Stanley: Learnings from $750M Tumbler Success

Hey there 👋

Hot young Mormon wives & moms of Utah made a century-old brand go viral and skyrocketed its revenue from $70M to a whopping $750M.

We’re talking about Stanley’s Quencher.

Today we’ll reveal the exact mechanisms behind its success (it wasn’t JUST the wives & moms) + the secret sauce you can use in your own e-commerce ventures, so pour up your favorite beverage (hopefully in a Quencher) and enjoy the deep dive into Stanley’s success story!

1. A Quick, Rugged Sip of History 🥤

Stanley, founded in 1913, has long been known for crafting durable and rugged drinkware that was built to last, enduring any weather and terrain. Despite their durability and functional design, their tumblers initially weren’t a favorite among the more style-conscious.

Stanley resonated within a niche market — the tumblers were designed for workers in harsh conditions. Stanley's vacuum-sealed technology was a game-changer, keeping drinks hot or cold for 24 hours. This technology was first adopted by miners and construction workers who needed reliable drinkware that could withstand extreme environments.

This is the iconic green Stanley Thermos — introduced in the early 20th century, became synonymous with durability and American ingenuity. It was not only popular among outdoor enthusiasts but also became a staple item for military personnel during World War II, demonstrating its reliability.

However practical it was, you wouldn’t see a celebrity with that in a thousand years, even if you paid them 😂

2. The 2016 Wake-Up Call 📞

Market research revealed that Stanley's products were heavily utilized by outdoor enthusiasts, but had limited appeal outside these circles — this led to a strategic shift to include features appealing to a broader, lifestyle-oriented market, such as lighter materials and trendier colors.

When the Quencher was first launched in 2016, it entered a market already dominated by well-known brands like Yeti and Hydro Flask. The Quencher didn’t make big waves; despite the tumbler’s high quality and thoughtful design, it saw only modest success.

The Quencher struggled to stand out in a crowded marketplace, where aesthetics often drove consumer choice as much as, if not more than functionality. Stanley knew they had to pivot — and in 2020, they revamped the Quencher with sleek, new colors and targeted marketing strategies aimed at a broader and notably more diverse audience, including women, specifically ages 25-50.

Quite a sleek design, very different from the older, rugged versions 👀

3. Hot Young Mormon Wives, Moms & Marketing🤳🏼

1️⃣ The Buy Guide 

Before the glitz and glamour of celebrity & big brand endorsements, Stanley's collab with The Buy Guide started the momentum. Initially, Stanley overlooked emails from them, until a post by TV star Emily Maynard (yes, from “The Bachelor”) highlighted her love for a discontinued Stanley mug. 

Realizing the untapped potential, Stanley asked The Buy Guide to order a staggering 10,000 tumblers. The result? The first 5,000 sold out in just four days, and the second batch disappeared in less than an hour — this was exactly what Stanley needed to pop off.

2️⃣ Hot Young Mormon Wives & Moms of Utah

Building on this success, Stanley and The Buy Guide reshaped the brand's approach to directly engage a broader demographic — women aged 25 to 50.

And then the real virality began — with the stylish, young Mormon wives & moms from Utah — their social media posts, featuring pastel-hued Quenchers perfectly paired with their vibrant lifestyles, launched Stanley’s product into the spotlight.

Stanley quickly pivoted, catering to these new, style-savvy consumers, releasing pastel-colored Quenchers & unique styles that any woman would love.

Soon, mothers across the nation were clutching Quenchers — Stanley capitalized on this demographic by tailoring their campaigns to the daily lives of modern women — highlighting the Quencher in school runs, yoga & gym sessions, coffee meet-ups, and even massage spas.

It became more than a drinkware; it was a must-have lifestyle accessory for active, health-conscious women everywhere.

A century-old brand associated with construction workers & people valuing practicality suddenly found itself in the glamorous hands of thousands of women, who cared more about matching their water bottles to their outfits than actually drinking out of them 😂 

Who would’ve thought that drinkware could become a must-have “apparel”?

3️⃣ Collabs That Even Mom Yaps About

Stanley didn’t stop at collaborating with influencers & stars – they teamed up with brands that even your grandma would know about. Their collaboration with Olay, the famous skincare brand, for the "Blue Adventure" Quencher, sold out in 11 minutes flat.

This collaboration was meticulously planned to target health and skincare enthusiasts — it included co-branded content that emphasized hydration as a core part of a healthy skincare routine, aligning both brands' values with wellness-focused consumers!

Similarly, the Stanley x Starbucks Valentine's Day edition flew off the shelves, and the shimmery 'winter pink' Stanley Quencher, which sold for $49.95 exclusively at Starbucks locations inside Target sold out in just a few minutes – you can see just how loved & sought after Stanley’s Quencher was.

The Stanley x Starbucks collaboration involved detailed planning from concept to store launch. It featured exclusive Stanley tumblers sold in Starbucks locations, which were marketed through joint social media blasts and in-store signage, appealing to coffee lovers and eco-conscious consumers alike.

Each limited-edition release, crafted with unique designs and marketed as must-haves, greatly helped create a constant demand and broadened Stanley’s customer base across every age group – even your mom knows of the Quencher (if she doesn’t already have three😆).

4️⃣ Authentic Love From Stars

Stanley didn’t just get influencers on board; they got the big guns – think Olivia Rodrigo and Adele, sipping from a Quencher. These celebrity endorsements brought an air of exclusivity and put a massive spotlight on the Quencher. 

And these influencers weren’t just posing for a fat check; they were genuine users, praising the Quencher in interviews and seen rocking it in public. This deepened the audience’s trust in Stanely & authentically showed the stars’ love for the brand.

4. Taking Over Social Media, Design & Culture

1️⃣ Complete TikTok Takeover

Stanley launched a TikTok challenge that encouraged users to post videos using their Quenchers during various parts of their day, from the morning coffee run to evening workouts. Popular TikTok influencers kickstarted the campaign, which created a viral loop that boosted the brand's visibility.

#StanleyQuencher took over all of TikTok, with tens of thousands of videos of women using their Quenchers in everyday scenarios, they were impossible NOT to see.

2️⃣ Designing With Heart

Stanley made sure each Quencher wasn’t just a drinkware — but a fashion statement. With customizable options and features that catered to lifestyle trends (hello, spill-proof designs!), they made sure the Quencher was as essential as your smartphone.

Stanley's design team worked closely with consumer feedback to introduce customizable Quencher features, including mix-and-match lids and accessories, allowing customers to personalize their tumblers to reflect their style and needs.

3️⃣ Community & Culture

A vibrant community was built around Stanley, fostering deep connections through exclusive offers and engaging directly with its fans — Stanley sponsored local and national wellness events, set up hydration stations with free Quenchers, and organized community clean-up days.

These efforts were aimed at embedding the Quencher into consumers' health and wellness routines, making Stanley a part of their daily lives.

Stanley also hosted many virtual Q&As, IRL meet-ups, and even had a loyalty program that rewarded frequent Quencher users with exclusive perks & early access to new products — all of this together created a tight-knit community of loyal customers & fans.

4️⃣ Scarcity + Exclusivity = 📈🚀

Stanley cleverly made use of scarcity, releasing limited editions and unique designs that made each drop a must-have event. This strategy created a continuous buzz around each release, encouraging fans to act swiftly or risk missing out. The limited availability, coupled with high demand, ensured that Quenchers didn’t just sell—they sold out.

Due to how scarce & limited certain Stanley Quenchers were, a whole resale market was born — and just to give you perspective, the most expensive and limited edition Stanley cup is the "Stanley Pink Valentines Day Heart 40 Target Tumbler Limited Edition Cosmo Pink," which is being resold for a staggering $400 on eBay! Additionally, a set of five cups, including both pink and red versions, is being sold for $840 🤑 

5. How To Emulate Stanley’s Success

Here are some actionable steps that you can take to emulate the explosive success of the Stanley Quencher.

• Trendsetting Design Sessions – instead of just responding to trends, set them. Invite your audience to exclusive design sessions where their ideas directly influence your next product launch — these could be Q&As, surveys, or a contest for whoever gets the most votes for a feature/design they suggest. Turn these sessions into major social media events that build hype and ownership.

  

  Through customer feedback, Stanley found that not everyone wanted a giant water bottle. There is no one-size-fits-all solution — so they made 4 different sizes.

  
  

• Influencer Co-Creation Campaigns – directly integrate influencers into your design process. Launch a series of collaborative products co-created with influencers, each campaign bringing fresh perspectives that resonate deeply with both your & the influencer’s audiences.

• Capitalize on Social Media Platforms – particularly TikTok organic, to launch creative campaigns that can go viral. Encourage UGC (user-generated content) to increase engagement and broaden your reach — launch campaigns with micro-influencers to start a craze and potentially go viral, host competitions for the most quirky use case of your product — the ideas are endless, the point is to do something novel that can cause a stir in your target audience.

  

  User-generated content via TikTok is one of the best ways to organically advertise your products 📈

Build a “Living” Community — celebrate authentic & genuine reviews of your products by influencers & consumers. Leveraging the trust of influencers can, by proxy, increase the trust of consumers in your brand. Host Q&As, local events, seasonal meetups, and contests that embody your brand’s values — all of this will birth a community that loves your brand and promotes it actively.

•  Create Seamless Daily Interactions – collaborate with brands sharing your values to seamlessly integrate your products into daily routines. This can make your brand known in completely new markets, much like how Stanley partnered with Olay, and as a result, Stanley became more known in the skincare industry, after all, skin & hydration are daily essentials that go hand-in-hand.

  

  The Stanley Quencher Tumbler Blue marketed alongside Olay products — the perfect seamless daily health-conscious integration 💧 

•  Limited Editions, Scarcity & FOMO – use limited-edition releases to create urgency and increase perceived value. Strategically time these launches with events or collaborations to maximize exposure & promote them effectively to capitalize on the fear of missing out. This can also be done with mystery unveilings, asking the buyers to sign up for a “reveal” event, for example.

Rebrand With Purpose — if you do decide to rebrand, use market research to guide any efforts. Focus on demographics that are underserved or emerging, such as targeting specific age groups or interests with tailored marketing campaigns and product features (much like how Stanley pivoted from outdoor tumblers to quenchers used by women ages 25-50 – a very daring rebrand that certainly paid off).

•  Align with Emerging Movements – tap into upcoming cultural movements and craft products that serve as icons of these trends, launch limited edition lines that celebrate these movements — from eco-consciousness to digital detox, position your brand as a forward-thinking leader by theming your products to what’s popping.

  

  The Eco-friendly Stanley Quencher in the Wild, aligns with the eco-conscious movement 🌲

By implementing these strategies, you can not only increase their product's market appeal and visibility but also create a loyal customer base that is engaged and consistently supportive of your brand!

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