Mobile Electronics July Issue, 7-1-2016 -- Once upon a time there was a 12-volt technician. After years of learning his craft by working at different jobs, he decided to open his own car audio business. He struggled for years, learning tough lessons along the way. Eventually, after educating himself thoroughly on industry best practices using every resource available, he created a list of procedures that helped grow his business.
With seemingly strong procedures in place, he began to hire and build a team. Despite using common sense to hire, eventually, one of his employees decided he wasn’t happy and left to work for a local competitor. With him were digital files he took on a cloud-based database. The files included build photos taken while working for the shop and operating procedures with sensitive financial data. Without thinking, he brought them to his new shop on his Smartphone and synced his phone with the shop's cloud database. The files were now in the hands of a competitor. Despite his best efforts to protect his shop, the store owner had not taken all steps necessary to protect his data.
In most industries, this practice can bankrupt a company. But in the mobile electronics industry, the common feeling is that as long as you take care of your staff, they'll take care of you. While it might be true in many cases, most lawyers would disagree. Despite the educational resources available to retailers, the concept of protecting proprietary or sensitive information is generally not fully understood to the 12-volt community. To properly ready one’s business for a potential lawsuit, it's important to know what risks are possible and how to prepare for them. That's where consulting with a lawyer could be the smartest thing a retailer ever does.
Mine, Not Yours
Stefan Mentzer is a partner at White & Case, a renowned law firm with offices all over the world. Mentzer specializes in intellectual property law and litigates for clients in several industries including technology, retail, automobile and financial services, among others.
"Store managers, to the extent they have customer information, the products they sell, prices they use and services are essentially trade secret information," Mentzer explained. If two stores offer the same service and one learns of the other's prices, they can drop prices to counter, which isn't a trade secret. But for things like processes and future promotional plans, shop's can protect themselves by requiring employees to sign confidentiality agreements. "They serve two functions: one, to educate employees that information is potentially property of the store and two, to let them know to treat it as property and not take it when they leave. It also functions to ensure that the store owner takes reasonable measures to maintain secrecy of that information," he added.
Read the rest of the story HERE.
Mobile Electronics® announced a new business partnership with BrandSphere™. BrandSphere offers an easy-to-implement, custom-branded mobile app that helps retailers and manufacturers build deeper connections with their customers and maintain those connections for lifelong customer engagement.
“We’re happy to add BrandSphere as a business partner and to offer their mobile application technology to our retailer members and manufacturer partners,” said Chris Cook, president of Mobile Electronics. “Consistent with Mobile Electronics’ mission, this is another marketing and business resource that can help the specialist channel deliver an exceptional customer experience. Customers get instant access to everything they need, while retailers and manufacturers get insightful data to strengthen customer relationships and improve communication.”
BrandSphere is used to create and manage branded Smart Product Identities™ (SPI) for retailers and manufacturers. Consumers can effortlessly connect with product information and resources they need by claiming product ownership and accessing the related SPI’s in a free custom-branded mobile app. Each time a product owner interacts with an SPI, the retailer or manufacturer gains valuable insight into customer interests, product performance, buying trends and much more. Targeted in-app interactive communication provides data-driven insight to improve customer engagement, drive brand loyalty and even guide product evolution.
BrandSphere is demonstrating its mobile platform at the KnowledgeFest® show and conference this weekend in Dallas at Booth #409 on the show floor. Mobile Electronics is at Booth #239.
Spots 2 and 3 switched places in the latest voting update for both retailers and installers. Absolute Electronix moves up 5 spots to break into the Top 10.
Retailer Standings (Industry votes only; highest to lowest)
| Rank | Retailers | % Vote |
| 1 | Musicar Northwest – Portland, OR | 9.5% |
| 2 | NVS Audio – Linden, NJ | 5.1% |
| 3 | Soundscape Car Audio – Plano, TX | 5.1% |
| 4 | Sound Depot and Performance – Gainesville, FL | 4.2% |
| 5 | Prestige Car Audio & Marine – Metairie, LA | 3.9% |
| 6 | Cartronix – Valparaiso, IN | 3.7% |
| 7 | Kingpin Car & Marine Audio Inc – Wilsonville, OR | 3.7% |
| 8 | GNC Customs – Goshen, IN | 3.5% |
| 9 | Mobile Toys – College Station, TX | 3.3% |
| 10 | Absolute Electronix – Rockville, MD | 3.1% |
| 11 | Al & Ed’s Autosound – Los Angeles, CA | 2.8% |
| 12 | Spokane Audio Video Experts – Greenacres, WA | 2.7% |
| 13 | Cartunes – Atlanta, GA | 2.5% |
| 14 | Driven Mobile Electronics – Chantilly, VA | 2.4% |
| 15 | Stereo King Oregon – Portland, OR | 2.4% |
| 16 | Dr Dashboard – Evansville, IN | 2.2% |
| 17 | Explicit Customs – West Melbourne, FL | 2.1% |
| 18 | Sound Wave Customs – Virginia Beach, VA | 2.1% |
| 19 | JC Audio – Jackson, TN | 1.9% |
| 20 | Westminster Speed & Sound – Westminster, MD | 1.9% |
| 21 | Driven Audio Ltd. – Abbotsford, BC | 1.8% |
| 22 | Radios Knobs Speakers and Things – Pontiac, MI | 1.8% |
| 23 | Elite Audio – Spartanburg, SC | 1.7% |
| 24 | Foss Audio & Tint – Tukwila, WA | 1.6% |
| 25 | JML Audio of St. Louis – Fenton, MO | 1.6% |
| 26 | Ocala Car Audio – Ocala, FL | 1.6% |
| 27 | SRQ Customs – Sarasota, FL | 1.6% |
| 28 | Stereo Solutions – Redding, CA | 1.6% |
| 29 | Industry Auto Designs – Las Vegas, NV | 1.4% |
| 30 | Tip Top Customs – Morris, IL | 1.4% |
| 31 | Audio Solutions StL – St. Louis, MO | 1.3% |
| 32 | Sound FX, Inc. – Lewes, DE | 1.2% |
| 33 | Autosound Lab – Fresno, CA | 1.1% |
| 34 | Blvd Customs of Lakeland – Lakeland, FL | 1.1% |
| 35 | Extreme Audio – Mechanicsville, VA | 1.1% |
| 36 | Greg’s Custom Audio, Video & Car Stereo – Pikeville, KY | 1.0% |
| 37 | California Audio – WVC, UT | 0.9% |
| 38 | The Car Audio Shop – High Ridge, MO | 0.9% |
| 39 | Audio Designs & Custom Graphics – Jacksonville, FL | 0.8% |
| 40 | Sound Auto – Hamilton, NJ | 0.8% |
| 41 | Tunes-N-Tint – Lakeland, FL | 0.8% |
| 42 | Sound Solutions – Gulfport, MS | 0.8% |
| 43 | SoundsGood Auto – Coquitlam, BC | 0.8% |
| 44 | Distinctive Car Toyz – Pleasantville, NJ | 0.7% |
| 45 | Adrenaline Autosound – Clayton, NC | 0.6% |
| 46 | Audio Expert Car Stereo – Clearwater, FL | 0.5% |
| 47 | Auto Trim Design – Amarillo, TX | 0.4% |
| 48 | Dreamworks Motorsports – Roxboro, NC | 0.4% |
| 49 | The Sound Shop – Indian Trail, NC | 0.4% |
| 50 | Cypress Auto Sound & Tint – Cypress, CA | 0.1% |
Installer Standings (Industry votes only; highest to lowest)
| Rank | Installers | % Vote |
| 1 | Matt Schaeffer – Safe & Sound Mobile Electronics – Chantilly, VA | 12.0% |
| 2 | Carlos Ramirez – NVS Audio – Linden, NJ | 4.7% |
| 3 | Miguel Vega – Titan Motoring – Nashville, TN | 4.4% |
| 4 | Chris Ott – Amplified Autosports – Tampa, FL | 4.2% |
| 5 | TJ Carlson – Kingpin Car & Marine Audio – WIlsonville, OR | 3.4% |
| 6 | Bryan Piper – Resonance Auto Craft – Corpus Christi, TX | 3.2% |
| 7 | Brent Leavitt – Low Notes Garage – Boise, ID | 3.1% |
| 8 | Christerfer Pate – Mobile Toys Inc – College Station, TX | 3.1% |
| 9 | Mike Schwitz – Sound Connection – St. Joseph, MN | 3.0% |
| 10 | Barry Barth – Prestige Car Audio & Marine – Metairie, LA | 2.9% |
| 11 | David Cruz – Soundscape Car Audio – Plano, TX | 2.7% |
| 12 | Jeremiah Mojica – GNC Customs – Elkhart, IN | 2.6% |
| 13 | Nicholas Frazier – Innovative Concepts – West Springfield, MA | 2.5% |
| 14 | Steve Coogle – Discount Audio – Louisville, KY | 2.5% |
| 15 | Aaron Garcia – Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security – Anchorage, AK | 2.5% |
| 16 | Andrew Emelander – GNC Customs – Goshen, IN | 2.5% |
| 17 | Charles Brazil – First Coast Auto Creations – Jacksonville, FL | 2.4% |
| 18 | Scott Miller – Explicit Customs – West Melbourne, FL | 2.4% |
| 19 | Tim Baillie – HzEmall – Surrey, BC | 2.4% |
| 20 | Jeff Cantrell – JC Audio – Jackson, TN | 2.2% |
| 21 | Warren Williams – Hi-Tech Car Audio – El Cerrito, CA | 2.2% |
| 22 | Erick Markland – Markland Designs – Lithonia, GA | 1.9% |
| 23 | Dan Macilwain – Sound Advantage – Rochester, MI | 1.8% |
| 24 | Daniel DiCampli – Windward Audio – Kaneohe, HI | 1.8% |
| 25 | David Kosakowski – Total image – McKees Rocks, PA | 1.6% |
| 26 | Matt Cropper – Stereo King – Portland, OR | 1.6% |
| 27 | Mike Sandoval – Sound Warehouse – Salt Lake City, UT | 1.6% |
| 28 | B.J. Curcio – After FX Customs – Stamford, CT | 1.6% |
| 29 | Tyler Wilson – Spokane Audio Video Experts – Greenacres, WA | 1.4% |
| 30 | Adam Perkins – Sound Wave Customs – Virginia Beach, VA | 1.3% |
| 31 | Brandon Green – The Car Audio Shop – High Ridge, MO | 1.2% |
| 32 | Cj Silvey – Foss Audio and Tint – Puyallup, WA | 1.2% |
| 33 | Jason Stone – Stereo Solutions – Redding, CA | 1.2% |
| 34 | Andrew Evens – Industry Auto Designs – Las Vegas, NV | 1.0% |
| 35 | John Schumacher – Audio Solutions StL – St. Louis, MO | 1.0% |
| 36 | Bryan Turvaville – Auto Trim Design – Amarillo, TX | 0.9% |
| 37 | John Cage – Spokane Audio Video Experts – Greenacres, WA | 0.9% |
| 38 | Aaron Markwell – Godspeed Rides – Sarasota, FL | 0.8% |
| 39 | Vinny Tullo – VIP Customs – Earlysville, VA | 0.8% |
| 40 | Alan Hogan – Baileys Audio – Lake Charles, LA | 0.7% |
| 41 | Michael Oechsner – Mobile Edge – Lehighton, PA | 0.7% |
| 42 | Rob Miller – JML Audio of St. Louis – Fenton, MO | 0.7% |
| 43 | Brandon Douglas – Adrenaline Autosound – Clayton, NC | 0.7% |
| 44 | Alain Sainvil – NVS Audio – Linden, NJ | 0.6% |
| 45 | Jon Schmitz – Mach 1 Audio – Washington, MO | 0.6% |
| 46 | Dan Castro – The Car Audio Shop – High Ridge, MO | 0.5% |
| 47 | Colton Wadley – Pro Audio – Provo, UT | 0.3% |
| 48 | John Phillips – Stereo One Carbondale – Carbondale, IL | 0.3% |
| 49 | Jonathan Moore – Dreamworks Motorsports – Roxboro, NC | 0.2% |
| 50 | Sam Lee – Audio Xcellence – City of Industry, CA | 0.2% |
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