What a Sharpie can teach us about life
How a permanent marker may write the ticket to Starbuck's success.
Just weeks into his new role as CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol made a surprising announcement during an investor meeting. It wasn’t about a new latte flavor or a price change. It was about Sharpies.
Starbucks, he declared, was “bringing the Sharpies back to our baristas.” He wants to bring back the handwritten names and notes on cups, the simple touch that once defined the Starbucks experience.
On one level, this is clever branding, Chris Peterson, the CEO of Newell Brands, who owns Sharpie called Brian Niccol directly to say thank you. But it also raises the question: why now?
The answer may be hidden in Starbucks’ struggles. The company has been closing underperforming stores, facing slowing sales, and trying to recapture the sense of community that once made it the “third place” between home and work.
And here’s the thing: don’t you feel different when you pick up your cup and see your name written with a smiley face next to it?
Human beings are wired to notice the personal. A printed label is efficient, but a hand-scrawled name, even if it’s misspelled, feels alive. It says: someone saw me, paused for me, wrote me. That little recognition changes the entire transaction.
Some may think it’s old school but this is why a handwritten thank-you note still carries more weight than an email. Why remembering someone’s birthday matters. Why a small act, like holding a door, offering a compliment, or taking an extra minute to listen, can leave a lasting impression. These moments tell people: you’re not invisible.
Starbucks is betting that 200,000 Sharpies will help restore what spreadsheets can’t measure: belonging. Coffee shops aren’t just about caffeine. They’re about community, ritual, and connection.
And maybe that’s the larger lesson. We don’t want to feel invisible. Every one of us wants to be seen, noticed, and valued and a scribble with a pen can truly make the difference.
So, what can you do today to make someone feel important? Maybe it’s time we all carried our own Sharpie, because you never know how a few words, a smiley face, or a small gesture might change someone’s day and that can be long lasting. Maybe that’s why they call it a permanent marker!
Summary:
Starbucks’ decision to buy 200,000 Sharpies and bring back handwritten notes on cups isn’t really about coffee, it’s about human behavior. In a time when Starbucks is struggling to reestablish its place, it’s betting that customers long for the one thing no machine can replicate: the feeling of being personally noticed.