At the end of May Otterbox announced that they acquired LifeProof for an undisclosed amount. What makes this interesting and newsworthy is that Ottterbox and LifeProof were in the middle of legal proceedings which ended the day before the acquisition.
“The joining of OtterBox and LifeProof is a way to combine two great brands and provide customers with even more great products, services and choices for smartphone accessories,” OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas said. “Both companies are successful because we foster an environment where everyone takes pride in being part of a culture that knows how to identify opportunities and grow them quickly. Our goal in this acquisition is to create more value for our customers than we ever could have generated while operating individually.”
Otterbox is one of the most popular accessories maker for tablets and mobile phones. LifeProof on the other hand make accessories for active people who run up mountains, swim in the deep sea etc. So there is a fit for the 2 brands to become one. In a few days, LifeProof will be completely part of Otterbox.
The scariest thing about this acquisition is that 5 years ago, this industry did not exist at all. It is the by product of the momentum seen in the smartphone and tablet industries. Will Otterbox now become an even bigger partner for Apple, Amazon, Samsung and BlackBerry? The signs point to that but it boils down to sales. The one thing that must be asked is; did the legal proceedings between Otterbox and LifeProof start the road to an acquisition?
