One marketing lesson from Stanley that turned it into a $750 million business

Too busy to read? Here's Stanley's biggest marketing lesson for your business:

Connect with your customers effectively 

Here's the whole write-up for you:

Stanley is a drinkware and gear company that primarily manufactures quenchers, water bottles, tumblers, and related accessories like straws.

Despite selling high-end products and offering nothing particularly unique with its double-wall insulation design, Stanley commands the market and sells more units than its competitors.

How is this possible? It's their powerful marketing techniques. Why not take some ideas from this write-up and try them out for your product?

Connecting with the audience through ads 

Whether it's the timeless 1978 commercial on a construction site or its latest advertisement, Stanley never fails to connect its ad with consumers' day-to-day lives

Ad 1: Stanley's thermoflask falls from the top floor at a construction site and remains undamaged. The construction worker then opens the flask, takes a sip of coffee, and judging by his reaction, it's evident that the coffee is still hot.

At that time, the target audience was blue-collar workers working in tough environments. This content resonated with them, as they could relate to both the challenges depicted and the solutions provided.

Ad 2: Their latest 30-second ad targets Millennials and Gen Z by highlighting how their water bottle is practical, easy to carry, and suitable for various daily lifestyle activities such as biking, yoga, trekking, and traveling, all of which we can all relate to.

If your water bottle is lightweight, easy to sip, and doesn't leak, what else could you ask for in a water bottle?

 Influencer marketing and social media sensation 

Stanley gained significant traction after partnering with the Buy Guide, a page run by influencers. One of their newly launched models sold over 5,000 units in just five days, with a particular emphasis on targeting women through promotional videos on TikTok and Instagram. This encouraged customers to buy Stanley's products and post videos on social media.

This is a powerful combination of influencer marketing, social media marketing, and word of mouth.

They clearly mastered the strategy of "go where your audience is".

If you're looking for a marketing platform to engage with your audience across their preferred channels, consider checking Zoho Marketing Plus, which is a unified marketing platform that enables you to create and publish content across all channels, measure campaign performance, and a lot more—all within a single platform.

Collaborate with the brands your customers love 

Stanley has strategically collaborated with brands such as Starbucks and Olay, recognizing that their customers also patronize these brands. This collaboration has not only enhanced sales but also increased popularity. Stanley effectively uses other brands as channels to promote their products.

Key learnings 

Connect with your audience: Foster a meaningful connection by showcasing real customers in your ads instead of models.

Stay relevant: Ensure that your content remains current and resonates with the interests and needs of your target audience.

If you're interested in learning about the marketing practices of your favorite brands, leave their names in a comment and we'll explore and possibly write about them.