Many people know Coleman for their camping gear. Over the years, Coleman has evolved and become one of the best brands in outdoor gear. Camping is one of the best fun activities to partake in. It is so much fun, especially when you have all the right gear. One of the essential pieces of equipment you can get for your outdoor camping is a tent. The tent protects you from the weather elements while providing privacy mainly in crowded campsites. Whether you need a stove, sleeping bag, tent, or other equipment, you need to buy from a reputable company that sells durable products. Coleman is among the leading brands in outdoor gear. The brand has the best items for outdoor activities. Their items are also durable and high quality, thus why the brand is still leading in outdoor gear.
History Of Coleman
Coleman products are said to be good enough, and that has been their main strength since the company was founded. Some people like buying products that will withstand harsh conditions, but that shouldn’t always be your goal unless you camp in the Himalayas. Good enough products will work just fine.
William Coffin founded Coleman Company Inc in 1900 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. His first product to put on display was a gas lamp. The company continued selling the lamps, and over time, it diversified to other products, including the original G.I. Pocket Stove. The stove was one of their first entry products in the camping and hunting gear, but it was discontinued in the 1940s.
The company started manufacturing tents and sleeping bags in the 1960s, and it has been selling them until now. The products have now become the company’s calling sign, and they have sold numerous of these gear to outdoor enthusiasts.
In the 1970s, the company reintroduced the pressure-gas stoves, and in the following decade, they sold the 40 millionth gas lamp. With the turn of the century, the company became more established as a leading brand. It expanded its product range to include other portable camping grills and camping gear.
Why Coleman Is Still The Leading Brand In Outdoor Gear
Today, Coleman has made a wide range of camping products, including tents, headlights, and gas lamps. The company also features various branded products that other brands manufacture.
Coleman has been in existence for over a century and has good outdoor gear. Their products last a long time and are fairly priced. Before the era of searching for outdoor gear on Amazon and checking customer reviews, people were relegated to buy according to a brand name. Since Coleman was legendary among servicemen who went on an overseas mission, the brand was quite popular.
Coleman also markets its products quite well, and you can easily find and buy the products. Most stores selling outdoor gear, including Walmart and Target, have some Coleman gear, while some sell lanterns and globes by Coleman. The brand has various products such as lanterns, sleeping bags, coolers, cookware, etc. Therefore, it’s a convenient store for people who love the outdoors to find all they need there.
Products with a good reputation offer great prices for family activities and are sold in many stores sell well. This is why Coleman is still a leading brand in outdoor gear, as they have reasonable pricing for various products and are easily accessible.
Targeting A Niche Community
A car camper will buy their products from Airstream, and a diehard backpacker will prefer Patagonia, but Coleman has its niche with outdoor recreationists. The brand hones in on the messages and product traits for solving the camping challenges and recreational experience. This has made Coleman build a highly engaged community with substantial brand equity for its products.
Brands with smaller and more exclusive but valuable communities focus on creating lifetime brand advocates by providing their consumers with way more than the opportunity to purchase. Currently, Coleman still engages its community through the Outdoor Expert campaign that is aimed at helping its consumers to find fantastic campsites, yummy recipes, and recommendations of expert gear. Through the campaign, Coleman has broken down camping myths and provided advice on popular camping questions like how campers can build cooking fires, tips, and tricks on packing coolers, and even how to live with wildlife.
Who Is The Target Market For Coleman Products?
Although Coleman is a ubiquitous brand in outdoor gear popular for providing reliable and durable gear, it also tries to reposition itself to become more innovative. The company has been losing equity with a large part of Generation Z as they do not readily connect with the brand’s nostalgic image.
The leaders at Coleman associate the brand with being a dynamic company for those who remember using their products when growing up. Many consumers discuss their experiences with the products instead of the products themselves. Their experiences always incorporate having their grandpa’s Coleman lanterns and using them as children.
Although Coleman is a ‘grandfather’s company’ to most people, the brand is working on various ways to make consumers excited again. They have been able to refresh the look of most of their products and develop new products that combine technology and the outdoors. The brand is also targeting millennials and Generation Z through social media platforms. However, much of the imagery is still focused on nostalgia.
Why Coleman Is Popular
Most outdoor gear companies specialize in making extreme weather conditions gear for professional use. The products usually have a huge markup that makes them more accessible to consumers who require performance. Nonetheless, many campers don’t find themselves in these extreme conditions and only require products that will reliably work in a basic way.
Coleman’s brand is more geared towards these consumers, but it beats many brands by offering reasonable prices than competitors with the same quality.
Coleman products aren’t so flashy or loaded with various features that consumers will likely never use. The products are great because they will serve you for a long time and won’t cost you much.
