Pumpkin Spice Latte
I love watching food trends ... the mini crazes we seem to go through as a society.
Low fat diets.
Chocolate chip cookies.
No carb diets.
Red velvet cake.
Smoothies.
Greek yogurt.
Donuts.
Cronuts.
And now ... Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Now I don't want to give credit where credit isn't due, but I think we can thank Starbucks. Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL as its friends would say, wasn't an overnight success either. Starbucks introduced it several years ago, and I vividly remember the day I first tried it. It was quite an unusual taste that had me a bit hooked. Not an everyday taste, I might add, but more of a weekend taste for me.
Starbucks then started bringing it back each new Fall season, with greater and greater fanfare, earlier and earlier in the season. This year it was "out" way before Labor Day even. PSL was here and it was still in the '90s outside.
I feel like this year we've seen a PSL explosion. Every coffee company has its version, as do many of the ice cream and yogurt brands. I saw a PSL donut and a PSL cookie the other day. There's even a #PumpkinSpiceLatte hashtag on Twitter. And while the Premium Soccor League may think it owns the #PSL hashtag, I'm sorry to tell them otherwise.
The funny thing happened on the way to Starbucks the other day though. I'm no longer interested. It's jumped the shark for me. It's a food trend that got too trendy. Is that me? Am I just an early adopter who is now on to the #NextBestThing #NBT?
What's your experience? Jim.
Jim Joseph
- President, Cohn & Wolfe NA
- Author, The Experience Effect series
- Professor, NYU
- Contributor, Entrepreneur and Huffington Post
PS - Check out my new book on personal branding! The Personal Experience Effect!
Low fat diets.
Chocolate chip cookies.
No carb diets.
Red velvet cake.
Smoothies.
Greek yogurt.
Donuts.
Cronuts.
And now ... Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Now I don't want to give credit where credit isn't due, but I think we can thank Starbucks. Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL as its friends would say, wasn't an overnight success either. Starbucks introduced it several years ago, and I vividly remember the day I first tried it. It was quite an unusual taste that had me a bit hooked. Not an everyday taste, I might add, but more of a weekend taste for me.
Starbucks then started bringing it back each new Fall season, with greater and greater fanfare, earlier and earlier in the season. This year it was "out" way before Labor Day even. PSL was here and it was still in the '90s outside.
I feel like this year we've seen a PSL explosion. Every coffee company has its version, as do many of the ice cream and yogurt brands. I saw a PSL donut and a PSL cookie the other day. There's even a #PumpkinSpiceLatte hashtag on Twitter. And while the Premium Soccor League may think it owns the #PSL hashtag, I'm sorry to tell them otherwise.
The funny thing happened on the way to Starbucks the other day though. I'm no longer interested. It's jumped the shark for me. It's a food trend that got too trendy. Is that me? Am I just an early adopter who is now on to the #NextBestThing #NBT?
What's your experience? Jim.
Jim Joseph
- President, Cohn & Wolfe NA
- Author, The Experience Effect series
- Professor, NYU
- Contributor, Entrepreneur and Huffington Post
PS - Check out my new book on personal branding! The Personal Experience Effect!