As the rise of social media falls upon us, the use of hash tags by companies to interact with consumers has grown exponentially. As shown in the article, Starbucks has done just that as they endorse the coveted Pumpkin Spice Latte. Through the use of promo codes contests, the customers are fully integrated into the experience as they are encouraged to enter with pictures with #PSL and #Celebrate10, revelling in the tenth year that the innovative drink has become available.

Many other industries have followed the social media trend as HomeSense designed a similar contest with the prize being a gift card towards their renovation dreams. All of which show how adaptive and influential hash tags can be. Businesses have become more tech savvy with their marketing as they realize the potential that hash tags have, not only do they collectively show what products consumers want and provide immediate feedback, but with marketing that focuses on building customer relationships.

This shows that marketing is truly about responding to the needs of the customer segments. As the traditional forms of marketing and advertising wears down, the age of hash tag has dawned leading to the most involved consumers yet.