Whenever you started your career – or your company
– no doubt writing instruments were already a staple promotional product. And they
remain a tried-and-true seller, second in popularity only to wearables. But while the
lasting appeal of writing tools might seem obvious, just how often and easily you can use
them in promotions may not be as apparent.
Let’s look at the numbers: Last year, manufacturers of writing instruments shipped
over 8 billion total units, according to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association
in Marlton, NJ. Of course, that’s retail as well as promotional. Meanwhile, imprinted
pen sales have been growing by leaps and bounds as well. Demand is definitely strong and
showing no signs of slowing. The firms using them as promotional tools must be onto
something. A word from some promotional consultants
on the matter:
- “Our business more than doubled in the past three
years,” says Charles Reichmann.
- “Our pen sales have been going up 30% per year,”
adds Peter Herz.
- “We just finished our biggest year ever,” says
Jodi Fishman, “with a 40% increase in sales for the period ending June 30. Pens are
one of the top sales categories for us.”
A Low Cost-Per-Impression
What does this mean for you? It likely means counselors just like yours are filling more
writing instrument orders than ever – many of them for your competitors. And with
good reason; writing instruments are not only surprisingly affordable, they provide a huge
amount of exposure for a relatively small price – what’s known in promotional
circles as “cost-per-impression.”
“What you’re buying is advertising,” says promotional consultant Dennis
Sherman. “While a firm with an advertising budget of, say, $10,000, could buy a
couple of ads in the local newspaper for $5,000 apiece or a billboard for $10,000, it
could also buy 10,000 pens for $1 apiece to leave at sales calls. Taking the same money
and buying writing instruments gives you more economic value. A study we did showed the
average pen has about eight owners. People misplace them and they get passed along.”
Reichmann agrees: "I have 20 pens sitting on my desk right now, which
aren’t even my own company’s!”
Of course, we’re not just talking about pens. Recipients value all manner of writing
tools, from pencils to markers to rollerballs to fountain pens, in addition to the
omnipresent ballpoint. And they’re available with all sorts of price points and all
sorts of looks. They come in plastic, metal, wood, or combinations of these materials.
They can be fat or thin, long or short, compact or full-sized, brightly colored or more
sedate. They can be fun or serious, light or weighty, single- or multi-functioned, modern
or traditional, silkscreened or engraved.
Best of all, there are many that look and feel far more expensive than they really are.
“Inexpensive pens started making inroads in the ’80s,” says Herz,
explaining that about that time cheaper imitators of high-end European pen designs
suddenly flooded the market. Now pens ride high on perceived value, even when they
don’t cost that much.
Heavy Metal
What’s on the cutting edge of writing instruments? Right now, highly stylized,
futuristic-looking models are all the rage – an outgrowth of the high-tech world we
live in. But it’s not limited to that. “Our antique, silver-chrome finish saw
demand thanks to the millennium,” says promotional consultant Michael Woody.
Often, the appeal lies in functionality. There are more wide, imprint-friendly surfaces
and mailable lightweights around than ever before. Some writing instruments seem
“on-the-go,” much like the mobile phone-toting executives who use them.
Shorter-than-average pocket-sized models travel well. Other writing instruments, by virtue
of materials, can flaunt advertisers’ political agendas – how about an
eco-friendly, biodegradable marker or a recycled cardboard ballpoint with a wooden clip?
Currently, the best-selling writing products – whether pencils, pens or markers
– share a trendy profile of futuristic finishes (brushed chrome and aluminum,
translucent plastic, matte rubber) in new forms that are increasingly
“architectural” and European in design. Sometimes a simple thing like diameter
makes the difference. “The main trend for the past 15 years has been toward thicker
pens,” says Woody. “I think it began with the fact that luxury pens in the
’80s were thick. The lower price points have slowly mimicked that.”
Of course, amid all the high-tech and practical packaging, the popularity of writing
instruments still hinges largely on a single truism: People will probably always have some
need or occasion to write and record by hand. “With respect to the so-called
paperless office, people are always going to write stuff down even in a mostly electronic
environment,” says promotional consultant Dan Townes.
Pencils And Markers In The Marketing Mix
Nonmechanical pencils are fairly uncomplicated and can easily become lost in the shuffle
of other products. But with them now available in foil-covered or heat sensitive finishes
– or made of special splinter-resistant plastic – don’t underestimate their
impact.
Who uses pencils today? Townes can name some takers. “We’ve filled orders for a
special lead pencil that writes on X-rays for a radiologist – a business you
wouldn’t normally think of. We’ve also made pencils with different colored
barrels and ferrules (the metal ring that holds the eraser) for a pharmaceutical company
promoting a drug available in three dosage levels. We put one of each of the three colors
indicating dosage into a box with each drug for salespeople to use as a leave-behind at
doctors offices.”
Bottom line: Pencils are no longer the wooden, “plain vanilla” product you once
thought of them as. And when it comes to markers, fast food chains, doctor’s offices
and colleges are among the biggest users. “Very often they’re offered in
packages – the majority are in the $2-or-less range,” says Reichmann, adding
that they have their own unique appeal – such as a large imprint surface: “They
let you fill many different niches. They work well for car dealerships selling family
vehicles, for example.”
The Quality Question
Here’s something to keep in mind if you want a writing instrument with your
firm’s name or logo on it to project an image of quality: Just because a pen or
pencil looks upscale doesn’t necessarily mean it is.
Quality goes beyond finish. It’s also about the inner workings – ink cartridges,
refills, spring/twist mechanisms, ease of refilling/reloading, how each half fits
together, and so on. There can be vast differences, so each pen, pencil or marker should
be “field-tested” on an individual basis. A certain 85-cent pen might unscrew
with less hassle than a $16 one, but perhaps only in that instance. Conversely, a 50-cent
pencil could easily outdistance a 20-cent model. Again, take the time to ask and inspect
each choice.
After all, this is really the critical differentiator, says promotional consultant Joel
Peterson: “It’s a pen’s usefulness – the quality of the mechanism and
refill – that matter most,” he says. No argument there; a $100 pen with a refill
that skips quickly becomes an expensive piece of desk-drawer ballast.
The point is, it’s hard to go wrong with writing instruments from a promotional
perspective. They can be used with just about any other logoed merchandise, can be
tailored to any budget, and have universal appeal and utility.
With elements that basic, maybe it’s time you considered making the write choice.
Kelly Beamon is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, NY
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