What comes to mind when you look at the #PSL hashtag? Preferred suppliers list? Pakistan Super League? Premier Squash League?
If you're a Starbucks fan, you'll know that it's none of those things; it's all about the brand's legendary pumpkin spiced latte. (NB: worth checking out the hashtag on Instagram - expressions of pure delight!)
Anyway, if you're not a Starbucks fan - and even if you are - you might wonder, why has this huge brand used such a seemingly poorly selected hashtag? Sure, it's easy to remember and even easier to type, but it's being used regularly by premier league fans, and others. Doesn't this diminish its value; fans scrolling back through the conversation will see a whole host of mixed messages, right? Right. And tracking everything, analysing sentiment, etc could be a right pain in the panda paw.
But then, mid rant, I saw it ... and it was beautiful.
I'll be honest, I go to Starbucks. I get their emails. Hey, I even have a Starbucks card (somewhere). Sometimes I'll look at their social media pages. But before today, and before seeing the brand's promoted hashtag, I had never truly understood the importance of the PSL to so many people. I must confess that, because of my discovery - and because of their eye-catching promoted hashtag - I'm now completely in love with 'the real PSL' campaign. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look here and here for some spicy cuteness.
I love tailored campaigns, and when a product gathers its own cult following, and you're one of the biggest brands in the world (with resources aplenty), why not give it its own persona and build a fun community around it?
Overall, a great example of knowing your audience, building hype around a seasonal product and making something that's not really very cute into an incredibly shareable product for fans worldwide. Just err, a bit of a shame about the hashtag!
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