After 35 years of adventures, I recently retired my Coleman cooler. It was showing its age but could still hold ice and keep items cool inside, despite a few hairline cracks. My wife and I decided to upgrade to that badass military-grade cooler called YETI.
Those unfamiliar with YETI, founded back in 2005, have a line of indestructible (bear-proof) coolers and drinkware that can retain ice for a crazy amount of time. I would categorize YETI as a disruptor. For decades Coleman and its competitor Igloo have dominated the market. Their coolers were durable, affordable, and rather boring. Yeti, based in Austin, Texas, built a cooler that became a status symbol with a handful of imitators.
That’s always a sign of success. Yeti’s assortment of line extensions is prominently displayed throughout American retailers, often along with the Traeger Smokers (another disruptor.) YETI saw a need to build a better mousetrap and turned it into a must-have. Owners rave about the product. You didn’t go around telling people you just bought a Coleman, but people do with YETI. Yes, they both keep items inside cold, but does everyone need or even afford a YETI? They are heavier, the thick walls leave less space inside, and are pricey. Mine was $325. But they come in about 10 colors and a variety of sizes, and frankly, they put the cool in coolers. And ice isn’t going to get any cheaper.
The OOH industry has some similarities. We have our Colemans or Igloos. reliable, affordable, and boring. We also have our YETI’s flashy, innovative, disruptive, and spendy alternatives. Like the coolers, they both do the same, getting lots of impressions. Yet the OOH YETI gets splashed all over LinkedIn; the Colemans, not so much. I believe we could convert more Colemans into YETIs with better images. A lot of it has to do with the perception of the client. We need more clients to brag about their OOH campaigns, but elevating awareness for a quick response to great imagery for social media might just be the key to helping them do this.
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[…] But first we interrupt this normally televised broadcast to bring you a shout out to Steve Lind and his article on the Coleman vs. the YETI. Coleman vs YETI – OOH TODAY […]