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Take
a Seat
Papa Bert’s Looking to Enter Licensed
Arena with the Sippin’ Seat
February 6, 2007
What’s in a name? A lot, particularly if your name is Brian Betkowski, who also happens to the President of Papa Bert. Betkowski came up with the creative name for his company after people had so much trouble pronouncing his last name. Five years later, Papa Bert is poised to turn the licensed industry upside-down with the Sippin’ Seat, a stadium cushion with a built-in beverage bladder.
“It’s a real fun product,” says Betkowski. “When people see it, a smile always comes to their face.”
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That’s certainly been the case with the media. The Sippin’ Seat has been featured in Sports Illustrated and on FoxSports.net and NPR’s Only a Game to name just a few.
Retailers have had a similarly enthusiastic reaction. At $29.99, the Sippin’ Seat is proving a good value at sporting goods outlets and gift stores nationwide. Betkowski says that Papa Bert has also found customers as far away as Canada and Australia.
“Our consumer base is mostly sports fans,” he notes. “Though it also includes concert-goers, plus custom orders for corporate events and high school giveaways. We’re looking to increase sales wherever we can, especially the bigger-box chains like Wal-Mart and Spencer’s.”
The sports tie-in is what has drawn Papa Bert to the licensing world. Currently, the Sippin’ Seat is offered in a variety of school colors, and Betkowski feels the product is a no-brainer for NASCAR and every other pro leagues.
“You see all the stadium seats on the market, and none of them provide the benefit we do,” he says. “Given our demographic—anyone from 21 and up—the Sippin’ Seat would make a great licensed product.”
