What News/Talk Radio Can Learn from the Pumpkin Spice Latte Craze
Every fall, the pumpkin spice latte reclaims its crown as the unofficial drink of the season, and news/talk radio can take a lesson from it.
Starbucks built an empire on a flavor profile that not only fits the time of year but also generates anticipation, nostalgia, and a flood of free publicity.
For nearly two decades, competitors have scrambled to put their own pumpkin spice-flavored drinks or snacks on the menu. Yet no matter how many try, Starbucks is still the one synonymous with the pumpkin spice latte. They own it.
That’s where the lesson kicks in for news/talk radio. Too many stations and brands look at their competitors and think, “We should do that too.”
It’s easy to mimic what appears to be working across town, especially when you see the ratings or revenue. But the reality is that if your competitor owns a lane — whether that’s a star host, a news-heavy format, or a distinct portion of a local audience — you’ll never overtake them by serving a weaker copy of the same product. Just ask Dunkin’, McDonald’s, or Krispy Kreme about their pumpkin spice experiments. Consumers still connect the product with Starbucks, and every other option feels like a knockoff. Do you want to feel like a knockoff option? I would certainly hope your answer to that question isn’t “Yes!”
This fall, though, something interesting is happening. Brands like Popeyes and Sonic aren’t fighting for scraps of pumpkin spice attention. Instead, they’re rolling out caramel, apple, and caramel apple items, too. It’s smart, because caramel apple is a fantastic fall flavor, as well. The nostalgia, the seasonal tie-in, the cozy vibes. It’s all there. But that lane isn’t owned by anyone. Starbucks doesn’t have a stranglehold on caramel apple. These brands are giving consumers another way to celebrate the season without asking them to settle for a “pumpkin spice latte, but not from Starbucks.”
News/Talk Radio can learn a lot from that. If your competition owns the pumpkin spice of your market, don’t waste time playing second fiddle. Instead, find your caramel apple. That could be a new way of telling local stories, a fresh approach to political conversation, or a talent who connects with audiences in a way the other station never could. Listeners don’t want a copy of what they already have. They want something that feels unique, authentic, and worth their time.
For years, stations have leaned on familiar formulas. If the heritage news/talk station has a lineup of conservative voices, the competitor builds a similar roster, or tries to outflank the local station by cramming its lineup full of nationally syndicated shows with star power and name recognition. That’s the radio equivalent of offering a pumpkin spice latte and wondering why everyone still goes to Starbucks.
Finding your caramel apple means identifying the open space. Maybe it’s a morning show that blends humor with headlines instead of wall-to-wall political commentary. It might be a younger voice who brings a different cultural perspective to the news cycle. Or it could even be leaning harder into community engagement when the other stations only hit the big national stories. There’s always a lane to own—you just have to be willing to step away from the pumpkin spice obsession.
Another overlooked point is timing. Starbucks doesn’t just have the pumpkin spice latte; they mastered the rollout. Fans count down to August when it returns, because Starbucks conditioned them to expect it. News/Talk Radio stations need to consider whether they’re building that same sense of anticipation. A major local event, an annual on-air fundraiser, or even a special content series can become a listener’s “fall tradition,” but only if you stick with it.
Consistency also matters. No one remembers the pumpkin spice muffins or bagels from other chains because they didn’t last. The pumpkin spice latte is always there. That reliability builds equity in the product. In the same way, your station can’t treat new ideas as one-offs. If you identify your caramel apple, you have to commit. Give it time to take root. Build it into your brand DNA so that listeners eventually identify you with it as strongly as they identify Starbucks with pumpkin spice.
Radio is full of smart, creative people who too often let fear drive decisions. The safe move is to copy what works somewhere else. But safe rarely leads to dominance. The stations that stand out are the ones willing to zag when everyone else zigs, and the brands that stop trying to steal pumpkin spice and start perfecting caramel apple.
If Starbucks taught us anything, it’s that there’s nothing wrong with owning a lane so completely that everyone else looks silly trying to compete. If Popeyes and Sonic teach us anything this year, it’s that there’s always another lane waiting to be owned. For news/talk radio, the choice is simple: you can keep chasing pumpkin spice, or you can find your caramel apple.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at [email protected].
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