Give examples please. I am not down on Energizer lights but if you compare them to high dollar lights in the forum they don't have a chance because they have nothing in the price range and most of the lights mentioned in the forum are not readily sold in stores Energizer lights are front and center.
They're not necessarily bad lights, they're just the same niche they've always been; you've always been able to go to your local store and pickup an Eveready flashlight for a few dollars, that's what they're still doing..
Heck I'd say in terms of "bang for the buck" some of these newer cheapo LED lights I see people walking their dogs with nowadays are probably the BEST deals available! There's times and places where "disposable" equipment can be preferable - I keep saying I'm going to go out and buy a handful of modern cheapos just for that reason...
I have a couple of Rayovac manufactured lights and I like them! An Energizer 1xAA rubberized ramping XR-E, and a Remington headlamp. Both are fantastic for the price and are great to let the kids use without fear of them blowing up or being destroyed.
As mentioned above, they're not bad when all you need is casual illumination. They're inexpensive enough to have a couple around the house and garage or just to throw around.
But in terms of innovation, I think they left that for other people/companies to pursue.