Talking Supply Chain: Why a Stanley cup can disrupt the supply chain

On Wednesday, Jan. 3 of this year, shoppers in Target stores and Starbucks locations nationwide resorted to pushing and shoving, trying desperately to get their hands on special limited edition 40-ounce Stanley cup tumblers in pink and red shades for Valentine’s Day.

Many businesses may never be able to react quickly enough to a viral social media trend rapidly increasing demand for their products. But, that doesn’t mean they can’t be prepared. And technology is helping make that happen.

“What we are seeing here is the rise of continued rise of social media and it’s getting stronger and stronger now. Every day folks will create influence. This was something that was reserved only for celebrities and established commentators in the past,” explained Siddharth Priyesh, vice president of CrimsonLogic, a leader in trade digitalization. “It amplifies product awareness and places them front and center, accelerating purchase decisions and essentially it spreads like wildfire … as all this demand surges, and the volatility that comes out exerts a lot of sudden pressure on the supply chain which then has to scramble and try to fulfill this deluge of orders coming its way.”

Priyesh joined the Talking Supply Chain podcast to discuss how supply chains can leverage technology and tools like social media monitoring to look for potential spikes in product demand.

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