When it comes to online mentions, the shift from summer to fall is about as uniform as you’d expect. Fall mentions usually outstrip summer ones in the first week of September, although 2021 saw this happen in the last week of August instead.

Peak fall mentions come in the week of 22 September every year, which is the meteorological start of the season. But we can also see fall mentions have increased year-on-year since 2017, with a particularly strong jump in 2020.

Let’s take a closer look at this area.

Both 2020 and 2021 had far more mentions of fall than the average for the previous two years. For the 1 Jan to Sep 16 period, these were up by 26% in 2020, and 24% in 2021. But why?

It would be tempting to say that people just like discussing fall more than they did a few years ago, whether they’re pro or against. But, as with most topics, Covid-19 is influencing the data.

Note the jump in fall mentions in March 2020 as the seriousness of Covid became clearer to people. Fall was now discussed in relation to the virus, whether it was about the hope it would be gone by then, the fear that it would only get worse then, or how schools and colleges would function come the fall terms starting.

These discussions never stopped, and would change and shift as the world navigated the pandemic. Education and concerns about colder weather encouraging the spread were the main drivers, and this continued into 2021 where we see fall mentions were way above average even in January.

This more negative outlook is borne out in our emotional analysis of fall mentions. In 2019, 42% of them were joyful, while in 2020 and 2021, that number was 38% and 37% respectively.

Memes will make it better

Of course this is the internet and, no matter the significance of the tragedy or the scale of the event, people will try to get through with jokes and memes. The 2021 fall season, which is surrounded by fears of the Delta variant of Covid-19 spreading even more, is no exception.

Enter the “my fall plans” meme, which presents a positive image contrasted with a negative one which represents the Delta variant. Here’s one of the most popular examples.

The meme format itself has been posted and retweeted 312k times this year, reflecting how well it has resonated with users.

Although entertaining, it highlights a new trepidation people have around fall thanks to Covid. As the weather gets wetter and colder and the new school term begins, a lot more people will be spending time in close quarters. We all know enough about the virus to know what this could mean.

Having said that, for some people, their fall plans will be much the same, Covid or not.

Can you smell the pumpkin spice on the air?

We’ll finish off today’s bulletin on a more positive note. Pumpkin spice, in all its forms and uses, has become inextricably linked to the fall season over the years. This is thanks in no small part to a slew of companies putting out pumpkin spice products as fall begins.

When we looked at pumpkin spice mentions we found something interesting. Peak pumpkin spice mentions are reached earlier and earlier every year.

The popularity of the flavor hasn’t waned either, with mentions of pumpkin spice up 10% this year on 2020 for the 1 January to 16 September period. And you won’t be surprised to know that it’s coffees which are the main driver of the conversation.

It’s been tough for everyone since 2020 and, even if you’re not a fall fan, we’d say it’s high time for a pumpkin spice treat.

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Thanks for reading

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Stay safe,

The Brandwatch React team