Performative Personalization

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol reintroduced the idea of writing personalized messages on cups as a way of engaging with customers.

But does "Hi" count as personalization?

A Starbucks website claims, "We believe handwritten notes on our cups are a meaningful way for our baristas to connect with customers."

And I agree: a warm and personalized message is a great way to connect with customers.

But does simply writing "Hi" on the cup qualify as personalization, especially when a customer orders via their mobile Starbucks app... and the customer's name is right there?

From an operations perspective, it's unreasonable to expect a time-strapped barista, who is also mandated to complete a drink order in four minutes or less, to write a novella on every cup. But personalization doesn't require that.

It does require that baristas not write generic messages on cups as part of their opening routine, though, as one of my followers reported when I published an earlier version of this post on my LinkedIn feed:

"On several of my recent early-morning Starbucks runs, I’ve seen one or two baristas, each with a giant stack of cups, writing these 'personalized messages' on each cup to prep for the day ahead."

Niccol's attempt to make the Starbucks experience more personal is a good thing, and it should be applauded. But a good idea poorly executed is damaging to the business.

And having baristas write ANYTHING on the cup, regardless of how generic the message is, to fulfill a personalization mandate feels forced, hollow... and completely counterproductive.

Or, as my wife said as she handed me this cup, "I'd rather they not write anything at all."

And as a marketer, consumer, and Starbucks fan... I agree.

If you're going to go for "personalization", then you have to get it right.

Because performative personalization does much more harm than good for your business.