When you decide to get personalized pens for promotional items, your marketing team needs to take time to make detailed decisions. There are enough branded pens with your logo available that they can easily look like a thrown-together afterthought. You don’t want that for your company’s promotional pens. Here are thoughts on designing them just right.
Start by Defining What the Pen Should Communicate
Before you think about the details of your company’s promotional pens, it’s a good idea to decide what you want your pen to communicate. Do you want it to be fun and whimsical? Sophisticated and serious? Once you have a message in mind, you can figure out the details that coordinate with that message.
Choose a Pen Style That Supports the Message
The Washington Post says that customized pens work well as promotional products because they are a physical reminder of your company in customers’ hands. You already know you want a pen for a promotional item. But what style supports your company’s overall message? Here are a few styles and the messages they promote:
- Stylus Pens
There are even pens that work well in today’s modern world. Stylus pens write on paper, but can also be used to operate digital screens. They are practical for those going back and forth between paper and devices. They send a message of practicality, convenience, and modernity.
- Ballpoint Pen
This pen style comes with a cap and is a classic that never goes out of style. They write smoothly and are suitable for large orders due to their low expense. At the same time, they last and are helpful to users. They send a message of classic, long-lasting products.
- Multi-function Pens
The main purpose of any pen is as a writing tool, but there are pens that might operate as a highlighter, a flashlight, a pencil, and other such things. Pens with several functions remind users that you are valuable in a variety of ways, too.
- Click Pens
Pens that click on and off are all-encompassing. You don’t have to worry about them drying out or losing the cap. They send a message of efficiency and reliability.
Your Message Must Fit the Space — and the Context
Let’s be honest, pens don’t have a lot of space on them for a message. While you can write messages with pens all day, the actual message on the pen has to be short, sweet, and to the point.
Many companies simply place their logo or company name on the pen. That, along with the pen’s color and design, is more than enough to remind consumers of the brand overall.
The pens’ intended usage is the only other factor to take into account. If you are putting them at a conference, it can be useful to include the name of the conference along with your company name as a way to remember the occasion.
Layout and Orientation: The Details That Decide Everything
Before you order promotional pens, you have to decide on all of the details. The pen’s exterior and ink color, and the company’s name placement, are all important to the overall product.
Your company’s logo and your brand’s personality should be at the top of mind as you decide on the options. You want the pen to send a message, but not one that contrasts with your brand’s image.
Enhancements Only Work If They’re Subtle
The New York Times cited a study that showed subtle cues affect product choices. You don’t need anything big or glaring. Pens are small promotional items, but those subtle items that appear before your clients over and over again make a big difference in branding your company.
When customers use your reliable, attractive pen and see your logo regularly, they are more likely to remember you when they need the products or services you offer. You don’t have to send a singing telegram to enhance your message. Subtle pens work, too. And cost less!
Test Before You Commit to Full Production
Before you create a bulk order of customized pens, get a few test products and see how they work. Do they write well? Do they look as expected? Ask customers what they think of the pens. Are you heading the right way?
If you feel that the test pens aren’t ideal, make changes and order a few more tester pens. You don’t want to be stuck with pens that don’t send the right message. Test them out, then, once things are right, commit to their full production.
In conclusion
Customized pens are a physical, usable reminder of your company in the hands of customers and clients who use them. Save Your Ink can help you figure out how to fit the right message onto the pen of your choice. Then, once you have the bulk order in-house, distribute them and watch them work marketing magic without you having to do anything else. The inexpensive promotional item is a classic that never gets old. Most customers use pens daily, so why not use your brand’s pen?
