re: How big a blunder was it for Coleman / Igloo not to invent the Yeti style cooler?

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I'm not sure people would have paid $400 for an existing brand due to perception. Part of Yeti's success is the perception that they are high quality because they only make expensive ones.

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Good point.

Yeah, Igloo and Coleman are really hurting because of Yeti...

Unfortunately, you need to look like this guy to carry one....

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Of course it's a blunder, they lost market share

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I'd venture that just as many blunders start with thinking you can capture 100% of the market instead of understanding where and how you fit.

I won't pretend to know the cooler game well but it seems the type of situation where it takes an outside innovator to make this initial shakeup introducing a "lifestyle" product and then people start looking to the existing brands to fill similar quality at a more reasonable price

Coleman's problems really aren't with their ice chests, although they could make them better IMHO.

I think they've abandoned or neglected a good bit of their traditional market, and it is a mistake. In the past they stood for quality lanterns, stoves, and other camping gear.

To me they are now becoming just a mass-market manufacturer, not concentrating on their own brands, but making cheap crap for lesser companies to sell.

The quality of their traditional camping equipment is not as good, and they are branching out into other areas that are silly, to be honest.

Igloo and Coleman should use adds with the phrase...

"Ice is Cheap"

or

"Ice is Inexpensive, so are our Coolers..."

Nah....you let an up and coming company take the risk and pay for all the R & D, marketing, and proof of concept.

Once the product is successful. You use your attorneys to get around the patent....roll out your version....and increase you stock price.

We have a large yeti cooler that the wife got through work...have never used it.

Yeti is useful for one thing, going on a boat. When I see dumbasses lugging one around campus tailgating, I lose some respect for their ability to make a decision

I would be glad to pay double the cost of any igloo for one with double thickness insulation and much better hinges. make it with the same plastic construction, just thicker and a "little" stronger lid. no need to be able to park a car on it but make the lid realistically double as a seat like it often gets used as.

but I sure as hell would not pay over $60 for ANY ice chest, under any situation, no matter how super great it is.

there is a huge market opportunity there for a company to make THAT product and they would put yeti and K2 as well as igloo and coleman out of business if they made it.

I mean, it's not a blunder like Blockbuster not purchasing NetFlix.