Pen friend

10
Apr

Right on, or write off?

Some blog post ideas literally come in the mail.

Like this from a promotional pen company.

Here are the highlights of their exhilarating letter:

‘This is no ordinary writing instrument.
It’s a pen customers and prospects will treasure and use every day.
Not only will they remember your thoughtfulness and generosity, they’ll be reminded of your company day after day and will share their sentiments with all their friends who notice and admire this truly exceptional executive gift!’

Not bad for $1.15 a pop.

Analysis

I must admit, this pen beats the plastic crap in most ‘goodie’ bags.

But I’m not convinced it’ll have the electrifying effect predicted.

I’m fussy about what I write with, but maybe that’s because I’m a writer.

Then again, a pen is a personal item – held close, often and long. Non-writers may be picky too.

So I’m not sure 1000 pens are a wise investment – even with black velveteen pouches for an extra $0.25 each.

Focus fire

The only promotional writing instrument I can name is an Andersen Consulting mechanical pencil.

It’s a beaut, but each time I use it at a client briefing, I recall the firm doesn’t exist anymore.

Fonnie (my focus group of one) has been using a promotional pen for years.

She loves its smooth action and comfortable shape.

But for the life of her, she can’t recall the company name printed on its side!

Picture the firm that sent it, knowing their signal stylus is next to a CEO – yet doomed to obscurity.

On balance, I don’t think I’ll go the pen path.

Favourite things

There are, of course, myriad promo items.

Magnets, rulers, key rings … if you can stick a logo on it, someone has.

Fonnie likes The Langham’s calendar and uses this hotel, but doesn’t think the link is causal.

My favourite gewgaw is a scale model of a Double A paper carton. It has loose sheets the size of Post-it notes – ideal for eBay parcel thank-yous.

I love the item, but have never bought the product.

Perhaps, by appearing in this post, it’s finally done its job.

Your stuff

Have you used pens or other things to promote your business?

Have they been used with(out) effect on you?

Don’t miss out …

This offer ends in 30 minutes.

Pen your thoughts to us

now!

Note: I’m on break 3-23 April so please talk freely among yourselves.

Paul Hassing | Founder & Senior Writer – The Feisty Empire

What others are saying

Author

Leon Noone

April 10, 2012 at 11:26 am

G’Day Paul,
I dunno about the pen. But I’d just love some of those black velveteen pouches. I can imagine handing out pouches to people who received a pen from someone who was too mean to spend the extra 25 cents on the pouch.

“Did Paul Hassing send you one of those cheap pens? Look, I know the pen wasn’t much. Please take a free classy black velveteen pouch to put it in. Gives it a real classy look” Like you said recently. Ya gotta differentiate .It’s great fun.

Best Wishes
Leon

Author

Tamara

April 11, 2012 at 10:04 am

Must say I’m not a big fan of promotional pens – they’re never very good quality, and they’re always BLACK ink. I’m more of a blue ink kinda girl! Give me a blue ink promo pen, and I might just look up your website and see what you do….

Author

Phil Owens

April 11, 2012 at 8:14 pm

Hi Paul (or no Paul).

It really depends what you are trying to achieve. Marketing is, at its essence, about changing a behaviour of a prospect so that they are closer to making a purchasing commitment to you or your product. IN what way does having a ‘promotional pen’ deliver on this? Perhaps where you are trying to ensure you have increased brand awareness at point of prescription (medical and pharma reps rejoice!) or signing in a highly competitive market, or maybe where you are introducing a new line and you need to build brand awareness through enhanced exposure to current clients of other products or prospects.

Mostly gimmicks are poorly thought out or applied. In a recent workshop I ran in Berlin, the marketing directors I was working with identified 250,000 EUR of inefficient spend on marketing – and a lot of that was on ineffective advertising and misdirected gimmicks.

Unless you know why you are investing your marketing money in these items, and unless they are delivered to the right targets with the right messages, I doubt you will get a positive ROI.

That said, often they can be an effective ‘door-opener’ to get you past the gatekeeper (is the Fonnie?) or to a discussion on more serious issues. It is proven that the social process of reciprocity comes into play – I give you a pen and you give me… the business!

Time to take my promotional pen and sign off….