A mundane object seems to burst into the media and consumer awareness unexpectedly. People line out the doors of department stores to buy it. A new edition instantly sells out when released. The product’s hashtag amasses over 6.8 billion views on TikTok alone. A woman is arrested for allegedly stealing 65 of these items worth $2500, almost making it out the door of a shop with a full shopping cart.
What in the Tulip Mania is going on?
Welcome to the Stanley cups, the latest consumer obsession this side of Furby. As amusing as the trend is (and many create mocking TikToks and memes), understanding the marketing, psychological, and sociological forces driving this craze might help understand shopping habits and its random Chaos Theory aspects.
What is a Stanley Cup, and Who Is Buying It?
The Stanley cup tumbler, or the “Quencher,” is a 40-ounce insulated, stainless-steel drinkware with a handle and straw. The product comes in various sizes and designs that are practical for portability, including its tapering body that fits in a vehicle’s cup holder. Because of its double-wall insulation, the item is fabled for its ability to keep drinks hot or cold for up to 11 hours.
That’s it.
Stanley cups are nice and useful, but they’re not unique in the marketplace of insulated portable drinkware. What’s more, the brand has been around since 1913. The Quencher was released back in 2016. Then, recently, sections of Millennials and Gen Z became rabid for the product to the point annual sales topped $750 million in 2023.
Women aged 35 to 44 are typically 98 percent of Stanley cup buyers. However, the age demographic has recently dipped rapidly to women in their 20s and teens. This is a dramatic shift: for generations, Stanley products were marketed primarily to construction workers and outdoorsmen (the “Manley cup” as some have said). Yet when the Quencher was released, marketing pivoted to women. The branding point-of-no-return was being lauded by the influential and female-centric The Buy Guide in 2017. Then it was the famous Hemingway dictum of “gradually, then suddenly.” The change in demographic focus increased sales by 275 percent in 2021, and the curve has only been shooting up, with today, the Stanley cup being one of the most sought-after products in the country.
Various female groups embrace the Stanley cup, including nurses, teachers, office workers, and even school-aged children. In addition, the product has evolved into both a status symbol and a wellness essential for those who ascribe to the “clean girl” aesthetic: polished and well-groomed appearance with slicked-back hair, minimal or dewy makeup, and a healthy diet and exercise routine.
In short, primarily white women.
Since Stanley cups are priced at a minimum of $45 (and some cost as much as $100), buyers fall in the higher socioeconomic status. The item departs from the traditional portable drink buyer, which tends to be evenly spread among race, gender, and economic demographics.
As strange as it might sound, this is excellent news for the Stanley cup. If its marketing could capably swivel from enticing a bro on a half-built skyscraper to a white girl who enjoys Pilates at a suburban gym, it should be able to pivot to other demographics.
This takes us to the “why” Stanley cups are so popular. It does have to do with flexible and excellent marketing, but there’s always more.
Behind the Viral Popularity of Stanley Cups
First, a product should be a good product to catch any fire in the marketplace. Stanley has more than a century of expertise and experience to improve its science and aesthetics. The Stanley cup is known for its durability and versatility, making it a popular choice for various bourgeois activities and occasions. Yet, as it pivoted towards women as its leading consumer, the brand was skillful at leveraging social media and influencers (such as its collaboration with Hearth & Hand and Magnolia, which also highlighted its availability in stores like Target).
Stanley cup is an excellent case study on how to do marketing in the 20s. Perhaps its most impressive feat is to craft an image that the item is simultaneously a flexible niche product and a hallowed traditional brand honoring its core values. As African American businesswoman, Britney Porter wrote in Forbes about Stanley cups:
“These lessons can also greatly benefit Black businesses and entrepreneurs serving distinctive marketplaces. By retaining their brand’s values while innovating and reaching new audiences, they can maintain the authenticity and uniqueness of their offerings.”
In other words, money is always green, opportunity is color-blind, and cultural values remain golden if an audience is served with quality offerings.
The Psychology Behind the Popularity of Stanley Cups
Expert marketing and a revered brand can’t be enough to explain the cult-like love for Stanley cups. After all, competitors like Yeti or S’well also develop value items and employ similar tactics. The other factors fall into understanding the lagoon of consumer psychology. Let’s look at some of these market butterfly effects:
Scarcity: Nothing drives sales like a nice dose of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). We all know the allure of “limited edition” bourbon or Amazon’s “Only 1 left in stock” alert. Without a doubt, the company and many market analysts were surprised at the meteoric rise of its tumbler. The brand did ramp up production of its suddenly viral product. Yet despite finding its tumblers flying off the shelves, the truth is that Stanley plays with scarcity magic by limiting its production, releasing special editions, and creating limited-edition collaborations. So far, the brand has perfectly balanced supply and demand.
Leveraging the times: Consumers are caught between the rock of environmentalism and the hard place of inflation. This dichotomy means purchasing expensive juices or coffee in plastic containers has taken a back seat to buying portable drink containers and continually filling them up. This also plays into the “clean girl” aesthetic of a conscientious workout girl persona that many women try to convey in their public personas. Most of us have seen what a clean girl looks like on Instagram or TikTok: A polished and well-groomed appearance with slicked-back hair, minimal or dewy makeup, and a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Social proof at the right time: As mentioned, Stanley has done a magnificent job with social media and influencer marketing, establishing its credibility in the digital domains. However, the company made its pivot right when one of its most preferred channels, TikTok, was rising to become the dominant social media channel in the world – especially with Millennials and Zoomers. The brand rolled the right dice in the right channels.
Nothing beats bonding: Some users describe the Stanley cup as an “emotional support” water bottle since it creates a sentimental connection with the product. Perhaps emotional attachment is a key factor in an item going viral. Think of past crazes like Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, and Pokémon Trading Cards. These items were as much ever-present extensions of their audience as they were merchandise.
Between being at the right time/place and leveraging the right business/marketing plan, Stanley could continue ruling the $9 billion water battle market. That remains to be seen because being on the throne means everyone, including Fate herself, is swinging at the king. Even now, other brands are ramping up their marketing while accusations of Stanley cups containing harmful lead are making the rounds.
But recall an ancient, almost-forgotten time, pre-Trump and pre-COVID, when Apple releasing a new iPhone version meant lines out of stores and rabid public attention. Today, the Apple fanboy is thankfully almost extinct, but the iPhone is still a leader in its market after overcoming many hurdles, surviving myriad competitors, and without cultic adulation.
What more could any brand thirst for?