How Stanley 1913 Is Turning Virality Into A Global Lifestyle Play

The Stanley Quencher

Stanley 1913

If you’ve scrolled by way of TikTok prior to now few years, likelihood is you’ve seen various coloured cups with a straw jutting out; clutched by a twenty-something in a automobile, a fitness center, or all through a complete “get ready with me” video. In the hydration age, that product—the Stanley Quencher—grew to become a viral obsession that turned a 110-year-old thermos firm into one of the crucial unlikely client success tales of the last decade.

Between 2019 and 2023, Stanley 1913’s income multiplied tenfold, peaking in direction of the billion-dollar mark. But, as a number of flip-fortuned manufacturers know all too effectively, viral fame has a half-life. The problem was proving Stanley might maintain itself as soon as the frenzy cooled.

And for Ben James, Stanley’s Vice President of Global Commercial and General Manager for EMEA, that problem is a day by day obsession. James joined Stanley simply as the corporate was hitting its steepest development curve in 2021. “Rocket ship is the only way to describe it,” he says. “It was a lot of pioneering, deep strategy work—figuring out who we wanted to be, where we wanted to go, and how to get there. It was scrappy in the beginning.”

That scrappiness has since developed into deliberate construction. Today James spends most of his time on EMEA—Stanley’s fastest-growing area, which tripled its enterprise final 12 months and is forecast to double once more in 2025.

The central query for James and the remainder of the corporate’s management staff stays the best way to transfer past the Quencher, and he frames the idealogy behind Stanley’s previous and future in “eras.”

“Our first era was rooted in supplying the American workforce—workers bringing coffee to the job site,” he explains. “Then came the outdoor era, as people took our bottles camping and hiking. The next era was hydration—that’s where the Quencher sits—and now we’re pioneering the next phase: to become a true global lifestyle brand.”

In apply, this new section means diversifying classes. Hydration stays core, however in Europe, café merchandise (insulated mugs, commuter-friendly designs, et al) are quickly rising. “I’m guilty, I have mine with me right now,” James laughs. “I like to sip coffee slowly, and I want it hot for hours. Café is becoming a major part of our consumer’s day in EMEA.”

Alternately, mushy coolers have taken off with triple-digit development in North America, tapping into the US’ affinity for out of doors picnics and events, the place Stanley can also be constructing its barware line, from pints to cocktail shakers.

“You leverage the virality, but you can’t let it define you,” James says. “We used that spike to fuel other categories. We reinvested into innovation, so it wasn’t just one cup driving the brand.”

Innovation, he insists, is non-negotiable. “If you take your foot off the gas from a product perspective, you lose consumer loyalty. The product engine feeds partnerships, categories, and stories. It’s truly what allows us to sustain growth.”

It’s that innovation, paired with partnerships, that secures its continued, cross-cultural attain, too. Stanley has collaborated with Lionel Messi, Post Malone, and most just lately, Arsenal Football Club—its most vital European transfer to this point.

“Sport is culture,” James says. “Football especially—it connects communities worldwide, and Arsenal was the perfect partner. We share over 110 years of heritage. When Arsenal first played at Highbury, it was the same year Stanley patented its bottle. Both brands stand for innovation, performance, and community.”

The newly-released collaboration launched with co-branded bottles, and social sentiment was overwhelmingly optimistic for each manufacturers. “It’s not just about revenue,” he insists. “Success is bringing fans together, celebrating what both brands stand for, and doing it sustainably.”

“These things don’t just snap together. There’s months of research, planning, and work on both sides. You get one chance to launch right.”

When requested what the model is likely to be planning subsequent, James is cautious about specifics however outlines clear priorities for the following two years; to deepening hydration with new codecs and colourways, to supercharging café in Europe, and bolstering development in key markets—significantly the UK, France, and Germany—whereas opening in new ones.

The model can also be cultivating retail companions like JD Sports, which James says characterize the “modern channels” Stanley wants to achieve contemporary customers. “We’re still new to a lot of people in EMEA,” he says. “That’s the opportunity.”

And whereas viral development inevitably flattens, James is assured in Stanley’s onwards trajectory. Unlike most hypebeasts, it has over a century of credibility to attract on. “We have 110 years of brand equity,” James says. “We use that to fuel the next 110.”