How the Stanley Cup Became So Popular

Do you have a Stanley Cup? If you don’t have one, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of them. But do you know the Stanely Cup’s origin story? It’s an amazing example that shows the power of social media and how it can bring you more business and sales. From a business standpoint, here’s what you need to know about how the Stanley Cup became so popular. 

 

 

I had a chat with Taylor, co-owner of The Buy Guide, who partnered with Stanley to help sell its cups. Taylor, Ashlee, and Linley (owners of The Buy Guide) are the reason why Stanley Cups had a massive comeback in sales. Let’s learn about their secrets and how we can apply them to our own businesses! 

But before we do, I have to tell you about The Buy Guide. These three women started The Buy Guide in 2017. This business was a way for them to share the everyday essentials they were buying and loving for their families. They set up strict boundaries, so their Instagram account focused on the products rather than their lifestyles. 

This strategy is not super common among influencers, but I love how they have stuck to their standards and have created a booming business out of what they love and in a way that they are passionate about. Doing business this way and sticking to their boundaries of how they show up has helped them keep Instagram as their job. It’s not their entire life or their identity and that’s been huge for them. 

 

 

How the Stanley Cup Became So Popular

One of the first products The Buy Guide shared on their Instagram was the Stanley Cup. They talked about how much they loved it and why it was so helpful for everyday life as a mom. Shortly after, Stanley discontinued the cup. Stanley thought the cup was not performing well enough, so they took it out completely. 

The Buy Guide was determined to get it back because they knew if they could sell it to the right market, the cup sales would explode. And that’s exactly what happened. Lauren, who worked with Stanley, messaged The Buy Guide on Instagram and they were able to work together to get the cup back on the market. In the beginning, the only way Stanley agreed to bring the cup back was if The Buy Guide bought 5 thousand Stanley cups all at once. These women were so nervous but knew the cup was special and would perform well if sold to the right audience. 

So, they bought the 5 thousand Stanley cups using every dollar of their business account (& then some) and marketed the cup on their Instagram. They ended up selling every single one of them within a few days. And then they did it again and the second round sold out in a few hours! 

The Buy Guide’s Instagram marketing strategy and record-breaking sales rate with the cup convinced Stanley to bring the cup back and even partner with them!

 

 

4 Marketing Strategies to Learn from The Buy Guide

Taylor, Ashlee, and Linley learned so much through their experience partnering with Stanley. They started out as just a small business sharing products they loved with anyone who would listen. And now they can say they played a role in the Stanley company going from a 75 million net worth to a 750 million dollar net worth. Here are 4 things marketing strategies they said had to be included in order for this success to happen. (And the best part is that you can use these same strategies in your business–no matter the size!) 

 

Marketing Strategy #1: Sell a genuinely great product. 

Stanley is a hundred-year-old company and has been really good at selling its products for a really long time. The people there know business and they know how to jump over hurdles and put out fires, so the company always comes out on top. 

Stanley sells tons of high-quality, durable products that last for years to come. This truth paired with The Buy Guide’s personal experience using the Stanley Cup helped these women know that the cup was a genuinely great product. When the product is so well-designed it’s easy to sell. The people who use it can talk about how much they really love it–not just to make the sale but to really share how it makes their lives better. Those types of “commercials” are the best kind and will be what convince more people to buy the product. 

 

Marketing Strategy #2: Expand your customer base–women 25-55 are the buyers.

Before The Buy Guide joined the sales force for the Stanely Cup, it was mainly sold in a camping line to men. As we noted earlier, it was not doing great so Stanley discontinued the cup altogether. When The Buy Guide joined the picture, they offered the idea of selling the Stanley Cup in pink. The brand didn’t love that idea at first, but they tried it and soon reaped the rewards of it. 

When The Buy Guide showed them the perspective of selling the cups to women 25-55, Stanley quickly realized it needed to expand its customer base. The Stanely Cup wasn’t just a masculine cup to be used when camping. This cup is for everyone and can be the perfect cup for the everyday hustle and bustle. 

 

 

Marketing Strategy #3: Create win-win scenarios so influencers are incentivized to share your product.

One of the biggest things The Buy Guide helped Stanley implement was affiliate marketing and getting influencers on board to market to women. They felt very strongly about finding an army of influencers that fit with their aesthetic and were genuinely good at sharing products with their audience. 

They created a list of influencers who fit the criteria and started sending them boxes and sharing with them why they love the Stanley Cup. Next, they helped Stanely get on all the affiliate networks. Sending the box paired with getting Stanley set up so it offers commission created a win-win scenario for the influencers and incentivized them to sell the cup to their audiences. 

 

Marketing Strategy #4: Create a “hero product” that brings people in to buy and expands your bottom line across the board.

The Buy Guide helped Stanley realize that its hero product is the Stanely Cup and when people go to its site to buy the cup, they’ll stay and see if they are interested in anything else. It’s not a guarantee that the buyers will buy other products, BUT it gets more traffic on the website and expands the bottom line across the board. 

 

 

How the Stanley Cup Became So Popular

How the Stanley Cup became so popular is such an incredible story that has so many lessons we can learn from it! For some bonus tips and content about how to apply these and other strategies in your business, listen to the podcast episode HERE. Also, make sure you’re following The Buy Guide on Instagram HERE and you can follow me @iammichellegifford!

 

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