2. Starbucks’ success-by-association plan
One of the industry’s most successful limited-time offers, hands down, is Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, a drink it showcases every fall. It’s the McRib of the beverage market.
So it was surprising to see that PSL’s ta-da moment this year was shared with what amounts to an LTO understudy. The drink’s re-introduction announcement gave ample play to a new option, Chile Mocha.
It was the restaurant equivalent of “Cheers” setting up “Frasier” as a spin-off. The unstated message seems to be, “If you like the main attraction, wait until you give this one a try.” And that puts another arrow in Starbucks’ promotional quiver.
“When we think about fall, often people think about warmth and spice, like cinnamon and apple pie,” explained Michelle Sundquist, Starbucks’ senior product developer. “We decided to take that idea in a new direction with chocolate and a bit of heat.”