Historically, coolers haven’t been seen as status-symbol items. But Yeti tapped into a hole in the market for upscale outdoors products, creating coolers that outdoor enthusiasts are willing to drop $300 or more on.

The success of this trendy cooler company looks less surprising when you look at its strategic approach to sales. Ryan and Roy Seiders, the Austin-based brand’s founders, made the decision to reinvent the cooler in 2006.

Yeti coolers are designed to be so rugged that they’re “grizzly proof,” and to keep ice frozen longer than any other cooler brand does. The founders guessed – correctly – that if they made a high-quality product and got people excited about it, the high price wouldn’t be an obstacle.

They tar