M&S fans have plenty of reason to rush to the Foodhall, whether it’s a new cookie drop, or to hunt down a viral launch, like the Cookie Cups or Custard Cream Spread.
But this time, it’s a simple store cupboard spice that’s caused a frenzy.
Yep, loyal shoppers are rushing to stores to pick up an item they’ll keep next to their smoked paprika and chilli flakes.
The Everything Sugar N Spice Seasoning is designed to be sprinkled on ‘everything from porridge and pancakes to hot chocolate.’
At £2, the ingredients listed are pretty simple: golden sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
But fans have been quick to share their excitement.
‘This looks PERFECT,’ wrote @joanneixer after M&S announced the product on Instagram.
‘Just take all my money at this point,’ said @jotheblackbookworm. And @not_another_mum_account wrote: ‘Marks and Spencer I don’t think I could love you anymore.’
While one commenter pointed out that people could mix their own version at home, the vast majority were excitedly planning their next trip to M&S.
So how have M&S managed to create such excitement over their products, that even a humble spice gets people going? We asked the experts.
‘M&S has built an entire content ecosystem’
‘An unlikely viral player, M&S has become genuinely brilliant at manufacturing food fandom on the internet,’ Megan Dooley, head of brand at TAL Agency, tells Metro.
‘This spice is a simple product that is low-cost to produce, but it’s been positioned with just enough novelty and seasonality to give people a reason to talk about it, rather than just buy it.
‘What M&S consistently gets right is treating these products like events.’
While Megan adds that this product is unlikely to receive ‘sandwich-level virality’, referring to iconic Japanese-inspired Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich, she says it’s following the same playback.
Megan explains: ‘It’s seasonal, slightly indulgent product with a distinctive flavour profile that gives people a reason to post about it.
‘The smartest thing M&S has done is make “going viral” feel like part of the product development process itself, not a lucky accident that happens afterwards.
‘Other retailers are still treating social buzz as something PR chases after launch. M&S is building it in from the start.’
Fellow marketing expert, Jane Hunt, digital PR agency JBH, agrees that this spice is a ‘clever example’ of M&S’ social strategy.
‘M&S has become incredibly good at spotting what people are talking about online and turning those trends into products that everyone can get their hands on,’ she tells Metro.
‘And importantly, they do it quickly, while people are still talking about them.
‘We’re heading into “ber” season, when everyone wants that cosy autumn feeling, hot chocolates, cinnamon, baking and comforting desserts.
‘M&S has basically taken all the flavours we associate with autumn and put them into one bottle for people to sprinkle, cook and bake with.
‘M&S isn’t trying to create the trend from scratch. They already know what people are craving and talking about, and they give them an easy way to buy into it.’
Jane says ‘social media then does a lot of the marketing’ for M&S.
She explains: ‘People post about finding the product, others rush out to get it, stores start selling out, and that creates even more hype.
‘They’ve essentially created a fandom around their food. People now actively wait to see what M&S is going to launch next, and being one of the first to find and try a new product has become part of the fun.
‘M&S has managed to turn buying groceries into something that can genuinely feel exciting, and that’s not an easy thing for a retailer to achieve.’
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