November 4, 2009 marked the 12th anniversary of the iconic red Starbucks holiday cup and people couldn’t be more excited! Check out the twitter stream results I received by performing a simple search for the keywords “Starbucks” and “holiday”:
People turn into "grinches" when they don't get their holiday cup.
I’m not sure what the phenomenon is (love?) that drives people to get all warm and cheery just from the sight of a cup, but I wonder why Starbucks doesn’t try to replicate this winning combination (whatever it may be) for every season of the year?
If the reason is because the red color and holiday decor make people think about all the good emotions that are attached with the coming of Thanksgiving and Christmas (or Hannukah and Kwanzaa – whichever you prefer), then isn’t there a way to get people excited and emotional about the other seasons?
How about a pink Valentine’s Day cup with hearts slapped on it for January/February? Umbrellas, rain and flowers for spring? Sandy beaches and a cheery looking sun for summer? Leaves and a scarecrow (and/or pumpkin) for fall? Am I going too far here? Would having a different cup for every season take away the “WOW!” factor Starbucks has successfully achieved for 13+ years?
Currently, the seasonal trio of drinks for the holiday season includes the gingerbread latte, eggnog latte and peppermint mocha. Today however, Brad who tweets under the handle @starbucks on behalf of the company, dropped hints that tomorrow (November 17) Starbucks will add a fourth drink to the lineup.
According to tweets by Starbucks employees who sampled the new concoction at holiday store meetings across the nation, the mystery drink is a crѐme brûlée latte that has so far been getting rave reviews. Although I must confess, I go bananas for the peppermint mocha, tomorrow I am going veer away from my seasonal favorite and try the new latte modeled on my dessert of choice.
*Update [4/14/10]: I would like to disclose that I am now a Starbucks Partner (barista) and in no way does this post reflect the views and opinions of the Starbucks Corporation.
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