Promotional Pen: A Pen by any other Name

Have you ever been among a group of people trading contact details? Notice the scramble for that good old-fashioned instrument, the pen. See the woman upturn her purse searching for one and the eager expressions on the faces of the people with her. Observe their eyes light up when she finally finds it. The relief is palpable; information can now be taken down for use at a later stage. The pen makes it possible. In a second the tenuous relationship between man and pen is refreshed.

Now envision that pen, the one receiving all the attention, having your logo on it. Imagine your logo sharing the attention and all the positive associations that go with this rediscovery of the classic writing utensil. The promotional pen has made the impossible possible and your company name is on it.

Now a pen by any other name is still a pen but the logo, the logo you have ingeniously chosen to have stamped on your promotional pen, now that's what will be remembered. Remember to keep a lot with you at all times; they're more effective than business cards. People don't use business cards for the daily business of putting something down on paper. Promotional pens don't just lie there waiting to be noticed, they do something that nothing else can do.

Once you have decided that you positively want to invest in this highly well thought-of method of promotion your next challenge will be to find the exact promotional pen that deserves your credentials. There are thousands of them out there and they come in many diverse styles, colors and prices.

Sit for a minute and think. Do you want your promotional pen out there, casually participating in everyday life, humble but kind of proud, or do you see it languishing around in deluxe boardrooms and book-lined personal libraries?

All of this depends on your own particular market. Who are these people, where do they hang out and what do they think is significant? You want the pen that you choose to promote your product, to fit right in there with them, to go where they go and to look right for every event.

visualize the people you want to use your promotional pen. Do you see them with something lustrous, a clip or grip pen, a jumbo or novelty pen. Trust me, with the range available, you can zone right in on the pen of their dreams. This means they will not lose it and the relationship will overflow into a very particular brand loyalty.

Then think about the color of the ink. Not elementary, my dear Watson. The fact is blue pens are most common, black ones are used for a lot of official formalities and red ones, well, they're extroverts that like to make a point.

Anything that bears your name should be praiseworthy of the task. Every little detail of your promotional pen can be used to bring out the values your company stands for.

Cindy Carrera is a freelance author who's written a number of original articles about promotional gifts and custom promotional products. Her articles offer fresh ideas and creative alternatives for the out-of-the-box marketer.