What the Stanley Cup Teaches Us About Rebranding and Sustainability

When I first came across the Stanley Cups, I was puzzled by the hype surrounding this “simple” cup. But then I took a closer look and realized that the Stanley Cups are a fascinating case study in successful rebranding and the intricate interplay of consumer behavior and sustainability.

Facts & Figures

The company Stanley has been around for over 110 years. In 1913, the inventor William Stanley Jr. combined vacuum insulation with robust steel to create the all-steel vacuum bottle we know today. They became a symbol of an adventurous outdoor lifestyle. Their target audience were adventurers, explorers, craftmen — in general men.

In 2019, they had a revenue of $70 million dollars. In 2021, Stanley reported a 250% increase in direct sales to consumer. In 2023, their revenue increased to $700 million dollars.

So, what happened?

Product of Discussion

Part 1: How to rebrand successfully

Stanley tapped into a complete new market — women.

The story begins with a blog called The Buy Guide (TBG), which featured the cup on their website because they loved it. The website writes about the Stanley Cups:

“Large enough to keep up with our busy days, a handle to carry it wherever we go, dishwasher safe, fits into our car cupholders, keeps ice cold for 12+ hours, and a straw. It’s everything we want in a daily cup. It comes with us to the Peloton, to work, to carpool, and sits on our bedside tables each night. We love the reliability of Stanley brand and their lifetime warranty.”

When Stanley decide to discontinue the product, the founders of The Buy Guide were confused. They loved it, their customers loved it, why would they discontinue it? They got in touch with the company and convinced them of the power of their product and Instagram marketing.

"We KNEW this product was special and that we happened to find an audience for it that they hadn’t considered - women. We saw it as an everyday item instead of a camping item. It had always been sold with the rest of Stanley’s line in camping sections. We knew that if women could sell this cup to women, it would be a winner."

Stanley agreed that TBG could buy 5,000 cups to sell them to their audience and within 5 days, they sold them all. And they did it again until they eventually convinced Stanley of the market strength of their product. Since then, the Stanley Cup has taken on a life of its own.

What is one of the lessons we learn here?

Be open to consumer feedback and don’t shy away from trying a new target market or demographic.

Many brands still undervalue the buying power of women. Women earn more than they used to, occupy prominent roles in the workforce and decision-making spheres, lead independent lives and make their own purchasing decisions. The prevailing misconception often neglects the diversity of women as consumers and overlooks their preferences and priorities. Brands that fail to recognize and appeal to this powerful consumer group risk missing out on significant market opportunities. Stanley is a fantastic example for that.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Part 2: How Sustainable is the Stanley Cup?

Stanley Cups, alongside other reusable options, offer a great alternative to plastic bottles, which contribute significantly to ocean pollution. With over 450 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year, a recent study found alarming levels of nanoplastics — around 240,000 in a standard 1 litre water bottle, small enough to infiltrate the human body (source). However, the Stanley Cups comes with unintended consequences, similar to the use of carrier bags I wrote about here. The over-consumption of this product has created a new eco-dilemma and emphasizes the complexity of sustainable choices.

We buy countless reusable bottles, collect them and let them gather dust on our kitchen shelves. Reusable cups, just like bags, are only better for the planet if we have only a few of them and actually use them. Stanley Cups are made from steel, and every ton of steel produced in 2018 emitted on average 1.85 tons of carbon dioxide, equating to about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions (source).

To be fair, Stanley is working on this challenge. In 2022, 23% of their stainless steel products were made of certified, recycled stainless steel. They are committed to use recycled content in at least 50% of their stainless steel units produced by 2025 (Sustainability At Stanley). Furthermore, their products are designed to last and can be used anywhere.

What do we conclude from this? Buy only a few reusable cups and use them as often as you can. As usual, less is more! :)