Sharpie enlists artists and bloggers to showcase products

Marker company grows its online community, builds customer trust, and engages in a bit of whimsy in new social media plan

The ways Sharpie spreads its message through social media are almost as varied as the ways people use the iconic markers.

What once was commonly known as the best tool for labeling file folders or for celebrity autograph signings has become a paintbrush of sorts. Artists use Sharpie markers to grace brown paper bags, Styrofoam cups, T-shirts, ceramic tiles and even cars. Sharpie has embraced this newfound creativity in some of its most loyal customers by inviting them to be part of its “Sharpie Squad.”

“These are not professional people who do art for a living; they’re just people showing off their creative ways to use our product, things we would have never thought to do ourselves,” says Susan Wassel, social media manager.