Stanley cups, especially the brand's "quencher cup" that comes in an array of colors, have risen in popularity in recent years, and Stanley 1913, a company well known for its vacuum-insulated steel bottles, can thank in part, their national sales director Lauren Solomon '06 MKT, an Appalachian State University alumna.
During the past few years, professors at Solomon's alma mater and its Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management took note.
"For years we had been discussing in class various aspects of the growing demand for the large, thirst quencher cups, such as marketing research, consumer behavior, sales, distribution channels, integrated marketing communications and digital marketing," said App State's Beroth Professor of Marketing, Dr. Pia Albinsson. "We also found it interesting that newspaper articles referenced the increased demand by females for their tumbler products that previously were marketed to male-dominated segments —outdoorsy types and industrial workers."
At the time, Albinsson didn't realize Solomon's affiliation with the university. But Albinsson's colleague, Professor Bonnie Guy, who had been in recent communication with a former student, Matt Solomon '00, helped make the connection. With information from her colleague, Albinsson reached out to Solomon to ask if she would return to campus to share her experience and advice with students in App State's Walker College of Business.
Solomon excitedly accepted the invitation, and on April 19, 2024 she spoke to a full room of App State business students, eager to take notes from her experiences.
Solomon shared "The Power of Perspectives," discussing her views as a woman, wife, and mother. She encouraged the students to be true to their values in all they do.
Lauren Solomon spoke at App State and discussed how Stanley's profit grew with over $750 million over three years when they decided to market toward women. When their limited-edition Stanley + Starbucks products were promoted to be sold at Target, people camped overnight to secure their cups. Many displays were emptied within minutes at several stores. (Mohtasham 2024). Using redistribution sites such as eBay, resellers are taking advantage of the brand selling limited edition cups for much increased prices. TikTok videos featuring the brand using hashtags such as #stanleytumbler, #stanleybrand have over 1 billion views.
Solomon also covered the importance of envisioning beyond what is currently in place.
Stanley's 40-ounce thirst quencher, which now is a household item for many consumers, had not been a great success until Solomon had suggested the changes in marketing tactics: new collaborations, targeting new markets, and venturing into partnerships with social media influencers. Solomon detailed for the students the events that led to the success of the cup: A group of three women, founders and bloggers of The Buy Guide were fans of the Quencher, and in five days, with effective Instagram posts, they sold 5,000 cups in five days. Through their shared love for the product, and with Solomon's belief in the potential of a new market for Stanley, a meeting was set for The Buy Guide founders and Stanley CEO Bob Keller at an Outdoor Retailer conference in 2019. It was the beginning of the new digital marketing campaign and new website allowing for e-commerce, affiliate platforms, and connections with social media influencers.
At App State, Solomon distributed the popular thirst quenchers, wine cups, beer cups, and koozies to students, staff and faculty members who asked questions.
Solomon's App State visit concluded with a lunch with the faculty of the Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management who now proudly display a Stanley cup signed by Solomon in the department.
At right, Solomon receives flowers from App State marketing professor, Pia Albinsson.
Lauren Solomon '06 MKT with students who earned Stanley Quencher cups for their engagement
