September 2, 2022, Lehighton, PA – 1sixty8 media Inc. announced today that it has been selected by Sony Car Audio to manage all of its consumer-facing social media assets in North America. In this role, 1sixty8 media is responsible for managing Sony Car Audio’s social media marketing and growing its consumer following.
“We have seen our relationship with 1sixty8 media grow from a simple advertising relationship to a key partnership that promotes our brand effectively to consumers all over North America,” said Anthony Tozzi, Distribution Account Manager for Sony. “Mitch and his team have proven to be leaders in their field and deliver on their promises and produce quantifiable results. This has lead us to bring on 1sixty8 media to manage all of our consumer-facing social media.”
“We have been fortunate to work with the tight-knit group at Sony Car Audio for several years,” said Mitch Schaffer, Founder and President of 1sixty8 media. "They’re always a pleasure to work with, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship to include managing something as important as the social media of a highly recognized brand like Sony Car Audio.”
Social media management and marketing services are among the many services 1sixty8 media provides clients of all sizes in the mobile enhancement industry.
Interested parties can learn more about 1sixty8 media’s solutions for professionals in the mobile enhancement industry by visitingwww.1sixty8.com. They can also contact Mitch Schaffer directly at 570-656-6900 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
1sixty8 media Inc. provides high-converting digital marketing and business services to the mobile enhancement industry. Made up of a team of industry veterans, we speak the language of our clients. Our streamlined processes make it very simple and fast for our clients to have a turnkey website solution that is maintained and updated regularly. In addition to our core website, graphic design and content services, we are the exclusive reseller of the Mitchell1 ProDemand software to the mobile enhancement industry. 1sixty8 media is the publisher of BestCarAudio.com, an online magazine that seeks to educate interested consumers about existing and emerging technologies available for today’s vehicles and point them to qualified retailers to purchase the product and get it installed.
November 14, 2022, Lehighton, PA – 1sixty8 media, the publisher of BestCarAudio.com, is pleased to announce the launch of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway. In conjunction with Sony Car Audio, BestCarAudio.com will be giving away over $12,500 in Sony Mobile ES equipment in the days leading up to Christmas.
“Our generous sponsors have been donating products for our giveaways on BestCarAudio.com for some time, but the 12 Days of Christmas promotion will be something really special,” said Mitch Schaffer, founder of 1sixty8 media. “Sony’s forward-thinking approach to business and their generosity are a breath of fresh air. We are excited to be part of this promotion and to be a small part of building brand awareness for the exciting new Sony MobileES line.”
This is not the first time Sony has sponsored a promotional giveaway with BestCarAudio.com. “This summer, we gave away an XAV-9500ES and had over 10,000 entries,” Schaffer said. “We expect this promotion to blow the lid off of that one!”
Anthony Tozzi, Distribution Account Manager for Sony Car Audio in North America, said, "We have been sponsoring BestCarAudio.com for several years and find it a great place to put our brand in front of interested consumers. As we add more products to our Sony Mobile ES line, we wanted an opportunity to make a big splash. I reached out to Mitch and we created the 12 Days of Christmas giveaway.”
Consumers may enter the contest at https://www.BestCarAudio.com/12-days-of-christmas from November 14 through December 23rd, 2022. Starting December 12, 2022, a winner will be chosen every day for 12 days. The value of each prize will increase during the 12 days, culminating with a full Sony Mobile ES system, including professional installation. The top prize is valued at over $6,000, and the total value of all prizes exceeds $12,500. A complete list of prizes can be found at https://www.BestCarAudio.com/bestcaraudio-and-sony-car-audio-launch-12-days-of-christmas-giveaway.
For more information contact Mitch Schaffer at 570-656-6900 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.." style="color: #000000;">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About 1sixty8 media
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022, 1sixty8 media provides digital marketing services and business software to the mobile enhancement industry. Made up of a team of mobile enhancement experts, 1sixty8 media offers social media management, website development, content creation, graphic design services and much more. As the exclusive reseller of ProDemand by Mitchell 1 to the mobile enhancement industry, 1sixty8 media is able to offer a steep discount on the software. Its recently launched 1sixty8 Connect software provides a suite of tools for efficiently communicating with customers, taking payments by text, easily harvesting online reviews and more. 1sixty8 media is the publisher of BestCarAudio.com, the industry’s leading consumer-facing online magazine designed to educate consumers and drive them to qualified retailers.
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1-11-2017 -- Sony has redefined its territorial boundaries and added several new 12 Volt focused distribution partners to more effectively cover the United States, better serve its retailers with timely product delivery, more training, and expertise in the field.
“Adding these business partners on the distribution channel helps our independent retailer channel by providing them the best option for purchasing our product across the entire country, while helping us protect our online representation, pricing, and margins.” said Rick Kojan, National Sales Manager for Sony Car Audio.
New Sony Distribution Partners & Territories
Training events are being scheduled with all distributors, and there will be an intense focus on re-educating retailers across the country on Sony technologies and the product line, as well as techniques to sell the products and features effectively. In addition, the Sony 12-volt Tech Line is dedicated to helping retailers who need assistance on sales or installation tips, and can be reached at 855-SONY-12V (855-766-9128).
Sony Car Audio recently displayed in the North Hall at CES 2017, with a focus on the new XAV-AX100 Car Play / Android Auto head unit, as well as other new products staged for release over the next few months. Contact Rick Kojan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Anthony Tozzi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about the company's distribution strategy or about new products.
September 19, 2018 -- 12-volt industry veteran Jared Bahley has joined the Actionlink Sony Car Audio team as a Field Support Specialist to further improve their ability to support retailers and distributors that sell Sony Car Audio products. Jared will work directly with Richard Wong to travel and assist with these efforts.
Bahley has held many different positions in his 20-year career, and the experience he has gained while serving as a vehicle technician, store manager and owner, project vehicle builder, and manufacturer’s rep will give him the ability to effectively help retailers. Just like the rest of the team, Jared has experienced nearly every part of the 12-volt industry himself, and this knowledge benefits Sony retailers because it is legitimate experience they can relate to and use to improve their business.
“As a long-time Sony fan, being able to work with this top-rated team is a huge opportunity," Bahley said. “With Sony having just won 2018 Vendor of the Year and Top Vendor in Autosound & Processing in the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards, the timing is great, and I’m anxious to help the team get even better.”
“Adding Jared to our team gives us another set of boots on the ground that can increase our effective retailer response time and service. Our distributors will benefit from having added resources on our team to assist with routine items, and this will free some of our existing resources to allow us to get even better at what we do,” added Anthony Tozzi, the Distribution Sales Manager, who leads the Actionlink team.
Sony Car Audio has seen great success over the last two years because of its hands-on, grass-roots approach to doing business right. Sony leads the industry in MAP pricing protection, and retailers have found huge success by increasing the Sony product assortment in their stores because of its profitability. Sony’s dedicated 12-volt tech line (855-SONY-12V) is handled by experts not only in Sony products, but also in-vehicle application, and the dedicated Sony Retailer Facebook group allows fast access to help and creative ideas.
Sony Car Audio and its 12-volt team will be at the SEMA Show in the North Hall at Booth #12053 highlighting the launch of their new XAV-AX210 Car Play / Android Auto head unit with iDatalink Maestro compatibility. Jared Bahley can be reached directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 480-737-5499, and Anthony Tozzi can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 201-400-7833.
December 27, 2022 -- Sony Car Audio has announced the winners from the Sony Mobile ES demo car build contest, which were chosen from the pool of Top 10 candidates by industry veteran judges Bryan Schmitt (Mobile Solutions), Gary Bell (Define Concepts), Paul Trueman (SiriusXM), and Chris Cook (MEA).
The winners are:
"We were overwhelmed with the high number of retailers that stepped up to be part of this contest. Each had a great example of a vehicle they can use to sell Sony Mobile ES successfully," said Anthony Tozzi, Sony Car Audio Distribution Accounts Manager. "Our impartial, outside group of judges spent a lot of time reviewing the Top 10 candidates to make great selections with our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. We're very proud of our retailers and the work they are capable of."
Sony plans to keep retailers engaged in 2023 with new contests, some of which may be tied to new car audio products that will debut throughout the next calendar year.
Contact Anthony Tozzi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about Sony, the Mobile ES line, or how to connect with an authorized distributor.
The Sony Car Audio team has recently filled one of its two Account Manager positions with Jacob Gromovsky. Jacob is based in Atlanta, Ga., covering the Eastern region.
Jacob’s experience as a sales representative managing accounts and understanding the distribution model will help him in this new role. In addition, building relationships and collaborating with customers is second nature to him from his twenty years of experience in the industry.
“Jacob represents what our accounts need in our Eastern territory,” said Anthony Tozzi, Distribution Sales Manager. “His knowledge and ability to help our distributor accounts and retailers will give our small team a much-needed resource out in the field. We are looking forward to finding someone on the West Coast with similar traits as we look to fill that position as well.”
“Individual commitment to a group effort: That is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Those were Vince Lombardi’s words, and I am looking forward to my commitment making a positive impact on this team,” says Jacob.
You can reach Jacob at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To read the job description or fill out an application for the remaining Account Manager position, visit this link.
December 20, 2022 -- Sony Car Audio has announced its Top 10 demo cars from its recent Sony Mobile ES demo car build contest:
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be announced early next week.
Contestants were tasked with building an effective Sony Mobile ES demo vehicle with the following expectations:
In addition to custom plaques and significant account credits for Sony products, the top prize winner gets high-end Sony wireless noise-canceling headphones for the whole crew and a staff dinner with their Sony Field Account Manager.
"Our Sony Mobile ES products are some of the best products we've made over the last 30 years. In this contest, more than 70 retailers submitted a demo car to be judged, so each of them now has a highly effective sales tool to show them off," said Anthony Tozzi, Sony Car Audio Distribution Accounts Manager. "What better way to show off our great product and have a fully functional example of what your installation team can do with it? It's a win-win! Congratulations to the top ten listed here, and we can't wait to announce the winners next week."
Reach out to Anthony Tozzi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about Sony, the Mobile ES line, or how to connect to an authorized distributor.
September 10, 2019 -- Sony has made several moves recently to improve territory coverage in the Northwest, Northeast and in Michigan. Davis Distribution, based in Newell, WV replaces Altron International as the distribution partner covering the state of Michigan. GoFast Solutions out of Middletown, CT replaces MRI Premium Distribution Services in the Northeast. And AM Merchandising expands North and replaces Custom Plus Distributors as the distributor in the greater Northwest. DAS Distributors takes over the entire state of New York to expand the northern portion of their territory. All four partners look to grow Sony sales and leverage their ability to serve retailers at a high level in their respective new territories.
“Growing Davis Distribution’s and DAS Distributors’ territories makes great sense for us because of the great service and support they provide their retailer partners. GoFast Solutions is a new business partner, but their team is familiar with us and how we go to market. Tom Miller’s team at AM Merchandising has proven to be a great partner in Northern California, so their growth into the Northwest was logical. Each will help serve our independent specialty retailers and grow our business in these markets,” said Anthony Tozzi, Distribution Sales Manager.
Davis Distribution will now serve the state of Michigan, in addition to their existing Sony territory in Indiana, Ohia, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania. Davis Distribution can be reached by phone at (304) 387-3900 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
GoFast Solutions will serve the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. GoFast Solutions can be reached by phone at (203) 641-0272, or by emailing Dave Prinz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
AM Merchandising expands from Northern California and Norther Nevada to now serve Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. AM Merchandising can be reached at (510) 653-7134, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
DAS Distributors expands north and now covers Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and New York. DAS Distributors can be reached at (800) 706-0521, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Sony backs all independent specialist retailers through their nationwide network of premium distribution partners and their highly effective representatives. The Sony 12 Volt Tech Line that is dedicated to helping retailers who need assistance on sales or installation tips can be reached at 855-SONY-12V (855-766-9128). Technicians and Sales staff can also join the retailer support Facebook page at bit.ly/SonyDealerPage.
Reach out to Anthony Tozzi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about Sony.
July 17, 2018 -- Sony has enjoyed recent success in its grass-roots effort to educate its retailers, align with top-tier distribution partners, and to increase market share. As a 2016-2017 Mobile Electronics Top Vendor in Autosound & Multimedia with hundreds of retailer trainings nationwide over the last two years, a dedicated dealer technical support line, and a close-knit closed Facebook dealer support group, the time is right to join the Sony Car Audio team.
Car Audio Field Support Specialist - SONY Car Audio
General Position Overview
Sony Car Audio program currently has an opportunity available in the U.S. for a Car Audio Support Specialist, who will be responsible to manage and grow positive relationships and focus on all sales and training activities of client products within assigned locations in a specific territory. Ideal candidates will reside in the Western United States and have English and Spanish bilingual capabilities.
Detail of Responsibilities
Face-to-Face Training: Effectively train in-store sales associates and managers on the features and benefits of Sony’s products.
Sales: Coordinate sales plans and gain commitments for training, assisted-selling and special events to increase sell through of Sony’s products. Track sales success and inhibitors in assigned market.
Territory Management: Coordinate all aspects of Sony’s in-store presence. This involves coverage modeling, coordinating resource support in the market, relationship building and event planning and support.
Distributor Relationship: Work with assigned distributor to represent Sony and drive sales through the channel by partnering with distributor sales network
Trade Shows/Events: Represent Sony and Sony products at assigned trade shows, dealer events, distributor events, etc. Must be able to independently setup/tear down events as required.
Formal Training: Train large groups of people in a formal presentation setting. Ability to demonstrate and effectively communicate features and benefits of client’s products.
Candidate Profile
Contact Anthony Tozzi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or click here to apply online: http://bit.ly/SonyCarAudioSupportPosition
July 10, 2018 -- Sony Car Audio will exhibit at KnowledgeFest in Dallas, Texas in mid-August. As a long-time Diamond level Sponsor of KnowledgeFest, the Sony booth is #201 and is located front and center as you walk into the exhibition hall. Retailers will see awesome new product and get to interact with Sony’s industry-leading support to get answers to questions and demonstrations of product throughout the show.
Sony Car Audio Training Schedule
Friday 8/17/2018 | 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | Why you should be a Sony Retailer | Room C144 |
Saturday 8/18/2018 | 4:45 PM | 5:45 PM | Sony XMGS6DSP & XSGS1631, Bluetooth & Music Center Training | Room C145 |
Saturday 8/18/2018 | 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | Sony XMGS6DSP & XSGS1631, Bluetooth & Music Center Training | Room C145 |
Sunday 8/19/2018 | 3:30 PM | 4:30 PM | Sony New Product Highlight Reel | Room C142 |
“Our team continues to support KnowledgeFest as it gives us the opportunity to interact with our core audience, the specialty retailers. There is no better way to show new products, get hands-on training, and spend time with our supporting retailers,” said Anthony Tozzi, Distribution Sales Manager.
Sony’s National Trainer Kris Bulla will show a brand-new product, demonstrate the XM-GS6DSP 5/6 Channel Amplifier and the XS-GS1631C Three-Way Component speakers, using the Sony | Music Center app to adjust the sound and stream music directly to the amplifier live via Bluetooth and explain the benefits of becoming a Sony retailer.
Register for Sony Car Audio Training at www.knowledgefest.org
February 10, 2022 -- Sony Car Audio will have two demo cars, four trainings, and their entire team at the upcoming Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) KnowledgeFest taking place at the South Point Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, from February 18 through February 20. Sony retailers are encouraged to contact their distributor rep or Sony Car Audio team members for a code to register for the event for free.
Booth #601 on the trade show floor will show off Mike Rundel’s Toyota CH-R and Jared Bahley’s Toyota Tacoma, both of which show off complete Sony Mobile ES audio systems, and highlight the extraordinary XAV-9500ES head unit. Attendees will be able to sit in the vehicles for a guided demo of these excellent sound systems.
National Trainer Kris Bulla will provide three trainings for Sony Mobile ES, including some new products that will be released in the near future, and one training highlighting the benefits and support received as a Sony Car Audio retailer. Attendees are encouraged to register ahead of time by clicking the training links below:
Sony Dealer Support Training
- Friday, Feb 19, 4:15PM-5:15PM, Napa B
Sony Mobile ES Trainings
- Friday, Feb 18, 3:00PM-4:00PM, Napa B
- Saturday, Feb 19, 5:30PM-6:30PM, Napa B
- Sunday, Feb 20, 10:45AM-11:45AM, Napa B
For more information, contact Kris Bulla at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Due to existing ownership changes and a subsequent sale within Sony’s Pacific Northwest car audio territory (Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana); the Sony 12V team will announce a distributor territory realignment effective August 1st.
Sony 12V is excited and fortunate to extend territory responsibility for the Pacific Northwest to a preexisting and trusted partner in AM Merchandising out of Oakland. AM Merchandising, in partnership with Falcon Sales and Marketing has a warehouse facility in Washougal, Wash and an already well establish sales team serving the specialty independent dealer base in that area.
September 29, 2021 -- The Sony Car Audio team will be exhibiting and training at KnowledgeFest from October 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
The team will have their new 2021 Toyota CH-R Sony mobile ES demo car in booth #402, giving live demos. Products will be displayed in their new mobile ES display and retailers will have the ability to interact with team members to learn about mobile ES products and how Sony supports the independent specialist retailer.
“We’re excited about getting in front of our retailers at an event like this, as it gives us the ability to really show off the products and provide great education about our line and support,” said Kris Bulla, Sony National Product Trainer. “Our team is ready to get back to a normal pace of in-person activity and events.”
Sony will be hosting four trainings at the event:
For questions about training, events, or products, retailers can reach the Sony team via the Sony Tech Line at 855-SONY-12V.