DTC Podcast Episode 515 Summary: "How Shiti Coolers Turned a Joke Into a $320K Sticker Business and Built the First Party Cooler Brand"

Release Date: June 9, 2025

Introduction to Shitty Coolers

In Episode 515 of the DTC Podcast, host Eric from the DTC Newsletter and Podcast sits down with Trevor, the founder of Shitty Coolers. Shitty Coolers has rapidly evolved from a humorous sticker company into a thriving business generating $320,000 in sales within its first year. Trevor shares the unconventional journey of building the first party cooler brand, blending humor with practical product design to resonate with a niche market.

Origin Story: From Stickers to Coolers

Trevor recounts the inception of Shitty Coolers, which began unexpectedly. Attending the Faster Horses Music Festival in Michigan, he observed festival-goers treating their Yeti coolers with reverence, unlike his more casual approach. This observation sparked the idea to create a cooler brand that doesn't take itself too seriously.

"When I went to that festival, it kind of opened my eyes... I never cared what type of cooler I had." — Trevor [00:00]

Returning home, Trevor playfully branded an old cooler with the word "shitty" and shared it on Snapchat, receiving a positive reaction from his small following. This playful start led to the creation of Shitty Coolers, initially selling stickers that humorously labeled existing coolers.

"We started to sell stickers that go on an old cooler and relabel everybody's cooler that they already have as a shitty cooler." — Trevor [01:57]

Product Development and Branding

Recognizing the demand for their stickers, Trevor decided to expand into producing actual coolers around 2019. The transition required rebranding to align with their humorous identity while ensuring product quality.

"All these funny puns... Our first cooler was just a basic blue cooler called the Stumbler, and we sold a thousand of them like the first day." — Trevor [04:40]

Shitty Coolers positioned themselves as a lifestyle brand catering to individuals looking to enjoy their drinks effortlessly, contrasting with the bulky and expensive Yeti counterparts. The branding emphasizes humor and practicality, making drinking easy and enhancing the party experience.

"There's never been a party cooler company. Like, people use coolers to party with, but there's never been a party cooler company... the ultimate party cooler company." — Trevor [04:40]

Marketing Strategies and Community Building

Humor plays a pivotal role in Shitty Coolers' marketing strategy. By lampooning status symbols like Yeti, they tapped into a cultural moment, creating relatability and garnering attention.

"Humor has been a bit of a secret weapon to help instill that brand quick... make someone laugh and connect with them on a level that triggers the emotion to get them to buy." — Trevor [11:24]

Community building has evolved from amassing Instagram followers to cultivating active email and text communities, as well as a dedicated Facebook group. These platforms enable customers to share experiences, showcase products, and foster brand loyalty.

"We have our Facebook group that's got like over 5,000 people... showing them photos of them using the product." — Trevor [15:52]

Growth Channels and Partnerships

Initially reliant on Meta ads, Shitty Coolers faced rising costs but managed to sustain growth through strategic pricing and innovative marketing. A significant growth channel has been event sponsorships, where direct interaction with customers leads to substantial sales.

"One thing that just is hand over fist money for us is just going to the events that people are at, where they're using the cooler at, when they're already having the great time." — Trevor [16:48]

Partnerships have been instrumental in expanding their reach. Collaborations with figures like Ryan Newman and ventures into specific niches, such as fishing teams and upcoming collaborations with Bill Murray for a golf series, demonstrate their versatile approach.

"We've done a few partnerships in collaboration... a collab with Bill Murray and, like, Caddyshack." — Trevor [20:37]

Challenges and Overcoming Adversity

Transitioning from stickers to coolers presented financial challenges, particularly with inventory costs and cash flow. Facing potential business failure, Trevor sought partnerships and investment, ultimately partnering with Mike Brown of Death Wish Coffee, which revitalized the company.

"We ended up partnering with him and his buddy who helped him heavily within Death Wish grow it... a blessing to be working with them." — Trevor [27:45]

This partnership highlights the importance of networking and being present at events to create serendipitous opportunities that can pivot a struggling business toward success.

Future Plans and Seasonality

Looking ahead, Shitty Coolers plans to address the seasonality challenge by exploring international markets like Australia, where the summer season offset the off-season in the U.S. Additionally, the company is considering expanding into drinkware, aiming to innovate beyond mere branding to create functional and desirable products.

"We're starting to really start to push into different stores... wholesale could be a huge, huge thing for us." — Trevor [33:00]

Efforts to diversify product offerings and enter into everyday use products like drinkware are seen as essential for sustaining growth beyond the peak summer months.

Conclusion

Shitty Coolers' journey from a humorous sticker company to a significant player in the party cooler market exemplifies the power of blending humor with practical product design. Through strategic marketing, community engagement, and resilience in the face of challenges, Trevor and his team have built a brand that resonates with a specific lifestyle. As they continue to innovate and expand, Shitty Coolers stands as a testament to the effectiveness of a unique brand narrative and adaptive business strategies.

For more insights and tactical business strategies, subscribe to the DTC Newsletter and Podcast at directtoconsumer.co.