Stanley Mugs: How They Went From Discontinued to Viral

BRENDA ECKHARDT

Online Marketing Coach + Photographer

Hi Reader,

Did you know that Stanley mugs almost failed? As promised, here's more on how they turned a set-back into a comeback, becoming a status symbol for fashionable and health-conscious women everywhere!

Back in 2019, Stanley made the tough decision to discontinue their tumbler due to lack of sales. The Quencher mug had hit the market and began to take over. Meanwhile, two brilliant women from The Buy Guide blog had recently discovered the magic of the Stanley tumbler and started sharing it on Instagram. When they found out it was being discontinued, they took matters into their own hands.

Their timing could not have been better, because a sales exec was just sitting in disbelief about the fact that a former Bachelorette had posted a photo to Instagram with a Stanley in hand, and was watching the post go viral. It just so happened that The Buy Guide ladies had sent it to her! Through conversation and some begging, Stanley eventually agreed to let the ladies purchase 5000 mugs out-right, no deals, no discounts. Their only goal was to test re-selling them on their own, to see if they were right about their new obsession. They sold out in no time!

But how did they do it? Here's the genius behind the marketing strategy, that became Stanley tumbler's bounce-back to success...

1: Make Scarcity Mindset Your Friend. By switching to an exclusive collection release model, with smaller quantities of limited edition colors, Stanley created a frenzy of demand with "drops" that made the tumbler feel like a must-have challenge that triggered that FOMO feeling.

2: Identify Your Ideal Customer. Can you believe that Stanley originally only marketed their tumbler to men who lived the adventure and camping lifestyle? The Buy Guide ladies knew that women, especially teachers, nurses, and moms on the go, would be their ideal customer base. After taking the ladies' advice, redesigning their website and marketing to this new female audience, Stanley saw a huge increase in sales. The ladies also sent mugs to the influencer friends for an added jolt of new interest.

3: Sell The BENEFITS, Not The Product. Instead of focusing on the product or getting lost in the details of the features, Stanley marketed the TRANSFORMATION that their tumbler promised: hydration, health, and wellness. - Your elevation is in the transformation.

4: Make It a Lifestyle. By creating a community around the Stanley tumbler, it became a movement that women wanted to be a part of. By buying a Stanley tumbler, you were becoming a part of something. A sisterhood of influential, stylish women, who all shared the same symbol of wellness and hydration. In fact, the New York times famously wrote an article titled “The Sisterhood of the Stanley Tumbler”.

5: Raving Fans. Instead of spending big bucks on influencer partnerships, they rewarded the true fans, who talked about the product organically, simply because they loved it. Authentic enthusiasm is priceless! By finding and rewarding your true believers (or as I call 'lifers"), you can empower them to do the social media heavy lifting for you.