How Beats By Dre became a multibillion-dollar brand

Few brands have risen to the top of American pop culture as quickly, or as thoroughly as Beats by Dre. Beats was founded on a novel idea: Use the principles of hype culture to sell headphones. That strategy turned over-the-ear-headphones from a niche product to a cultural phenomenon. Here's how Beats by Dre leveraged the strategies of sneaker culture to become one of the most recognizable brands in the world.