in iPod vs Beer, JanSport wins

If the Associated Press report last month that iPods are more popular than beer on campus is right, then it should be tough for JanSport to have a bad fall06. At last year’s OR Show in Salt Lake, no one came on stronger in the iPod-compatible category than JanSport with their massive line of Livewire packs which dropped this week. Really, you have to wonder how you can compare the popularity of two things like beer and iPods, it’s like saying apples are more popular than wooden.

Anyway, the iPod backpacks and messenger bags begin selling this month, and we’ll finally have a litmus test for how much it matters to have that “iPod compatible” on your product instead of just “media pocket,” as companies like Burton have done with their backpacks.

According to an exec at a competing vendor, iPod approached them about selling iPod backpacks, and they wanted about 8% of the total selling price of each pack for the licensing. He made the point that BMW probably wasn’t paying 8% of their iPod-wired cars.

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