USA Today: Why people are going crazy for Stanley x Starbucks quenchers
UC marketing professor says limited edition items can create urgency that fuels fads
Limited edition products, such as the Stanley x Starbucks quenchers that have taken social media and Target stores by storm, can play to consumers’ psyche, a University of Cincinnati marketing professor told USA Today.
The latest craze is a pink 40-ounce tumbler that launched exclusively at Starbucks stores inside Target locations on Jan. 3. Apps such as TikTok helped created buzz, and some shoppers waited for hours in line to grab the coveted cups.
Joshua Clarkson, PhD, Arthur Beerman Professor of Marketing Department of Marketing
By labeling a product as limited edition or exclusive, companies can increase the item’s perceived value, said Joshua Clarkson, PhD, the Arthur Beerman Professor of Marketing in UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
“It's this idea that we like what we can't have, and we don't like to have our options limited,” said Clarkson, a consumer psychologist who specializes in the areas of persuasion, social influence and self-control.
When products are labeled as limited edition, it tends to do a good job of creating a sense of urgency, Clarkson said.
"In looking back on our lives, we regret inaction more than action,” he said. “So the idea that if I buy this and I don't enjoy it, that really doesn't nearly bother us as much as the idea that, ‘Oh, I could have bought this and I didn't.’
“This sense of urgency can lead to this fury of excitement and buzz. It almost starts like that snowball that just starts rolling and ... at some point you kind of step back and say ‘How did we get here?’”
While a fad may seem trivial, the chase to secure a coveted item can create connections that build community.
"There is an element of this that is sort of kind of fun,'' Clarkson said. "It's really cool to see so many people from all these different walks of life and all these different places that we would not have connected with, that do sort of connect and bond over something that is seemingly trivial."
Featured image at top: Exterior of a Target store. Photo/Shabaz Usmani via Unsplash.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
The subtle changes in hearing you should never ignore
July 24, 2026
It’s easy to dismiss changes in hearing as minor. But as The Washington Post recently reported, these symptoms could also signal a medical emergency that many people don’t recognize — known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss, a rapid decline in hearing that occurs suddenly or over a few days.
UC experts say proper produce washing is key defense against Cyclospora
July 24, 2026
Hamilton County Public Health reports confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, as concerns persist. Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause a stomach illness lasting days — sometimes even weeks. University of Cincinnati medical experts say it is usually linked to contaminated water or food, often fresh produce.
What are the options for male birth control?
July 24, 2026
Despite major advances in contraception during the past several decades, responsibility for pregnancy prevention falls largely on women. As recently reported in Endocrinology Advisor, a new generation of male contraceptive candidates is advancing into early- and mid-stage clinical trials.