cock rings to BDSM toys to gels and lubricants. One of its most successful products has been the Jack Socket.
“At ElectraStim, our specialty is not only creating electro-sex toys that satisfy our customers, but to continually innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible with this type of stimulation,” Smith emphasized. “When we released the Jack Socket in early 2016, it was the first electro-stroker to hit the market; so, customers and retailers had never seen anything like it. By combining a realistic masturbator sleeve with our electro-technology, we managed to create a toy that had a familiar concept but a brand new experience that no one had tried before.”
Smith continued, “Specific toys aside, though, as a company, we strive for excellence in everything we do. If we’re not as confident as possible that customers are going to love a new toy, we go back to the drawing board until we are. We take a great deal of pride in our sleek designs, eco-friendly rechargeable stimulators and wide range of toys for all levels of user experience. We see ElectraStim products as high-end gadgets as well as a sex toy; so, we always try to convey that.”
Smith observed that one of ElectraStim’s goals has been to help create a greater awareness of electro-stimulation.
“ElectraStim’s brand owner, Cyrex, was founded in 2001 with the sole intention of offering a unique sexual experience to both couples and individuals, regardless of their gender or sexual preferences,” Smith asserted. “Our specialist background in neuromuscular stimulation is the foundation of all our products, making us unique in the field of erotic electro stimulation, commonly known as EES or e-stim.”
ElectraStim has been designing and manufacturing its products at a facility in Hertfordshire County, which is in Southern England about 25 miles north of London. In addition to Smith, important players in ElectraStim’s U.K. office include Claire Blakeborough, marketing and communications manager, and Brad Taylor, sales manager.
“Part of what makes ElectraStim work is that we’re a small, close-knit team,” Smith stressed. “So, everyone has had direct input in the company’s success. Our team in the workshop have been busy making and testing new stock to be sent to the U.S. Claire, our marketing manager, makes sure we have the photography/design and a clear plan in place for promoting each product, while Brad — our new sales manager — is out on the road and on the phone getting our products in front of consumers and our customers. Of course, I’ve had to deal with most of the logistical setup of our U.S. presence, but every team member has pitched in — not only with this expansion, but with everything we do.”
Some of the products ElectraStim plans to feature at the 2017 ANME Founders Show include the Jack Socket XL and the new Prestige ElectraLoops.
“This year, we’ve released Prestige ElectraLoops, which expanded upon our own design for rubber electro loops,” Smith noted. “The rubber is thicker for more contact and intense stimulation; plus, we’ve added a splash of color with some anodized metal adjusters. We’ve also just launched Jack Socket XL, which is a more accommodating experience for guys with a thicker than average penis. In fact, this product highlights one of our key strategies, and that’s to be responsive to feedback. Some customers asked for the choice of a wider sleeve that would still fit inside the original case. So, that’s what we delivered.”
Smith continued, “Everything we make, though, is the result of careful research, testing and working closely with silent reviewers to hone the concept. I think we’re all perfectionists at heart; so, we work hard to make sure we can all be proud of the experiences our toys provide.”
In the U.K., one of the adult industry events ElectraStim has been attending is ETO Magazine’s ETO Show, held in Birmingham (ETO stands for Erotic Trade Only). ETO has its own awards presentation, and Cyrex won Best Specialist Products Distributor at the 2014 ETO Awards.
“Innovation is probably our core vision/aim at ElectraStim,” Smith asserted. “We don’t want to just reproduce toys that other manufacturers are doing for the sake of it; so, everything we make is designed to offer something different to what’s already out there. That includes improving our older designs too.”
Smith added, “Years of knowledge and experience has enabled us to become a world force in the development of erotic digital stimulation techniques. We have created an innovative range of stimulators and electrodes that have made ElectraStim a popular brand for beginners and experts alike.”
