Recently a giant box of Frootee Ice freezer pops came into my possession. These delightful treats are better known as Otter Pops. And I remember another brand, Mr. Freeze, too. They were interchangeable and a vital ingredient for summer in the ‘Quah.
All three brands deliver frozen sugar water in delicious 1 oz. hits. They only have 15 calories each, so you could eat like a the whole 100-ct box and still not be full. Despite an identical (and easily copied) product, the fine folks at Otter Pops have done a superior job marketing, and find themselves as the Kleenex or Band-Aid of the freezer pop industry.
I mean, with flavors like Alexander the Grape, Little Orphan Orange, and Sir Isaac Lime, how can you go wrong?
But here’s the amazing thing: one company owns all 3 brands. Otter Pops, Mr. Freeze, and Frootee Ice are all owned by Jel Sert. And it doesn’t stop there; Jel Sert also owns Pop-Ice, Fla-Vor-Ice, Wyler’s Italian Ice, and manufactures 6 other freezer pop brands under license. With this all-star portfolio, they are the undisputed world leader in freezer pops.
I don’t know if there’s even another company competing in this space. I think Jel Sert has a monopoly. If antitrust regulators cared about a competitive environment freezer pops (and if they didn’t cost pennies apiece), they could make a strong case against Jel Sert. The company has been on an aggressive buying spree, systematically acquiring rival brands throughout their history. You could paint the picture they set out on a mission to dominate the industry and couldn’t be stopped.
The question I have is why? Why have a portfolio of so many brands offering the same product? It’s one thing if the freezer pops were somehow differentiated, but for the most part, they’re identical. I believe Jel Sert could achieve some economies of scale by consolidating their lineup under the Otter Pop name. I mean how many Frootee Ice customers are really going to boycott now that their frozen sugar water is being called something different?
So I burned my hand last week and was using the Frootee Ices on the wound. Once they melted a little they had to be eaten And thus the inspiration for this post.
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