Starbucks first introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) on October 10, 2003, and over the past 20 years, it has ignited a cultural movement around the love of all things pumpkin spice and fall.
Click here to read the story at stories.starbucks.com.
* Teacher Note: Consider pairing this news story with the recently released “Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte 20th Anniversary” bonus content discussion deck shared with Marketing Insights from SCC subscribers. Current subscribers can download the discussion deck in the “Marketing Insights from SCC” section of the website.
Discussion Questions:
- What is promotion?
- What are the different types of promotion?
- How might celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Pumpkin Spice Latte provide Starbucks with a promotional opportunity?
- What is a collaboration?
- How might collabs provide an example of promotion?
- Who is KidSuper?
- What is a “creative collective”?
- Why do you think they would create a Pumpkin Spice themed varsity jacket?
- What is a limited edition item?
- What do you think Starbucks hopes to accomplish by offering a limited edition varsity jacket? Do you think the goal is to sell as many jackets as possible? Why or why not?
