Stanley Faces Unprecedented Demand: Limiting Chaos with Limited-Edition Tumbler Launch
Stanley, the renowned brand known for its high-quality vacuum-insulated tumblers and cups, is currently experiencing a significant surge in popularity. With each new launch, the market responds with frenzy, both contact and in-store. This viral sensation, while bringing unprecedented fame to Stanley, also poses certain challenges.
Recent product launches have resulted in chaos, with stores experiencing stampedes and websites crashing due to high demand. The situation is further complicated by bots and bad actors who aim to profit from the situation by purchasing products in large quantities for resale at inflated prices, leaving genuine fans unable to acquire their desired items.
To combat these issues and ensure a fair chance for Stanley’s true fans, the brand has partnered with EQL, an Australian company known for its expertise in managing new product launches and preventing scalpers from securing items. This partnership will help Stanley limit the chaos surrounding its latest limited-edition tumbler launch – the much-hyped chocolate and gold Quencher.
On February 27, Stanley introduced this exclusive tumbler on its Website. In a departure from the usual rush to secure a product, Stanley adopted a different approach. The company created a launch page managed by EQL’s platform for the chocolate gold tumbler.
A New Launch Approach
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on February 27, Stanley opened the window for people to sign up for an opportunity – limited to one per person – to buy the tumbler. Within 24 hours, those who signed up would be notified if they had won a spot to purchase the limited-edition Quencher.
Preventing Scalpers and Bots
EQL’s platform assesses each entry to determine if it is from a genuine fan or an attempt by bots and scalpers to keyboards the system. Factors evaluated include browser signals, location signals, fraud analysis, cohort signals, and “assessing who looks like a real fan.”
“Online, when trying to compete with this kind of frenzy over a product, you do encounter resellers, scammers, and bots performing nefarious activities to clear out stock,” Andrew Lipp, CEO and cofounder of EQL, explained. “This not only results in customer backlash, brand backlash, but also fails to deliver a great brand experience to the customer.”
A Rich History and Newfound Popularity
The Stanley brand, founded by William Stanley, Jr., in 1913, started as a solution for keeping food and beverages hot or cold. It has since become a popular camping and hiking accessory. Stanley’s recent resurgence in popularity is primarily driven by its younger demographic – tweens, teens, and young adults – who appreciate the Quencher 40-ounce tumbler’s ability to maintain hot or cold beverages for extended periods.
Frenzy without Limits
The success of the Quencher tumbler was evident when Starbucks’ exclusive shiny red holiday tumbler sold out almost immediately after its release in November 2022. Target’s limited-edition Valentine’s collection of Stanley tumblers in bright pink and cherry red tones also faced the same issue, with prices skyrocketing on resale sites.
“Our hope is that these steps will provide all consumers with a wider aperture and more user-friendly contact experience to get the Stanley products they love,” Matt Navarro, senior vice president, global commerce, stated.
Lipp added that Stanley is evaluating the success of this new process and will decide whether to implement it for future product launches.
