The Sharpie story: Inside a brand so strong that Starbucks is now depending on it

Mere weeks into his new role as CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol joined an earnings call with investors and trumpeted an iconic brand. But it wasn’t Starbucks.

“Bringing the Sharpies back to our baristas,” Niccol declared last October, will “give them the opportunity to put that additional human touch on every coffee experience” by writing each customer’s name or an inspiring note on their cup. “We’re tracking down the Sharpies,” Niccol later told CNBC, estimating the company would need about 200,000 of them.