Pumpkin Spice: Identity, timing, and great marketing

Enter Fall and things begin to change. Instead of cold, there’s sweater weather. Instead of changing leaves, there's foliage. Instead of the smell of summer, the long awaited scent of Pumpkin Spice lattes, candles, garbage bags, dog treats, yogurt, beer, and basically anything you can think of. 

At least in many parts of North America, that is. 

“Pumpkin Spice”, or pumpkin pie spice mix, is a mixture of spices that is traditionally used in pumpkin pies or cakes. By now most of us know that it actually doesn’t taste like pumpkin, nor does it include it in any way among its ingredients. This product is a variant of the many spice mixtures that have acquired their own name, yet it is marketed under the simple term of Pumpkin Spice. Why? Because this flavor has become an industry, a commercial force, and much more than a fad. It is a lasting emotional connection with the consumer that extends beyond the product itself.

In the United States, the presence of the Pumpkin Spice is what announces the end of summer, as it is associated with autumn and Thanksgiving. One of the main factors in creating the craze for this ingredient was the Pumpkin Spice Latte coffee drink that Starbucks launched in 2003 for the first time on its fall menu. The chain had already tested the success of limited-season drinks with winter specials, so it set out to replicate the commercial effect with other seasonal products in the fall.

The question is, why is this product so interesting? It has mass appeal. People love pumpkin spice because it is a well-liked and distinctive flavor, with a typical aroma, expressing overall positive feelings in consumers, such as comfort, warmth, flavor, familiarity, and nostalgia. But the true success of Pumpkin Spice can be explained from a triangle perspective: that of identity, timing, and strategy.

McCormick launched the first commercial Pumpkin Spice spice mixes, originally intended for the famous fall pie. And while todayit’s available year-round, 76% of annual sales are made between September and November. It's a flavor that's really more marketing magic than culinary expertise, clearly associated with the season, but also with people’s identities.

There is a kind of cult around Pumpkin Spice, which went from being a simple ingredient, to a flavor/smell strongly associated with a state of being, a “coziness” and simple happiness that people seek when the leaves begin to change color and the weather begins to turn cold. That state of being is what, in some respects, has made it the star seasonal product that all brands need to have.

Part of its success, undoubtedly, also has to do with limiting its sale to a few months a year, thus generating expectation and preventing the public from getting fed up or used to it. Aggressive marketing campaigns have also managed to give it an image associated with both something traditionally familiar and something modern and current. A perfect example of 21st century nostalgia. 

Butthe social and economic context has also helped to increase the craze for Pumpkin Spice. As food trends expert Suzy Badaracco pointed out in 2014, the public associated the taste with something comfortingly familiar. In the midst of the economic crisis, it became a kind of homely refuge that reminded us of family and traditions. No matter what happens, the fall is a time and space for gathering. Fall will come, and so will pumpkin spice, to ease changing times. 

Pumpkin spice is a rare and expensive product, which is hard to find during the rest of the year. Scarcity is what creates high demand. But consumers like the sentimental resonance of seasonal restrictions, even if there have been calls to have pumpkin spice products year long. And while Pumpkin spice lovers are not only willing to buy more, but also willing to pay more, many brands (including Starbucks) are reticent about moving away from a seasonal approach

A different kind of timing has also been key in helping fuel the Pumpkin Spice craze. We can thank millennials and social media’s breakthrough in the 2010s. Hating the pumpkin spice trend had become a trend of its own. At some point, some even said that the spice had disappeared, creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity. The publicity became even more frantic. Despite all, millennials fueled a food revolution with broad appeal that has become deeply embedded in American culture.

Forecasters predicted that the appeal of these spices would expand far beyond pies, cakes and cookies.And it did. While this has worked for brands for a long time, there’s a risk lingering that the Pumpkin Spice bubble could end up bursting from overexploitation.

The question and answer to the future of Pumpkin Spice lies, as always, in our third pillar: good marketing strategies. Trying to make pumpkin spice permanent —available all the time and in all its forms— could  destroy much of its value as an emotional brand builder. At the same time, Pumpkin Spice is so much a part of the North American culture and identity, many brands can’t, and shouldn’t, ignore it. And while its limited nature and the identity built around it makes it special for consumers, marketers have to keep in mind that they, like the seasons, change. That tradition can change over time. That when it's everywhere, foliage becomes just leaves. And pumpkin spice, just something else on the shelf.