How did the Stanley tumbler grow? The product success that fuelled 800% revenue growth.

by Craig Cochrane March 7, 2024

How did the Stanley Tumbler grow? You have probably heard of the Stanley Tumbler, its 2024 and it seems to be just about everywhere. However, contrary to popular belief the Stanley tumbler isn’t an overnight success. In fact, the tumbler has been around since 2016 and released to rather underwhelming consumer reaction.

So just how did a product suddenly amass such a cult following? In this article we try to understand their growth, strategy and their ultimate success. So just how did the Stanley tumbler grow?

Chapter 1 – Know your customer

Stanley, known for its rugged and utilitarian products, has traditionally targeted workmen and outdoorsmen. They prioritize quality and practicality, ensuring their offerings meet the demands of these active demographics. Such a strategy did work, and Stanley, a now over 100 year old company had managed to carve a successful niche.

However, more recent success has been carved around an entirely different niche and focused on a product that in 2016 flattered to deceive. The now synonymous Stanley cup launched to an underwhelming demand, but fortunately found its way into the hands of Linley Hutchinson, Ashlee LeSueur and Taylor Cannon — the founders of The Buy Guide, an online shopping blog and Instagram account. The cup was a hit with them and their followers, but was not being prioritised by Stanley and was becoming more difficult to source.

In 2020 Stanley hired Terrence Reilly (ex chief marketing officer of Crocs) who seems to have the magic touch when it comes to viral marketing and switched up the strategy to appeal to different demographics and explore social media as an avenue for growth. In the same year, Stanley contacted the Buy Guide and set up a meeting. With no experience in affiliate marketing or company models to follow Stanley only offered the Buy Guide the opportunity to wholesale 10,000 units. They took the chance and sold out within weeks. Following this the buy guide partnered with Stanley and the rest is history.

Chapter 2 – Revenue share

When Stanley partnered with the Buy Guide in 2020 their marketing strategy centered around influencers. TikTok and Instagram became big vehicles in getting the message out there and drumming up demand. However, it was the affiliate revenue share mechanism that really propelled the growth.

Affiliate based commission models are big business in the marketing sphere as it unifies the interests of the business with the interests of the marketing influencer. More sales equals more revenue for the business, but also more revenue for the content marketer. A well-executed affiliate model can therefore propel revenue with limited risk and budget.

Chapter 3 – Targeted branding

Partnering with the Buy Guide was an excellent strategic move by Stanley. It gave them direct insight into the Stanley Cups proposed target market, Women aged 25 to 50. They created a new website for the cup and centred it around women. Product development began a focus on colour with Instagram-friendly pastels growing into a wide array of colours for every occasion. Such a strategy accessorised the product, with many customers buying a collection to suit different occasions, moods or outfits. The product was no longer a convenient and reusable hydration tumbler, it became a must have accessory.

Chapter 4 – Limited edition

Probably directly traceable to the lineage of Terrence Reilly’s Crocs strategy, Stanley has also employed “drops” as a means of customer engagement. Collaborations with various celebrities to drop limited edition limited supply Stanley cups creates a buzz around the product and keeps customers engaged. Often these “drops” are ultra successful and sell-out within minutes.

How did the Stanley Tumbler Grow? Lessons from Stanley

Know your customer – At the outset Stanley had a great product, but didn’t know their customer. It took the Buy Guide team to show them the market and on the back of some smart marketing a market leading product was born.
Revenue share/Influencer Marketing – In the modern age of heavy social media usage it is often a viral tiktok or Instagram post that propels products to stardom. This was certainly the case for Stanley. Getting influencers on board with a revenue share model accelerated their growth with influencers also given the opportunity to share in the upside.
Targeted branding – Stanley’s usual marketing was tailored to workmen and outdoorsmen. The Stanley cup sat outside of this market and Stanley therefore needed to pivot the branding. Here partnering with the Buy Guide was a masterstroke. They offered experience and insight into how to market to the new target demographic. With this knowledge Stanley was able to pivot, creating a new website and branding approach to appeal to women aged 25-50.