Until a few weeks ago, you might have never heard of Stanley Tumblers. Or maybe you know a lot about it and enjoy watching others keep up with the latest trends.
This trend has spread across the United States as consumers feel the need to stay hydrated in trendy and unique ways. One person who follows this trend is Stanley Cup collector Diana Perez. Perez said she has more than 70 of these cups, which she explained were worth enough to remodel her kitchen.
“Some people collect cars, some people collect shoes. We collect cups,” said Stanley Cup collector Diana Perez. “My family thinks I'm crazy. They don't understand why I need more than one.”
Perez said lately it has been difficult to keep growing his collection. Due to her growing popularity, she is competing with even more people looking to buy tumblers at retail stores. She goes up against resellers in the sneaker community who say they know how to snatch sneakers quickly.
“Like the latest pink cup. It's really, really, really cute. I really like it and it sells for well over $200, $250, but you know I paid $50 for it.” '' she said, showing off her favorite part of the collection, called the Stanley Cup.
High demand has also fueled online sales of fake Stanley tumblers. Buyers should be careful when clicking on “Really Good Deals” as it may be a counterfeit product rather than the real thing.
So how did we get here?
Why does everyone, beyond collectors and resellers, suddenly want Stanley tumblers flying off the shelves?
“We built it slowly over several months,” Stanley President Terrence Riley said. Under his direction, the tumbler design was completely redesigned a few years ago. It was then picked up and blown up by social media influencers.
One such influencer caught the attention of On Amir, a marketing professor at UCSD, at his home.
“I asked my younger daughter, 'Where did you hear about this?' And she said, 'Tik Tok,'” Amir recalls, adding that influencer campaigns, among other things, He added that the product could become more popular among the younger generation, who frequently use social media on their smartphones, more quickly than in the past.
“It is unprecedented for companies to be able to provide more persuasive communication options at any time and in the appropriate circumstances,” Amir said. “What you do for entertainment is also a channel for companies to try to influence you, and companies do a great job of that.”
He explained that the influencer campaign works well with the tumbler's functional design and is a good fit for people who are used to having water and other beverages within arm's reach.
“Water bottles have become a category that symbolizes one's identity and status,” Amir says. “So people think about what they use to transport water and liquids not only from a functional perspective, but also from a so-called symbolic perspective.”
Beyond that, Stanley explained that he maintains buyer interest by not meeting demand with each new collection or new collaboration with another company.
“Scarcity certainly drives the perception of value, right? When something is difficult to obtain, its perceived value increases,” Amir said.
It also satisfies another strong consumer need.
“It's an inexpensive way to belong and be involved. And it's a powerful driver, a really powerful driver.”
