Too late It’s over

2-for-Tuesday: Ion Audio Clipster Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers

You get two of these little Bluetooth speakers
Hook it on your belt or backpack with the included clip, mount it on your bike with the included mount, proceed to rocking out
Splash-proof speaker and impact-resistant rubber armor for your wet, impact-filled lifestyle
Confused about Clipster models? We’re selling this one
Model: ISP34

see more product specs

Iterate on your laurels.

Ion Audio has released two versions of the Clipster. Each one is a little Bluetooth speaker with a carabiner-style plastic clip, for hooking on to your bike or backpack or stroller or whatever. The first Clipster came out in 2013 and gets pretty great reviews. THIS IS NOT THAT CLIPSTER.

This is the newer and improveder second Clipster. It came out in 2014 with a bike mount, a waterproof speaker, a rubber coating, and a more durable metal clip. And it gets even better reviews. The difference is pretty clear.

It’s pretty great that Ion Audio followed up so quickly with an improved version on an already well-liked product, rather than waiting until the earlier model ran its course. We’re left with just one question:

Why in the hell didn’t Ion Audio give the newer one a clearer name?

Here, watch this: “Clipster 2”. That’s all the effort it would have taken to make it clear from the very start which Clipster we’re talking about. Then you wouldn’t have Amazon reviewers and question-askers who are obviously confused about which Clipster they’re talking about.

OK, the Amazon title for this one has the world “Active” in it and the older one doesn’t. But how are you supposed to know if that’s the actual name or just more Amazon SEO word salad? The first model’s page includes marketing copy about climbing mountains and riding bikes, which doesn’t exactly send the message “this is the one for non-active people.”

The Ion Audio product page seems to confirm that it’s supposed to be called “Clipster Active”. Which is a lame excuse for a name. Pretty much every sporty/outdoorsy accessory describes itself as “Active”. It’s such a cliche that it doesn’t even scan as a product name. And it still leaves the question “If this is the ‘active’ one, why were you telling me to climb mountains with the earlier one?”

Fortunately, we’ve trained you guys to expect long-winded explanations in this space. When we explain that THIS IS THE BETTER SECOND EDITION OF THE CLIPSTER FOR A CHEAPER PRICE THAN THE FIRST EDITION, we can be reasonably sure the message will get through, maybe with an assist from caps lock.

But come on, Ion Audio. Not all customers are as smart as ours.