Early this week I got an email from Kayak Fishing Magazine, somewhat out of the blue, asking if they could do a product review of the IceMule.
Well, um, let’s see….I target kayakers, and specifically kayak fishermen through adwords, I have spent hours and hours trolling (that’s a fishing term kids) kayak blogs and message boards to better understand the needs of this audience, and I’ve been tinkering around with the idea of spending real money on a print ad (old school) in a competitor magazine. So, yeah, you bet you can review the product. How many do you need and where do I send them??
Why this market?
- First, I am a kayaker and a fisherman (though I haven’t become a kayak fisherman yet – something I will remedy this spring), and I KNOW the IceMule is the perfect cooler for this market. Kayaks have hulls that are irregularly shaped so traditional coolers can’t fit well. Other flexible coolers will leak (but the IceMule never will) when they are filled with ice, and when you are fishing you need ice to keep the fish fresh.
- Second, this is the perfect outdoor market. Like some other markets, these guys and gals are devoted to their sport. De-vot-ed. And when you care that much, you want the best gear. Heck, the gear is half the fun. And when a unique product comes along, you must have it.
- Third, I have gotten this same inquiry from a competitor magazine before but the review never happened – so I am anxious to see what the pros will say.
- Forth, Kayak Fishing Magazine gets thousands of unique hits a month – this kind of exposure would typically require a big ‘ol check to Google and the eyeballs wouldn’t be nearly as targeted.
So, this is good. :)
Stay tuned for the review!
Stay cool,
James
I for one love the icemule. I have used it for over 3 years now and I don’t know of another cooler with the portability, capability, longevity, durability, and COOL-NESS of the Icemule. People always ask where I got it. I tell them to go to icemulecooler.com now. I used to tell them to call a certain number (which is how I got it originally), but now this internet outlet exists. I hope it works out well for you.
The only thing is that these things don’t wear out. It’s liike buying an iron. How many irons do you buy in a lifetime. You are going to have to capture original sales or repeat sales by people who want additional units for gifts etc., because repeat sales due to wear and tear won’t happen often. Perhaps the Kayakers and Fisherman will wear them out more than ususual with the type of wear they will provide on the cooler, but for the average guy who tailgates, goes to the park, travels on vacation, or goes to the beach, I don’t see buying this cooler every year. Good for us, bad for you.
Thanks for the note!
I know, total design flaw. I still use an IceMule that’s nearly ten years old….
Which is why I named the company Roam-It Gear. One day (perhaps soon) the original IceMule will be joined by other versions in a line of IceMules (each for a specific use) as well as other gear….stay tuned and stay cool.
Thanks dude
The review is up: http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/gear-guide/91-new-kayak-gear/1095-ice-mule-cooler.html
I know! So cool. Thanks for keeping an eye out Mike!
I want to thank the blogger very much not only for this post but also for his all previous efforts. I found http://www.coolernotes.com to be greatly interesting. I will be coming back to http://www.coolernotes.com for more information.
The review is up: http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/gear-guide/91-new-kayak-gear/1095-ice-mule-cooler.html
post to my blog?