111 - Terence Reilly, Stanley

Earned: Unlocking the Power of the Creator Economy

Drumroll please…today’s guest is Terence Reilly, president of TikTok’s favorite water bottle brand, Stanley 1913. While the brand went mega-viral in November for replacing a woman’s car after her Stanley cup survived a fire, it’s enjoyed remarkable growth over the last few years, jumping from $70M in annual revenue in 2020 to $750M in 2023.

We start the episode by unpacking Stanley’s explosive growth in recent years, and Terence explains why he has a bias for action. Of course, we then dive into the brand’s decision to buy Danielle a new car, and Terence shares why he believes more brands can—and should—take similar action. Next, we take a step back and discuss how the 110-year-old brand appealed to a new consumer base by repositioning from “male, green, and hot” to “female, colorful, and cold,” thanks largely to early endorsements from The Buy Guide and Terence’s learnings from his time as CMO at Crocs. Terence then discusses the brand’s increased investment in building out its community of consumers and social media advocates, and reveals how Stanley’s rapid rise in popularity allowed the business to expand beyond DTC and take up entire walls of shelf-space at top retailers. We learn about Terence’s approach to collaborations with other brands and creators, like Post Malone x Crocs and Stanley x Lainey Wilson, before hearing his guiding principles to brand building and leadership—and whether he wants to continue being the face of Stanley.

Resources:

• Stanley 1913 - https://www.stanley1913.com/

Connect with the Guest(s):

• Terence’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/terence-reilly-193198/

Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:

• Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley
• CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq

Follow us on social:

• CreatorIQ YouTube - @TribeDynamics
• CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq
• CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq
• CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ