How to Pick the Perfect Promotional Pen

by Justin Reynolds | Jun 19, 2017 | Business Resources, Industry Trends

Your promotional pen is not simply a cheap giveaway – they represent your brand to prospective clients, peers in your field or co-workers. When thinking about any promotional product, you’ll want to impress in order to get the best return. When picking a promotional pen, you should think about your target market. How do you want your company image to be portrayed? Think about your company ethos and what branding goals you want to achieve. There are several aspects of a pen which should go into your decision-making process. Each aspect which we have discussed below will directly alter your company image and affect your branding goals.

1. Plastic versus metal

When deciding which promotional pen to use the first factor to account for is material. Plastic pens will be a lot lighter, so they’re perfect for promotional gifts at trade shows or industry events. Although not true for all, plastic pens often come with a rubber grip which can make it much more comfortable for the user. On the other hand, metal pens will be sure to impress, with the feeling of weight usually comes a feeling of quality as well. Metal pens are perfect for high-level employees and prospective clients. You really will be able to feel the quality.

2. Functionality of your promotional pen

For anyone who thinks a promotional product or pen is just a cheap give away – think again. There are many features which can be added to the pen such as stylus’ and LED lights. By adding an added feature to your pen, you’ll heighten the value of the pen as well. By spending a little bit more you’ll ensure that your promotional pen won’t be back of mind. If you create something that a client will want to use every single day, you’ll also ensure that your brand will stay front of mind. A big part of a pen’s functionality which is often forgotten is ergonomics. Is this pen going to be user-friendly? Factors like thickness, surface material (rubber, metal, plastic) as well as mechanisms such as twist action versus push point will all affect how comfortable the pen will be for the user. Think about what the pen will be used for in order to determine what functions it will need to perform. For example, if you have an event or conference which requires everyone to use a touch pad – why not include a pen with a stylus?

3. Origin of promotional pens

Origin of a pen plays a big part in its quality. The two main categories to consider are Chinese and European – there are benefits for both. Chinese pens are a great promotional product as they are low cost. Perfect for hotels or business who want to print contact details onto a pen. These pens can still be extremely stylish, by choosing a slim line pen in a dark colour and adding a bright contrasting logo on the barrel. However, the quality of these pens will suffer. It is not a pen which will last for years, or a pen you would bother refilling – the refill will most likely cost more than then pen. European pens are built to be carried with you for years. You’ll not only feel the quality of the pen in its structure but also within the ink and its flow as well.

4. Decoration techniques

There are a few different ways which a pen can be decorated. The most common are a screen and pad print. These techniques will allow you to have two or three colours at most. The decoration area on a pen is small. It’s best to go with a one or two colour logo at most. Too many colours can ruin the clarity of your image. When doing paint based decoration techniques on any promotional product=, it’s also best to include a base coat as well to ensure your logo stands out. This is especially important when printing dark colours onto dark pens – such as red onto black. If you have a highly coloured logo, or a logo with coloured gradients – a digital print is best. This method uses regular digital printing methods (similar to your home printer) to print a logo onto your pen! The problem with this method is that it is not highly available in Australia, the alternative to this is a digital transfer. This is where an image is digitally printed and pressed onto the pen using heat (in short summary).

5. Our favourites

Take a look below at some of our favourite pens here at Red Tomato below.

Thinking about including a pen as part of your next promotional product campaign? Click here to get your free packet of samples!