Searching for Starbucks Pumpkin Spice

The pumpkin spice latte came back to stores across the country last Tuesday. Starbucks created the drink back in 2003, and it has steadily amassed a seasonal audience since then, with a twitter following of over 110 thousand. The sweet, spiced drink acts as consumer and cultural marker for the end of summer and beginning of fall, the coffee equivalent of Labor Day in the states. The specialty drink is one of the companies’ classics and grosses a considerable profit for Starbucks.

Google interest in pumpkin spice shows the traction that pumpkin spice has gained over time, picking up significantly in 2014. Google Trends measures the relative popularity of searches through a given time, where 100 marks the high-water mark of Google searches for that term. Pumpkin spice experiences a seasonal boost in popularity in September, which then declines as fall goes on.