Imagine being one of the most recognizable coffee brands in the world, yet watching your sales slump, boycotts trend online, and shareholders grow restless as Q4 begins. What do you do when your halo starts to dim?
If you’re Starbucks, you collaborate with Hello Kitty and drop a limited-edition Bearista Glass Cup that instantly breaks the internet.
Resembling the nostalgic honey bear jars we grew up with, the cup triggered a full-blown frenzy. Lines formed overnight. Some stores received fewer than four cups. Employees snagged the stock before customers could, leaving fans outraged. One clever TikToker even brought their own plastic honey bear bottle, asked a barista to fill it with iced coffee, and declared themselves “unbothered.”
The Honey Bear Origin Story
The original squeezable honey bear was created by Ralph and Luella Gamber of Dutch Gold Honey. Ironically, they never patented the design. Fearing it might resemble Winnie the Pooh too closely, they chose not to pursue legal protection. As a result, the bear-shaped bottle became a public-domain icon: free for anyone to use.
Today, that unpatented design is everywhere and now it’s making a comeback in the form of an overpriced coffee accessory.
From $32 to $400: The Power of Scarcity
Starbucks’ $32 glass cup has sold for up to $400 on eBay, while its Hello Kitty collaboration is fetching $225. Meanwhile, Walmart sellers are listing dupe versions, “cute bear glass cups with straw” for around $39.88, complete with “Sooo cute omg!!” reviews from TikTok buyers.
Of course, not everyone’s impressed. “The whole point is the logo,” said one commenter. Another joked, “You can just buy a bear cup on Amazon and slap a Starbucks sticker on it.”
Still, people are paying hundreds for a cup that costs less than a week’s groceries — all because they fear missing out.
The Bigger Picture: Overconsumption & FOMO
YouTube commentators are calling it what it is, a reflection of our overconsumption problem. One week, people are crying over SNAP benefit cuts and struggling to feed their families. The next, others are camping out overnight for a cup.
Scarcity breeds urgency. Urgency breeds hype. And hype breeds profit.
Small Business Takeaway
Here’s your Tuesday Tip: You don’t need to be Starbucks to create buzz. You just need scarcity and story.
- Create a product that feels exclusive — something your audience will proudly show off.
- Tell a story that tugs at nostalgia — like the honey bear connection.
- Limit your drop. When people know they might miss out, they tend to act quickly.
Scarcity isn’t manipulation when it’s done with integrity; it’s a strategy. The key is to make your audience feel they’re part of something special, not exploited by it.
In the end, Starbucks reminded us of two things:
FOMO is a marketer’s best friend, and even a bear-shaped cup can teach us about human behavior and the principles of business success.
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