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A major marketing expert claimed that Stanley unleashed a “perfect storm” of viral marketing with social media monolith TikTok to get consumers crazy for its 40 oz. Quencher mugs. 

Victor Lee, the president of marketing consulting group Advantage Unified Commerce, recently spoke to Fox News Digital about how the company used the social media platform to snag the attention of millions of Americans and get them to buy its tumbler dubbed the “Stanley Cup” by fans. 

The strategy netted the company ten times its usual annual profits in just a short period of time and made legions of consumers ravenous for the product.

The expert called Stanleys entrance into the viral marketing space “brilliant,” especially for being able to take something as innocuous as a water bottle and turn it into a must-have product.

The Stanley Cup craze has been in overdrive in recent months, evidenced in viral videos showing consumers buying up store shelves of the product within minutes, and weeping for joy after getting them for Christmas.

The craze has become so prevalent that headlines have been made aboutparents telling bulliesto lay off their kids for not having an official Stanley tumbler.

Lee began by discussing the current social media landscape and how the tumbler company was able to use it to its advantage.

The expert mentioned how the current way to win the social media race is by doing the best at leveraging the attention of the platform users for the company or influencers benefit.

“Your phone is now saying, if I have five minutes to your attention, where do you want to go? And wherever you tap to, that’s who wins,” he said. “And if they don’t give you enough good stuff to occupy five minutes, you know you’re shutting that app off or that site off, and you’re going to another button, and you’re hitting it. That’s the race.”

He noted, “Who wins the race is what they did with your attention. And I think this is where TikTok fell into” Stanleys plans. 

The expert further detailed how TikTok, compared to other social media platforms, is best equipped to trigger audiences into a reaction, including buying products.

Providing an example, he said, “TikTok is very well known for, I’m going to throw a random challenge. Go do it. Go run and jump into that swimming pool. Go hop the fence or do this. And there’s a lot of other controversial stuff.”

He also referenced the growing “#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt” trend thats been sweeping the platform. The hashtag currently boasts 86.6 billion views and counting on all videos related to it. The trend involves users showing off the products theyve bought while scrolling the app, which seems to drive more marketing and sales for the products depicted.

This almost compulsive virality combined with product placement means “now there’s real business implications” for these social media platforms, Lee said, before adding that Stanley taking advantage of this dynamic “was the perfect storm.”

“I would say they absolutely defined a moment of time and succeeded in it,” the expert declared. 

Explaining how the company did this specifically, Lee noted that Stanley relied on a mixture of factors, including TikToks platform, and Stanleys knowledge of its audience.

He said, “It’s not all luck, its not all strategy. Its a fine mix of it. But it’s also a conviction of knowing where an audience is, in this case social media and TikTok specifically, and then allowing multiple adjacencies.” 

Providing examples, he continued, “Like you started innovative with an influencer, if you want to call it innovative, then you went into TikTok. Suddenly it’s like, Well, what’s the other adjacency? Well, is this audience also a Target audience? More Target than probably other retailers? Are they a Starbucks audience? More Starbucks than other coffee? Let’s go there.”

Stanley marketed its cups with both Target and Starbucks. The Target exclusive Stanley Quencher made news after viral video showed customers at a Target in El Paso allegedly buying up the stores entire stock within minutes. Lee said the brand partnership itself was a “traditional” strategy rather than “innovative” on its own, but then combined with the design of cups and TikTok marketing, thats where it become innovative. 

He said, “But they struck it where it is innovative. It is the big Stanley Cup, giant one. It is colored. It is exclusive. It is that. So that’s their innovation, which fits.”

Continuing, Lee discussed how social media, particularly TikTok, has been utilized by Stanley and other companies to generate a connection between the consumer and the product they see on their favorite influencers’ channels for example.

Mentioning his experience as the head of Hasbros digital marketing, he said, “During that time the craze in our world was the unboxing of toys. Why would a five-year-old kid watch an hour of YouTube of somebody opening up a toy? And what we found out is there’s a psychological effect of surprise, I have something, and it’s open, and there’s a connection to like, Christmas, of opening something up. And that to them just captured their attention.” 

He added that TikTok presents the current form of that. “Now you fast-forward it six, ten years later. What is that? Well, there’s entertainment value TikTok is a massive entertainment value of that.”

Lee added that TikTok is having a “double effect” on users. “Were we interesting? And did you do something? And I think that’s the magic intersection that people aren’t talking a lot about,” he said. 

Noting how marketing products benefits from this connection established between users and social media, he said, “Social media was always passive. I get to watch something, I get to engage, I get to feel that if there’s a celebrity involved, that I am closer to them than if I see them in their natural environment, on TV or in a movie. And social allows me a glimpse of their real life. Now, if I happened to start buying something from them, it makes me a tighter connection.”

“Because social feels more intimate and I’m closer to you and if I trust you it’s a perfect storm, is whats happening.”

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The ‘£7bn’ government secret

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The '£7bn' government secret

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

Who knew what about the Afghan data leak? And could anyone in parliament have done more to help scrutinise the government at the time of the superinjunction? Harriet thinks so.

So in this episode, Beth, Ruth, and Harriet talk about the massive breach, the secret court hearings, and the constitutional chaos it’s unleashed.

Plus – the fallout from the latest Labour rebellion. Four MPs have lost the whip – officially for repeated defiance, but unofficially? A government source called it “persistent knobheadery”.

So is Keir Starmer tightening his grip or losing control? And how does this compare to rebellions of Labour past?

Oh and singer Chesney Hawkes gets an unexpected mention.

Responding to claims in the podcast about whether Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle could have scrutinised the government, a Commons spokesperson said: “As has been made clear, Mr Speaker was himself under a superinjunction, and so would have been under severe legal restrictions regarding speaking about this. He would have had no awareness which organisations or individuals were and were not already aware of this matter.

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“The injunction could not constrain proceedings in parliament and between being served with the injunction in September 2023 and the 2024 General Election Mr Speaker granted four UQs on matters relating to Afghan refugees and resettlement schemes.

“Furthermore, as set out in the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Speaker has no powers to refer matters to the Intelligence and Security Committee.”

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England through to semi-finals of Women’s Euros after beating Sweden on penalties

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England through to semi-finals of Women's Euros after beating Sweden on penalties

England have booked their place in the semi-finals of the Women’s Euros after knocking out Sweden.

The Lionesses won 3-2 on penalties at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, after clawing their way back to take the game into extra-time.

The defending champions had been 2-0 down at half-time after goals from Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius in the quarter-final clash.

England then levelled matters towards the end of normal time. Lucy Bronze delivered the first England goal on 79 minutes, assisted by substitute Chloe Kelly. Two minutes later, Michelle Agyemang followed suit, taking the score to 2-2.

England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton (R) celebrates with teammates after the side beat Sweden. Pic: AP
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England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton (R) celebrates with teammates after the side beat Sweden. Pic: AP

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Bronze’s penalty kept England’s hopes alive. Pic: Reuters

After a goalless extra-time, it was time for penalties.

Alessia Russo kicked things off, finding the back of the net for England, before Lauren James, Alex Greenwood, Beth Mead and Grace Clinton had their attempts saved by Sweden’s Jennifer Falk.

The game was sent into sudden death after Falk went face-to-face with England’s Hannah Hampton but sent the ball flying over the crossbar.

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Sweden
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A devastated Sweden. Pic: Reuters

It all came down to Sweden’s seventh penalty after Bronze sensationally scored, with 18-year-old Smilla Holmberg missing the chance to send her team through.

England will next face Italy in the semi-finals in Geneva on Tuesday.

‘That was crazy’

England boss Sarina Wiegman described the action as “one of the hardest games I’ve ever watched”.

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Sarina Wiegman after the match. Pic: Reuters

“We could have been out of the game three or four times, when you’re 2-0 at half-time it’s not good,” she said after the match.

“Although we started really bad, at the end it got better, but we didn’t create anything so we had to change shape, and we score two goals – that was crazy.

“We miss a lot [of penalties], and they miss even more. I need to decompress, I think.”

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Hannah Hampton still delivered with one nostril down. Pic: Reuters

Goalkeeper Hampton added that it was “stressful watching” and “stressful playing”.

The 24-year-old, who was left with a bloodied nose in extra-time, said: “Every time I saved one, I was just thinking ‘please put it in, so we have a bit of a cushion!’

“To be honest, I think I was better in the game when I had one nostril than when I was completely fine!”

She said it was the support of the England fans that helped the team push on. She said: “They were definitely behind me and I appreciate all the support.”

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Michelle Agyemang reacts after levelling the game for the Lionesses. Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Sweden
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Pic: Reuters

Pressure was on the Lionesses after they won the tournament in 2022.

Their journey in the group stages started with a 2-1 defeat to France, but hopes were lifted after England sailed past the Netherlands and Wales to reach the knockout stages, finishing second in Group D.

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Sweden on the other hand went into Thursday’s game unbeaten in the tournament so far, having already defeated Germany, Poland and Denmark in the group stages.

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Lionesses went from sloppy to celebratory in nerve-shredding euros quarter-final

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Lionesses went from sloppy to celebratory in nerve-shredding euros quarter-final

By the time Hannah Hampton appeared in the news conference, the England goalkeeper was relieved, ecstatic and wanting to share this night far and wide.

So when her phone started ringing with a FaceTime call, she broke off speaking to the media about reaching the Euros semi-finals to answer it.

And then share the call with the room in Zurich.

After such a nerve-shredding night, this was the moment to relax and just savour it all.

Savour how close they came to throwing it all away against Sweden before staging a stirring comeback inspired by Lucy Bronze.

The 33-year-old scored the goal that began the fightback with 11 minutes to go and converted England’s final penalty in the shootout.

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Lucy Bronze converted England’s final penalty. Pic: Reuters

“Lucy Bronze is one of a kind,” England manager Sarina Wiegman said. “It’s that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.”

The Lionesses looked down and out, 2-0 down after 25 minutes.

Completely outplayed. A defence run ragged. Just too sloppy.

“We said at half-time we don’t want to go home,” Hampton said. “So it’s up to us to turn the game around.”

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Things were not looking good for England by half-time. Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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But the team managed to turn things around. Pic: Reuters

That only came after Wiegman deployed the substitutes the manager calls “finishers”.

They fulfilled their mission.

“Sweden in that moment had to adapt to some different things in the game,” Wiegman said, “before they could, it was 2-2.”

Within seconds of coming on, match-winner Chloe Kelly showed the missing spirit. The spirit that saw her score the Euro 2022 winner.

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Sweden
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Pic: Reuters

A creator of two goals in 103 seconds.

A cross headed in with 11 minutes to go by Bronze – the only player still playing from the Euro 2013 group-stage elimination.

It was a lifeline seized on so quickly.

Another cross from Kelly was this time brought down by Beth Mead before Michelle Agyemang.

The timeliest of goals from the teen – a first tournament goal on her third appearance as a sub.

Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 Englan
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Teenager Michelle Agyemang reacts after scoring England’s second goal in normal time. Pic: Reuters

But there would be the anxiousness of extra time to follow, unable to find a breakthrough.

So to the shootout that lasted 14 penalties between them.

Hampton said: “It was stressful watching and playing, I thought every single time when I saved one, ‘Please score and give us a cushion’. I feel so happy and relieved.”

Around Alessia Russo and Kelly scoring there were four England misses before Bronze converted England’s seventh and Sweden missed a fifth.

Read more:
How far has women’s football come since 1972?
Lioness star explains what ‘Proper England’ is

A frenzied 3-2 shootout win was complete.

“I can’t remember anything like this,” said Wiegman, who has only reached finals in her four tournaments with the Netherlands and England.

“I thought three times we were out,” she said.

But instead it’s off to Geneva for the European champions for a semi-final with Italy.

They’ll be hoping it’s less of a struggle, less dramatic – while just glad to have made it there.

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