Starbucks: A Case Study on Leveraging Emotions for Success

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400
Leading Edge

Nothing heralds the shift from summer to fall quite like the annual release of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. So iconic that it now has its own Wikipedia page, merchandise and fan clubs, the beverage has been one of the coffee giant’s most popular since its launch in 2003. So, what lies at the heart of this sweet success? A few standout behavioral biases have lent a hand, which Richard Shotton, founder of Astroten, and MichaelAaron Flicker, founder and CEO of XenoPsi Ventures, discuss.