As summer turns to fall, the world’s top marketers are turning their attention to new marketing opportunities. From food and beverage to hospitality and leisure, U.S. businesses are leaning into the autumn festivities to sell goods, services and unique brands to millions of consumers.

However, leveraging the seasons to move products is a delicate balance. Sell the upcoming season too quickly, and businesses can come across as exploitative—as if they’re jumping the gun to make a quick buck. Sell the season too late, and businesses lose out on a valuable marketing opportunity—and a whole lot of bucks.

Consider the pumpkin spice latte: Since its inception in 2003, when the Starbucks espresso beverage team created the company’s first fall drink item, Starbucks has sold hundreds of millions of “PSLs” totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Lifetime PSL sales will soon surpass the $1 billion threshold.

And yet, for every marketing success such as pumpkin spice latte, there are countless failures. Some become household names for their infamy, while many are so irrelevant that they remain undiscovered by the general public.

For any business looking to lean into the autumn season, it is vitally important to understand public opinion. After all, only by knowing their target audience can marketers ever hope to resonate with the masses. Starbucks employees behind the pumpkin spice latte in the early 2000s identified a clear void that could be filled because they understood their core customers—people who may one day appreciate a tasty fall beverage.

So, where do Americans stand on seasonality in company offerings?

First and foremost, timing matters. Almost half of Americans think that September is the most appropriate month for businesses like stores and restaurants to include seasonal fall themes in their messaging, display seasonal fall decor and offer seasonal fall products. With certain exceptions, August is firmly summertime and too early, whereas October represents a ship that has sailed.

When brands nail the timing, seasonality can have real resonance. According to the latest research from The Harris Poll, 73% of U.S. adults are likely to purchase a seasonal or limited-time fall grocery item. Americans in the 35-to-54 age bracket are especially likely (83%) to get their credit cards out.

In addition to tailoring their marketing to the right age bracket, businesses should also consider gender differences. Men and women shop differently, and the same applies to seasonality. Women report more frequently that they are likely to purchase a seasonal or limited-time fall grocery item (77% for females versus 70% for males). While both genders are generally interested in fall marketing, there are different levels to their consumption, with women generally expressing more enthusiasm than men. 

There are other considerations too. For instance, American shoppers are largely more interested in buying seasonal or limited-time fall grocery items than menu items from a restaurant. Less than two-thirds of U.S. adults show interest in such restaurant offerings. Similarly, only 60% of Americans are likely to purchase or display seasonal fall décor, meaning that grocery items with fall branding tend to have the greatest impact on shaping shopper habits.

In other words, leaning into fall isn’t enough on its own—not if marketers don’t consider a multitude of other factors. Just like the target audience matters (“the customer is always right”), so does the type of business and the type of product. Not everything autumn-themed can have the same resonance as the pumpkin spice latte, and marketers need to be realistic about their chances when it comes to winning hearts and minds in September. 

Still, the fall season is fertile ground for marketing pumpkin flavors and more. Done right, the changing of the seasons can change the entire trajectory of a business, as long as the customer feels like they’re winning in the end.