Selecting A Promotional Pen
Promotional pens continue to be one of the least costly most popular marketing tool for businesses and non-profit. They are everywhere and, if done right, have a valuable impact no matter your target market. Even in this age of electronic communication, just about every business person has needed to use a pen at one time or another. Here are some important tips on selecting the proper pen.
Plan Ahead
Yes, it may seem that choosing a pen is a one minute decision but we highly recommend that you take the time to select the right pen for your goals and market. With the variety of pen styles available today – from your basic cap pens and click action pens to the flashlight pens and even pens shaped like airplanes and the printing options you need to allow yourself enough time to consider your options. The bigger your next marketing launch, the more lead time you may need. Although we do have the ability to offer fast turnaround, the more time we have to understand your goals and exchange ideas, the best your results are likely to be. If anything, having more lead time will allow us to look out for more sales and new products offered by our many suppliers. Again, it is still possible to have an order turned around within a few working days but you will generally have fewer pen choices (not all can be down fast) and your cost may be higher than could have been.
Print Size
In our years of experience with promotional pens, we have noticed that many of customers try to squeeze in as much information as possible on their promotional pen. That is usually a grave mistake! Remember that the print area on a pen is not the same as on a larger promo item like a mug for example. We highly recommend that you do not allow your decorator to print your information any smaller than 8 point size. Many will allow as small as 6 points. Most people cannot read that 6 point size print unless they are really focused on what is printed on the pen. With pens, it is best your the logo with your contact info. Maybe even better, some decorators can now even print on the pen clip so you can just have your logo on the barrel and your phone or website address on the clip. For the print on your pen to have the most impact, you have to be able to read it from a minimum of two feet and even better four to six feet+.
Writing Feel
Pens come in different kinds of ink and pen tips. The options are almost endless. Although, smooth writing promo pens tends to be a top choice, some people like it better when their pen shows some resistance when writing. Some may describe these pens as feeling more "scratchy" when used. Ultimately, though, you want to select a pen that your audience will enjoy most.
Don’t Think Cheap, Think Useful
Usefulness must be considered or your pen may only be used for a very short time or not at all. When customers receive our pen you want them to not only use it but, as much as is possible, it needs to become their go to pen. It needs to be the one they look for when needing to write. It needs to be the pen they carry in their pocket or briefcase or have readily available. Your pen needs to convey quality, care and positive feelings. And no, you do not always need to spend a fortune on a good pen, you just need to select the right one. Your pen needs to be used as much as possible and your message the most impressions. In the united states the cost per impression on pens can be less than a penny! Compare that to other forms of advertising like billboard.
Your Brand
Keep brand consistency! In other words, if your brand color is dark blue, you may want to consider pens with a dark blue barrel. The shape and size of your pen should also be considered. Your logo needs to contrast well when printed and the pen needs to be large enough to accommodate it. If your brand is one that needs to convey elegance, then you may need to consider a thin and long barrel pen with a more pointed end. We will be happy to brainstorm options with you. For larger orders you may even have a pen created just for your brand and message!
Request Samples
There is nothing like the real thing. If at all possible, get a sample of the pens you are considering. Yes, getting samples may take time (plan ahead!) but, believe us, you don’t want to order 500, 1,000, 10,000+ pens and find out that they are not what you expected. There is no way you can get a good feel for a pen by just looking at a picture on a screen (or even a traditional catalog). Ask questions, get a quote, get ideas!