TWICE:
Which product segments posted the
best gains in 2011, and what is their outlook for
2012?
Rougas:
For Pioneer, the A/V category posted
the most gains in 2011, and we are expecting similar
growth in 2012. To fulfill the expected demand, we
will be expanding our 2012 A/V product offerings to
give consumers a wider selection of products and
a broader, more affordable price range. We want
to ensure that our dealers have the flexibility to increase
their ASP in the car audio category and offer
their customers a variety of Pioneer A/V models that
fit their desired feature set and budget.
We are also very pleased and excited about the
performance and direction that AppRadio has taken.
Within the timeframe of its initial launch, just a little
more than six months ago, we’ve been able to make
changes to the product. Our recent announcement
on additional apps support and the update on our
AppRadio app will help continue the momentum for
a product that’s smartphone/app driven. This product
is truly innovative and will change the car electronics
landscape, and we’re taking the leadership
approach to help grow our industry.
Navigation is also continuing to perform well for
our in-dash (fixed) systems, even though there’s
been a decline in the overall category, especially in
portable navigation. We are continuing to add strong
feature-sets that appeal to a broader consumer that
is looking for more than just getting from point A to
B. Connectivity such iPhone/iPod and Bluetooth are
now “expected” features, so we’re staying ahead of
the curve by offering key features such as Pandora
and Aha Radio. Stay tuned for announcements on a
suite of additional feature sets that will continue to
support our direction.
We will also be increasing our SCD [single-CD] model offerings in 2012 and adding key features
that have proven to be successful in
other categories such as A/V. Although ASP
continues to be on a decline in the category,
we are adding more features in an effort to attract
new consumers willing to purchase at a
higher price point.
Lehmann:
In-dash multimedia posted the
most gains in dollars, followed by Bluetoothenabled
in-dash CD. Speaker sales were
steady.
Malone:
One of our better category gains
in 2011 came from a surprising source for us.
Amplifiers. Our strong suit has always been
our head units, but this past year a new emphasis
on product development in the amplifier
category met with very positive response
at retail. We plan to keep the momentum going
in 2012 with two new Class D amps that have
high power, a great new sleek, and thinner design
and are very competitive price.
Anderson:
A/V nav has shown significant
growth in 2011, and we’re planning for additional
increases in 2012. The CD receiver,
amplifier and speaker categories have all been
stable for 2011. Within the CD head-unit segment,
we saw pockets of growth with our SiriusXM
bundled product (CDE-124SXM) and
our Pandora-capable units.
Sharma:
Both our speaker and amp sales
showed gains with speakers showing the
most growth. While the coaxial entry price
point continues to be the leader in both units
and dollars for Boston Acoustics, we saw the
most gain in the $499 and up speaker price
point in 2011.
