How YETI blew up a bland cooler market

Here’s the “sugar” that makes spending $400+ on cooler go down.

Is a $400 cooler a worthwhile investment? We could debate that forever. What’s not up for debate: YETI Coolers is king of the red-hot “super cooler” category. We’re talking heavy-duty, injected, rotomolded coolers — not your dad’s $50 Coleman.

I have a few theories on why this is the case, even with a host of competitors — like Pelican, Grizzly and Engel — challenging YETI for the throne:

1. YETI is just…cool

In my opinion, people gravitate to intangibly cool, confidence-inspiring products, even if its features are WAY more advanced than the average person actually needs. It’s feels like being part of a moment to have something cool, and people like to feel cool. (Any psychologist is free to challenge me on this assumption, but I’m right.)

Does a college sophomore studying political science really need the newest MacBook? Does the average millennial really need the performance attributes offered by high-end Patagonia jackets when a Gerry coat from Costco would technically work just fine? (Guilty.) Do any of us need a Hydro Flask when the Contigos and Nalgenes we’ve been getting from Big Five have worked just fine? The answer to all these questions is “no,”…