When cleaning out the glovebox in a car, four pens from a variety of businesses were found, much to the delight of the car owner who always seemed to be looking for a pen to jot down ideas and notes for her crafting business. One pen was from a bank, one from a doctor’s office, one from a tanning salon, and one from the dog groomer.
While many people now use their smartphones to take notes, this is not always practical, and it is still not as easy as just… note taking by hand, with a pen. There are so many reasons why this promotional item remains a top seller.
Bill Mahre of ADG Promo notes that pens can be very inexpensive or higher value so their versatile appeal is to a larger audience, if necessary. Pens today also come with numerous features and options, such as stylus, ink color, stylus, flashlights, as part of gift sets, full color wraps, and more, adding the value of customization beyond just the logo or motto.
“Why are pens consistently the most popular promotional product category worldwide? That’s easy – we all still use them, daily,” comments Shelley Brown, MAS, MASI of SunGraphix. No matter where technology takes us there is still no substitute for the ease of grabbing a pen and letting the ink flow in the shape of our ideas, completely unhindered.”
She adds that it’s not unusual for many people to become attached to a favorite pen for any of a number of (sales worthy) reasons: how beautifully it writes, the innovative design, the good experience it represents (being treated well by the enterprise that gave it) and similarly, the person who gave it to them.
“I bet we can all point to one or two pens that we call our favorite, agrees RJ Hagel of Goldstar Pens. Pens, he says, activate nearly all the senses except smell – “unless of course you are using a scented novelty pen! Visually, the color and curves of the body attract our attention; the weight of the pen and the solidness of the body is tactile, the click of the retracting mechanism is audial, “and for those of us who can’t keep the pen away from the mouth, can even touch your sense of taste!”
Harris Cohen, MAS, Fellow, All-In-One, states that pens are universally used; his company produces pens that wind up at huge tech corporations to mom-and-pop businesses. In fact, he says, no modern business can survive without the use of a pen. “Because the pen isn’t going anywhere but into your hand, and the promotional opportunities are limitless.” He adds that all types of pens have their uses – but what separates a throw-away pen from a keeper are texture/feel, weight, balance, and of course, the way it writes.
Creative Uses
ADG, says Mahre, sees a larger number of laser engraved pens being personalized for individuals. By putting someone’s name on a pen at a relatively low cost the distributor is adding significant value to his/her client’s promotional offering. “Who doesn’t like seeing their name on a pen? And our High Definition Imprint (HDI) pens also offer full-color wraps on multiple pen designs. We see a wide range of creative layouts using HDI’s photo-quality decorating capability.”
Nicole Kyser of Polyconcept North America points to fundraisers, charity dinners, and any raffles can be a fun use of a pen. “In these cases, each pen is printed with a unique number and given to each attendee during an event. At the end of the event a number will be picked. And the winner (and those who didn’t win) all get to keep the pens, reminding them of the event.”
Indeed, as with many promotional products, the promotion is only as good as the message that it delivers, Hagel opines. So, he suggests, instead of focusing on the fact that it is a pen, think about what you can communicate through the design. “Have a client asking for tech items? Why not promote technology and imprint a #hashtag instead of a logo on the pen. What about a coupon? Instead of contact information and a logo. Add a coupon code and landing page URL on how to order your product or service. How about a quote to provide inspiration for the recipient of the pen?
And maybe take a step in the retro direction. In modern times when email inboxes are stuffed and physical mailboxes are not, Brown says, do a strategic mailing with a pen. “Pens are perfect for bumpy mailings – compact with low price points, an incredible cost per impression and everyone likes a free pen – especially a well-designed one; it brings excitement to going out to the mailbox.”
She suggests several ideas for a pen in the mail: as a contest entry, thank you gift, and as a trigger for a response, an announcement or an introduction. It could also be part of a multiple targeted mailing, where the pen triggers a response that would lead to the second mailing, etc.
Ask if there are any upcoming presentations that need folders. Here, says Cohen, you can use a pen that folds flat. “Unfold and snap the hinges together to transform the pen to display its logo and message using a full-bleed/full-color imprint top to bottom. Fold it flat to insert into a die-cut display folder to create the ultimate presentation folder – or mail in an envelope.
Brown relates, “I know a rep who would take handfuls of personalized pens with him when he traveled to offer to people who gave him great service on his trip or simply needed a smile. Something as simple as a pen serves a reminder of the message and the person who gave it.”
Pens also make it simple to bundle with other products for memorable and successful promotions, as in Brown’s multiple-mailing concept. Goldstar’s SimpliColor line, says Hagel, works as a canvas for a T-shirt and the same art on a complementary pen, which offers up to five square inches of space. “The ideas can be almost limitless if you think of the pen as a tool to deliver a message, not just a writing instrument,” Hagel notes.
Cohen offers, “Why not merge a pen with a cellphone stand; add a USB drive, a highlighter, a bright LED torch-light. Capacitive pen/styluses are conducting electrical impulses when your fingers grip the pen and connect the circuit, sending electrons through the barrel to the stylus.”
“We see many distributors bundling a padfolio and/or journal with a laser-engraved pen for a simple yet very impactful promotional opportunity that can be completed for under $10 retail,” Mahre points out.
Kyser notes that pens also may be bundled with travel sets (passport wallet, luggage tag) “for the world-class traveler, or be bundled with a drinkware piece and journal as a new hire gift.”
New Possibilities and Trends
ADG Promo’s new Luminate Delta has a full-barrel illumination capability, according to Mahre. Patent pending design at a reasonable cost allows distributors to highlight their clients’ logos and/or messages. “More products will be launched this summer leveraging this technology and innovative design,” he promised.
Josette Bosse of Bay State Specialty Co. notes the company offers the Android Pen (#W8405) which has three inks in one – black, blue and red. Potential customers include caregivers, hospitality industry, restaurant servers and bartenders, and attorneys, banks and real estate. “When you present the pen, say, ‘you don’t have to settle for just one ink color anymore,’” she recommends.
Further evidence of technical progression in pen development is, points out Kyser, “the fidget pen, which is driven by the fidget spinner craze; and pen trackers – GPS tracking device that allows you to never lose your pen again.”
Meanwhile, sole oldies remain goodies. “The fountain pen, a beautiful classic, is very popular right now and enhances the writing experience,” Brown observes. She says her new favorite pen has become the Lamy AL-star fountain pen because of how easily it glides across the page and lets individual handwriting style really come through. It also uses washable ink.
Regarding trends in this space, Hagel observes several besides the continued domination of four-color process. These include matte and metallic finishes, light-up logos on pens, rubberized soft-touch finishes, bright colors (eg, lime, magenta, teal and orange), translucent barrels and hybrid ink. “Traditional ballpoint ink is slowly being replaced by a hybrid; low-viscosity ink that gives a smoother writing experience that is more like a gel, but still retains the drying properties of a ballpoint,” he describes. “Expect these types of inks to become the standard in ballpoint inks in the future.”
Cohen also sees ink formulas are progressing by altering the viscosity of ink. Lower ink viscosity allows the ballpoint to glide across paper delivering a smooth continuous flow with effortless motion. “Early in the ink race All-In-One® crafted Easy-Glide™ Ink. Easy-Glide ink flows so smoothly, it’s a joy to write with. Heck, it’s turned my wife, Karen Cohen, into a world class doodler,” he quips.
Pens will likely still remain a top-seller for businesses, fundraisers, artists and other entities to use to emphasize messages and spread visibility. “It is really no wonder why this product category is so popular!” Brown concludes. “A pen is compact and easy to carry, extremely useful and comes in a great variety of designs, inks and colors. Plus, pens offer an amazing price per impression of just one-tenth of a penny!”
And all that is something to write home about!
CASE STUDY:
Harris Cohen of All-In-One: “SXSW vendors gave away tens of thousands of All-In-One’s Transformer Pens that fold 45 degrees into a smartphone stand for streaming video or live chat, reported Harris. Comments were made that attendees were standing in long lines to get their hands on one. One vendor said he never saw this many people in line for one of their giveaways. The pen made a HUGE impression on their end-users. And that clever giveaway pen will continue to be appreciated every time its picked up, with its promotional message viewed over many a moon.”