Stanley Tumblers Take the Lead: Drinkware brand dominates social media trendiness
As reusable water bottles, tumblers and other sustainable beverage containers have become more popular, market experts along with consumers have grown to see the item as not only a basic necessity but a staple to one’s identity in terms of fashion and trendiness.
As more and more research shows the devastating effects of plastic pollution, especially from non-recyclable plastic water bottles, many people in an effort to be more eco-friendly turn to using reusable and sustainable alternatives. According to Global Market Insight, the reusable drinkware market was worth more than 28 billion just last year and is expected to keep growing in the coming decade.
As trends shifted from personalized Hydroflasks to Yeti’s, one cup has seemed to take over the industry, the Stanley 40 oz Adventure Quencher.
Priced at $45 before shipping costs, the company claims the cup is able to keep beverages iced for 2 days while also being dishwasher safe and BPA-free made with 90% recycled materials. Despite its large size it can fit into a car’s cup holder, easily bolstering its image as a durable and convenient everyday item.
It’s also worth noting that it comes in several different colors (some having months long waitlists after being sold out) and most recently even survived a car fire.
Created in 2017, the cup’s exponential rise in popularity is attributed to a team of women social media bloggers who met with Stanley’s leadership to create a sort of marketing tactic that would produce massive amounts of content showcasing the cup while using affiliate links for content creators to receive commission on purchases. The content ranges from unboxing videos to beverage recipes spanning many different demographics.
The cup has reached over 120 million views on Tiktok and seems to be only growing in popularity with a 275% year-over-year increase in sales just in 2023.
“I’ve been seeing it around for a while online, especially on TikTok and Instagram,” said Ted Wilson, a 28-year-old social media manager in Philadelphia. “Eventually, I decided to try it out and got mine in grey. I saw so many people with them.”
Ted’s story on how he came to purchase a Stanley cup is similar to those of other people we spoke to about their decision to buy one.
Alexandra Chappelle, a busy pharmacist from New Jersey told us she first saw it trending on healthcare themed TikTok’s with many working in the industry touting its practicality.
“I saw it trending among healthcare professionals on social media and had FOMO,” she said. “People can spot a Stanley a mile away because it’s kind of obnoxious in size yet fits in a car cup holder.”
She even bought them as gifts for her friends and family, one of them, a schoolteacher in her 30’s, Breanna Carroll, talked to us about what she looks for when deciding on what drinkware to purchase.
“It’s about how long it keeps the water cold,” she said. “The amount of water it holds, and how easy it is to drink out of. The look of it isn’t as important to me, but I do like to choose a color that I like. When I was gifted a Stanley cup, I really liked it and saw a lot of my friends using them.”
Google searches for the Stanley water bottle peaked at an all time high in the beginning of November, dropping just slightly in the past week.
In an interview with Marketplace, Stanley Global President Terence Reilly stated that he’s not too worried about their products losing momentum. He cited the combination of the brand’s heritage, reputation and continued innovation as the main reason for their unyielding grasp on today’s drinkware market.
For more information on Stanley products visit their website here.
