Tuesday, 8:03 a.m., CUNA Marketing Department

Marketer #1:  “Danielle, you’ve made my day!  Thank you so much!  How much do I owe you?”

Marketer #2:  “No way, I’ve been wanting one of those.  Dang, I’m going to go out at lunch to get one.”

Marketer #3:  “Get me one too.  Those are cool!”

"The Cup"

So, what were we discussing? A cup. That’s right, a cup. But, not just any cup.  A clear plastic, insulated cup with twist on top and plastic straw equipped with a “bump” on one end so it won’t fall out.  And, it has the Starbucks logo on it.

Fast forward to the day that Danielle, our Starbucks resident on staff, arrived to work with multiple cups.  Apparently, Danielle was requested that if she ever went to Starbucks and saw “the cup,” she had to pick up more for our other marketing staff.  That’s the day that the conversation above took place, and I realized I was not just a lone non-coffee drinker in search of “the cup,” but one of many.

Throughout the day, I found out that these cups are quite a big deal.  Starbucks staff indicated they only get these cups in sparse shipments, and people flock in to get them. While the cup retails for ~$13 in Madison, it can be found on eBay $20+. Later, I found out from Lisa (Marketer #1) you can buy a three-pack of similar cups at Costco for ~$19 (no Starbucks logo though).  That Tuesday, I called ahead to make sure Starbucks still had the cups, drove over and bought four.

Members of CUNA's Marketing Department with "The Cup"

After spending more than $50 on these infamous cups (and filling mine with Mountain Dew), I began to think about what a marketing/branding wonder these cups are.

• Does Starbucks purposely limit the distribution so a whole word-of-mouth market will start when “the cup” shipment arrives?
• Where did I see the cup first?
• What made me recall it, and desire it?
• How many other businesses have non-core products that non-customers clammer to get?

Then, I began to wonder about this branding success, and if credit unions were trying anything similar?  So, how about it?  Does your credit union have any items, service, or “cups” that you’ve found your members (and hopefully non-members) desire?  What’s “the cup” for your credit union that’s got people talking?  Cool credit cards?  Your service?  Chime in with some of your examples.  The first comment will receive “the cup.”

GET “THE CUP” CONTEST DETAILS: Contest begins today and ends when the first comment appears.  No purchase necessary to win.  Make sure you leave an e-mail address where you can be contacted.  The winner will be notified via e-mail (in case you don’t see that your comment is first) and will also be announced on the blog (just to be sure there’s no confusion on what first means).  Multiple comments are allowed but there will only be one winner. I could only get one cup!  The odds of winning depend on how fast you can comment.  Void where prohibited.