Latest / Building Brands with Fexingo: Identity, Reputation, and Long-Term Business Equity / How Stanley Built a Brand on Heritage and Hype
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, I want to start with a number: one hundred and thirteen. That's how many years Stanley has been around, and yet somehow, in the last few years, it became one of the most talked-about brands on the internet. Luna: One hundred and thirteen years old and suddenly it's the brand everyone's carrying. How did that happen? Lucas: Right, and that's the question. Because Stanley built its name on ruggedness — heavy steel flasks, camp gear, stuff that would survive a fall off a cliff. It was a workhorse brand, not a fashion statement. Luna: So what changed? When did it flip from being your dad's thermos to the thing everyone's gotta have? Lucas: The pivot point was around 2019, when a shopping blog called The Buy Guide posted about a Stanley tumbler — the 40-ounce Quencher. And it just took off with their audience, mostly women in the parenting and lifestyle space. That was not Stanley's traditional customer. Luna: The Quencher — that's the one with the handle and the straw, right? The giant cup that doesn't fit in a car cupholder. Lucas: Exactly. And that's part of the charm, honestly. It's oversized, it's impractical, but it feels like a statement. The Buy Guide's founders actually reached out to Stanley and said, hey, you've got something here, but you're not marketing it to the right people. Luna: And Stanley listened? That's not always a given with legacy brands. Lucas: They did. And they brought on a new president, Terence Reilly, who had previously worked at Crocs. He understood the playbook of taking a functional product and injecting it with cultural relevance. He leaned into limited color drops, collaborations, and influencer seeding. Luna: Crocs is a great example. That brand went from being mocked to being a fashion staple. So Reilly basically imported that strategy. Lucas: Right. And the numbers show it worked. By 2023, Stanley's sales had grown something like tenfold from 2019. The Quencher became the brand's hero product, and they started releasing it in these small color batches that would sell out in minutes. Luna: Scarcity. That's a classic play. But with Stanley, it felt different — like it wasn't just hype. There was a sense of community around collecting these cups. Lucas: Yeah, and part of that community was built by the brand itself. They created a Facebook group called Stanley Quencher Sippers, and it grew to over a hundred thousand members. It became a place where people could share their collections, ask about restocks, and even suggest new colors. Luna: So they were co-creating with their most passionate fans. That's smart. It builds loyalty that goes way beyond a single purchase. Lucas: Exactly. And they were also paying attention to the cultural moment. In 2023, they did a Valentine's Day drop of a red Quencher that sold out in under an hour. And then there was the viral video of a woman whose Stanley cup survived her car catching fire — Stanley's response was to send her a new cup and a gift card. Luna: That was such a great PR move. They turned a random viral moment into a brand story about durability and care. Lucas: And it reinforced the heritage — the whole 'built for life' ethos. But here's the tension: Stanley is now a fashion accessory. It's about color drops and trends. How do you hold onto the rugged authenticity while riding a hype wave? Luna: That's the million-dollar question. If you become too trendy, you risk being seen as a fad. And fads fade. Lucas: Right. And Stanley has been careful to keep one foot in its outdoor roots. They still make heavy-duty coolers and flasks, and they sponsor outdoor athletes and events. But the growth engine is clearly the lifestyle side. Luna: So they're trying to have it both ways: heritage and hype. Is that sustainable? Lucas: It can be, if you manage the balance. Look at brands like Carhartt or even Patagonia — they've managed to stay relevant by staying true to their core while expanding their appeal. The key is not to dilute the brand so much that it loses its meaning. Luna: But there's a risk that the TikTok crowd moves on to the next shiny object. Do you think Stanley is prepared for that? Lucas: That's the big question. And honestly, the brand seems aware of it. They're expanding into other products — like the IceFlow jugs and the Go Tumbler — and they're investing in their direct to consumer channels so they control the relationship with customers. Luna: That's smart. You can't rely on a single hero product forever, no matter how viral it gets. Lucas: And that's where the real lesson is for any legacy brand. Stanley didn't just chase the trend; they built a system around it — community, scarcity, and product innovation. They turned a moment into a movement. Luna: So if you're a brand that's been around for decades, what's the takeaway? How do you not become irrelevant? Lucas: You have to be willing to listen to who your actual fans are, not just who you think they should be. Stanley discovered that their product appealed to a demographic they hadn't even considered. And they pivoted. Luna: Honestly, that's something we try to do here too. We pay attention to what listeners find valuable and lean into that. It's a constant conversation. Lucas: And speaking of that, if today's episode moved your thinking in some small way, that's the kind of thing that tells us we're on the right track. And if it did, you know, a small gesture like a virtual coffee keeps us going. That's at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it really does help us keep these conversations coming, and it keeps the show free for everyone. Lucas: So back to Stanley — what do you think is the biggest risk they face in the next few years? Luna: I think it's overexposure. There's a fine line between being everywhere and becoming annoying. If every influencer is shilling a Stanley, it starts to feel less authentic. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why the scarcity strategy works so well — it creates demand, but it also prevents the market from getting flooded. The moment you can find a Quencher in every discount store, it loses its cachet. Luna: So they need to keep it a little hard to get. But they also need to expand beyond the tumbler. It's a delicate dance. Lucas: For sure. But if any brand has shown it can adapt, it's Stanley. They went from being a nearly forgotten name to a cultural icon in just a few years. That's not luck — that's strategy. Luna: And it's a great case study for any brand that wants to stay relevant without losing its soul. Lucas: Yeah, and I think the next chapter for Stanley will be about proving they can sustain this. Can they turn a viral moment into a durable brand? That's the test. Luna: And we'll be watching. Thanks for joining us on this one, and we'll see you next time.