Today is the first day of fall, and we are noticing seasonal changes in brands. Starbucks launched a campaign to offer their Pumpkin Spice Latte to one city before all others. In addition to special product offerings, Starbucks changes the cups they use on November 1st. Starbucks also creates a buzz around their seasonal changes, and encourages consumers to be excited about product offerings. The ad campaign, and excitement that Starbucks generates in the fall creates brand momentum and leads to higher sales in the fall and winter months. 
Launching a seasonal campaign can add value by giving a brand a fresh look and feel, while expanding a brand’s personality. For example, our Miss Details Design mark is dressed in different outfits according to seasons. A seasonal campaign can also increase sales in slower months, as Kleenex did with their fruit-shaped boxes for summer.
But, if a company takes seasonal branding too far it can harm the brand. Changing too much, too quickly can confuse the consumer and dilute brand image. When a brand adds seasonal elements to its website, it may be frustrating to the consumer by making the site more difficult to navigate or understand. Brands should avoid effects like a downpour of snow that covers the site’s content, altering a logo so that it is completely unrecognizable for seasonal purposes. It is important to remember that people want change, but not too much at one time.