Component Science

A pen with your company’s name on it? It’s not rocket science, but don’t let how easy it is deceive you. What do you do first if someone gives you a pen with their company’s name on it? Twist it, tap it, or put it in your bag? It’s possible. But at some point, you can’t help but look at that logo pens. Boom. Brand on your mind.

Let’s be realistic. Bulk branding pens are inexpensive, nice, and work in a bizarre way. It’s almost too easy to give them away. You may throw them at trade exhibitions, leave a few at the dentist’s office, or put a few in the mail. Pens go places. They hide in backpacks. They pop up in the junk drawer of your neighbor or the workplace of your competitor, and all of a sudden your brand is making more stops than a delivery van. Like a hot bit of office gossip, your message gets shared along with only one click.

Have you ever searched through your drawer for a pen? There it is: a pen with the logo of a company you met at a conference years ago. It still works as a pen. That kind of advertising works. That continuity is brilliant in some way. Most promotional materials don’t endure as long as pens do. Food gets eaten, paper gets thrown away, but pens stay.

But design is the key. Ink on a plastic stick that isn’t very neat? Not worth remembering. But with the appropriate typeface, color scheme, or catchy phrase, even a regular pen may stand out. Consider color barrels that are out of the ordinary or finishes that feel velvety. Maybe some metallic trim. Things that people desire to grasp, flip over, and utilize. A well-done pen is like a silent handshake: polite, memorable, and a little personal.

Think about your audience. Are you giving these away at a tech conference? It might be a good idea to add a QR code. Fair at the university? Choose bright colors and lots of ink for long note-taking. In the office of a lawyer? Please provide me something that won’t smear on legal papers.

Believe it or not, people collect pens. Some people have whole jars just for the brand-name ones. They tell each other stories about how far a lost pen has gone. That pen might end up in a different state, where it will help your brand grow. One scribbling at a time, brand magic.

In this digital age, it could be easy to think of swag as old news. Who needs a real pen when there are screens, email, and applications all around? But use a branded pen during a meeting. You are now the person who planned ahead and is ready for anything, even a dead battery. Analog gets credit for being dependable.

Choose ink that flows when you order. Cheap pens won’t be around, in a real sense. Ink blobs and scratchy points are like a sign that says “I’m not interested.” But if you do it well, you’ve given someone a future favorite. Their favorite. Their friend who writes notes.

Don’t ever think that small writing tools are not useful. They may be small, but they are powerful transmitters of messages, memories, and maybe even the next big thing. Keep them close by. They are the quiet advocates of branding.