Alpine Bolsters ‘Brand Business Unit’ to Support 12-Volt Shops
Alpine Electronics of America Inc.’s Brand Business Unit has made heavy investments toward supporting its independent 12-volt retailers, according to the company. The division is responsible for the company’s aftermarket sales.
“We value our independent retailers and applaud them for their passion and dedication to the 12-volt industry,” said Mike Anderson, vice president and general manager of Alpine’s Brand Business Unit. “The addition of new employees, demo vehicles, and in-store displays represent a significant investment into this channel, and we look forward to using these assets to partner with our retailers to help them grow their Alpine business.”
Since 2018, Alpine has hired eight new employees in the Brand Business Unit’s sales department. All eight positions are newly-created field jobs that had not previously existed within the company. The positions include one district sales manager and seven brand specialists who strictly service 12-volt independent retailers with product, sales and marketing support.
The brand specialists oversee six Alpine-owned demo trucks located across the U.S. The vehicles consist of a Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Tacoma, and a Toyota 4Runner. The first three trucks debuted in early 2018, and the three Toyota vehicles were completed last month and are on the road now. All trucks feature the Alpine Halo9 iLX-F309 9-inch AV receiver with a complete X-Series sound system and are outfitted in a distinctive Alpine X-Perience custom vinyl wrap. Alpine has launched an aggressive dealer event schedule for 2019, totaling 200 events of all sizes, and the demo trucks will be featured at many of these events.
Alpine has also implemented an in-store display program. In 2018, 110 displays were distributed to 12-volt independent retailers across the U.S. This year, 50 more displays will be sent to additional retailers. The free-standing displays showcase the Alpine Halo9 iLX-F309 or iLX-F259 9-inch AV receiver along with various speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers.
KnowledgeFest
A key event for 12-volt independent retailers is the MEA KnowledgeFest. Alpine will have a booth at all three 2019 KnowledgeFest shows, the first one taking place in Long Beach, California Feb. 23-25. New products on display at the Alpine exhibit (booth No. 1306) will include the iLX-F259, the PWD-X5 powered subwoofer with built-in four-channel DSP amplifier, and the R-Series speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers. A Ford F-150 demo truck will be on-hand for sound demos at the Long Beach show.
Alpine will host training sessions on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 3-4 p.m., and Monday, Feb. 25 from 10:15-11:15 a.m. The Saturday session will focus on new Alpine source units like the iLX-F259 and the iLX-W650 7-inch AV Receiver. Monday’s session will cover sound system products, including the new R-Series speakers and amplifiers.
Retailers during the event will be able to meet with members from Alpine’s product planning, marketing, and sales teams throughout the weekend.
KnowledgeFest attendees are encouraged to visit knowledgefest.org and use the Education Workshops & Vendor Training-Long Beach link to register for the Alpine training sessions.
