What's behind the Stanley cup craze? A San Diego marketing professor explains

Up until a couple of weeks ago, you may never have heard of the Stanley tumbler. Or, maybe you know all about it and are amused by everyone else catching up on the latest trend. 

The craze has spilled throughout the United States as consumers feel the need to stay hydrated in a trendy, peculiar way. One person following the trend is Diana Perez, a Stanley cup collector. Perez said she has more than 70 of these cups, enough value, she explained, to remodel her kitchen.

“Some people collect cars, some people collect shoes, we collect cups,” said Diana Perez a Stanley cup collector. “My family, they think I’m crazy. They don’t understand why I need more than one.”

Perez said lately, it has been harder to keep growing her collection. The rising popularity has her competing with so many more people who are trying to buy the tumblers at retail. She said she goes up against resellers from the sneaker community who know how to snatch them up quickly.

“Like the newest pink cup. It’s really, really, really cute. I really like it and it’s selling for well over $200, $250, and you know I paid $50 for it,” she said as she showed off what she called her favorite Stanley cup in her collection.

The high demand is also driving the online sales of fake Stanley tumblers. Buyers should be careful when clicking on “really good deals,” as they may be knockoffs and not the real thing.

So, how did we get here?

Beyond the collectors and resellers, why does everyone suddenly want a Stanley tumbler to the point they’re flying off the shelves?

“It was a slow build over many months,” said Stanley President Terrance Riley. Under his direction, the tumbler got a design makeover a few years back. It was then picked up and blown up by social media influencers.

One of those influencers caught the attention in the home of On Amir, Professor of Marketing at UCSD.

“I asked my youngest daughter, 'Where did you hear about this?' and she said, 'Tik Tok,'” Amir recalled, adding that influencer campaigns can make products catch on quicker than ever before, especially with younger generations who are frequently on social media on their smartphones.

“The ability of companies to reach you at any point in time, in the right context, which is more convincing is unprecedented,” Amir said. “The thing you do for entertainment also is the channel that companies try to influence you with, and they do a great job of doing that.”

He explained that the influencer campaign worked well with the tumbler’s functional design, which is good for people used to having water or any other drink within arm’s reach.

“Water bottles have become a category that symbolizes someone’s identity and status,” Amir said. “So, people put thought into what they use to carry their water, or whatever liquid they carry, not just from a functional perspective, but also from what we call a symbolic perspective."

On top of that, he explained that by not satisfying demand every time there is a new collection or a new collaboration with another company, Stanley keeps buyers interested.

“Scarcity certainly is the driver of perceived value, right? If something’s harder to get, it raises the perceived value,” Amir said.

It also quenches another strong consumer need.

“It’s an inexpensive way to belong, to be in. And that’s a powerful drive, a really powerful drive."