Cobra Offers Detectors at MAP for MERA Specialists

Cobra Electronics said it has joined the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association (MERA) and will offer premium radar detectors, jump-starters and dash cams and other products under a special program that is protected by an enforced minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policy.

It will also help MERA retail members use a new in-store pick up program from Cobra.com.

Cobra is essentially taking some of its key products introduced in January and putting them under a MAP program, as well as giving retailers the ability to win sales from its web site.

“If a consumer goes onto Cobra.com and wants to buy a product, he can enter his zip code and participating retailers come up and it exchanges the sale on Cobra.com with the retailer.  So the consumers says, ‘Gosh, that retailers is right down the road from me, I can buy it online and pick it up,’” said Cobra’s Mark Karnes. The dealer is then paid through Shopatron’s system and he gets and electronic payment.

Products under the program include S Series “invisible” radar detectors that install under the hood and then wirelessly connect to a smartphone over Bluetooth, so there’s no wires to run through the car.  The model S120R detector also gives you laser and speed camera detection.  It uses the smartphone as the display once the consumer downloads an app. You can see the S120R at cobrairadar.com.at a suggested retail price of $309.95.

There’s also a  Cobra JumPack a small, travel-sized  device that lets you jump start your car as well as power up devices at $149.95 suggested retail price.

A CDR 900 dash cam uses WiFi to connect to a smartphone to stream video recorded as you drive.  Through an app, users can also remotely command the dash cam to start recording and also control settings.  Through Cloud Mode, users can view their camera in real-time from their smartphone anywhere in the world. The CDR 900 captures 1296P Super HD or 1080P HD video and has a suggested retail price of $249.95.

Commercial trucking GPS and CB radios are also under the new “CobraSelect” program.

Cobra is aiming these products at the driver enthusiast and believes the best place to market them are through enthusiast retailers.  For the retailer, it provides a store traffic builder through widely recognized and heavily promoted products.

Previously, Cobra had one general distribution system that did not enforce MAP.

“We are actively promoting on behalf of the retailer.  We have an extremely high tech platform, an email response system with a national promotion calendar, we drive off a huge data base of users and we have an aggressive social media campaign and aggressive PR campaigns.  So when a retailer connects with this product, he has access to all of this,” said Karnes.

Retailers can contact Cobra for help with their own promotions.

The company will explain the program to retailers at the KnowledgeFest car audio trade show August 16-19 in Dallas, which is sponsored by MERA.