Last week I stopped into the Starbucks that I drive by nearly every day on my 20-minute commute to work. It was the first time I had been to this store in several months, and my first Starbucks visit of any kind in at least eight weeks. During that time I’ve been away, Starbucks seems to have been working hard to win back regular customers in a tough economy, and a few small signs of life suggest that this customer at least might be visiting more often.

There were two pleasantly unexpected examples of meaningful marketing that I encountered on this visit. First, when I was handed a receipt for my Vente Coffee with hazelnut, the server said that if I returned to any Starbucks today I could show the receipt and get a free Grande cold drink. This is a smart promotion in that it rewards purchase, plus helps drive in a second visit and perhaps an afternoon-visit habit.

I found the second bonus when I went over to load my cream and sugar choices at the toppings bar. (Is there a better name for that?) There was a small display of cards (see above) offering a Starbucks and iTunes “Pick of the Week” song. In this case it was a new Dave Matthews Band tune called “Write a Song” from their new album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. All I had to do was redeem a code on iTunes and I was enjoying free music from a band I love. This is actually an ongoing weekly promotion, with a new free song every Tuesday. The idea of free music at Starbucks is particularly new because the stores are infamous for pushing CDs on its visitors at every corner.

These are two small examples of meaningful marketing, but they suggest that the company is working hard to win our business back. It makes me want to stop into Starbucks on my daily drive more often to check out what new surprises the store has brewed up. And that’s exactly what the company is hoping for. Maybe there’s life in Starbucks yet.