Spot the Spice?

Can you spot the spice? I know I sure can't. I personally do not understand the hype when it comes to Pumpkin Spice Latte's. I swear it is like the world comes to a complete stop the moment the drink is released every Fall. Starbucks lovers everywhere go C R A Z Y and for what reason? Isn't is just a drink? Not to them, to those lovers, the Pumpkin Spice Latte symbolizes Fall, the season of leggings and oversized hoodies, riding boots, apple picking, and bonfires. To them, it is not Fall without their "beloved" Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I personally do not understand, but I will say Starbucks did a great job with their hashtags. I explored both hashtags, #spotthespice and #PSL and found pretty similar content which was pretty much this:

Fall is the time for pumpkin EVERYTHING. That is why the Pumpkin Spice Latte is such a hit. I found it interesting that so many people took to the internet to post using those two hashtags. There is so much content, ranging from people complaining about the overrated Pumpkin Spice Latte to people who are so excited to have the drink back. In general, most users responded positively to the return which shows how loyal customers are to the Starbucks brand.

There can be many benefits to exploring these hashtags. If I were working for a similar company I would want to see what works and what doesn't work when it comes to social media campaigns like these. I would evaluate the campaign to see if I could construct something similar to get the same kind of reaction Starbucks got with the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. After exploring the hashtags, I would suggest that Starbucks respond to the users who make posts about how overrated the Pumpkin Spice Latte is. I know I personally would enjoy seeing what they had to say, when I talk about how I personally think the hype over the drink is overrated.

When it comes down to it, Starbucks has enough loyal customers, and loyal fans to the Pumpkin Spice Latte, that the marketing tactics will not fail.