Late last month Bauer added to their long line of safety equipment with the RE-AKT helmet, featuring "the SUSPEND-TECH liner, a unique patent-pending rotational impact protection system to protect the head from excessive rotational acceleration when the helmet is impacted", a new system to enhance the safety of players out on the ice.
Ever since it was announced that Sidney Crosby was out for an indefinite period, concussions have become the hot topic. From that moment, we have seen a long list of top players ruled out for various lengths of time because of this injury. So many in fact, that there are "all star concussion teams" joked about in the media and on the internet.
For players and parents out there, this just adds to the worries about playing a contact sport. For any manufacturer, this brings about a large opportunity, but they need to ensure that the product is up to the task. There are safety standards out there to ensure the quality of the product. However, word of mouth can kill a piece of protective equipment, if multiple stories of injuries were to spread into the marketplace.
Bauer are quick to identify the stringent "R&D" that has gone into this RE-AKT helmet:
"More than two years in development, the BAUER RE-AKT helmet also features PORON® XRD™ pads placed strategically in areas of the helmet where players need it most. In addition to the SUSPEND-TECH liner and the use of PORON® XRD™ technology, which is exclusive to BAUER in hockey, the BAUER RE-AKT helmet features BAUER’s proprietary Vertex foam, a light-weight multi-impact foam with increased impact management properties compared to traditional EPP foams found in other hockey helmets. Unlike other helmets in the market designed to manage only high-energy impacts, the BAUER RE-AKT helmet is designed to manage the multiple types of hits in hockey – including low-energy impacts, high-energy impacts and rotational impacts."
picture from http://blog.icewarehouse.com/hockey-gear-reviews/bauer-re-akt-helmet-review
The unique selling point of this product is that this helmet protects players against rotational forces acting on their head during different types of hits, and Bauer will strongly push this throughout the marketing process. Brand awareness is not an area that they have to worry about, nearly 44% of NHL players are out there wearing Bauer's helmets night after night with the logo in full view to all fans watching.
The two things that I personally like about the release of this product and the exposure the launch will get, are the launch time and the player ambassador they have chosen.
Releasing this product at the NHL All Star Break gives the product a nice point to launch mid-season allowing some attention to be given to the helmet, not to have it just passed by during the regular season while games are passing by or forgotten in the off season. However, more importantly, having picked Claude Giroux out of the long list of Bauer Hockey stars to wear the helmet first is the best part of this launch.
Giroux's personal stock has gone through the roof this season, with a great start to the season putting up big numbers and then seeing his on and off ice personalities highlighted in the HBO 24/7 series between the Flyers and Rangers. His name and endorsement have quickly become a hot commodity to be linked to something. He also has added value for this event due to sustaining a concussion this season and dealing with the injury in-front of fans because of the HBO cameras.
Having a strong product with new technologies to protect players, the endorsement of a recovered NHL player, and then seeing it rolled out on the heads of some of the best players in the league lead me to believe that this piece of equipment will be a big winner for Bauer Hockey.
The Bauer RE-AKT helmet will be available for purchase in May 2012
Quotes from Bauer Hockey Press Release: Bauer Hockey Unveils Revolutionary RE-AKT Helmet
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120127005060/en/Bauer-Hockey-Unveils-Revolutionary-RE-AKT-Helmet
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