According to the United Nations, 9 billion pens end up in landfills every year. It’s part of the reason for one of the most widespread trends in writing instruments right now: sustainability.
End-users are growing more concerned about the environment and want to reflect that stance in the products they choose.
“Many manufacturers are introducing pens made from recycled or biodegradable materials,” says Todd Sachs, senior director of operations at Los Angeles-based distributor BAMKO (asi/131431), a Counselor Top 40 distributor. “Traditional pens are difficult to recycle because they combine plastics, metals and ink. But newer designs use single-material casings, plant-based plastics, and even ocean-reclaimed plastic to make recycling easier and reduce waste.”
Howie Turkenkopf, vice president of marketing and business development at Counselor Top 40 distributor Stran Promotional Solutions (asi/337725), has seen the same trend – or at least an increase in the number of recyclable parts of writing instruments – coming from suppliers in the industry.
The sustainability trend is backed up with actual orders at Florida-based supplier Pilot Corporation of America (asi/78110). Rhonda Reilly, director of sales at Pilot, says a large northeast sanitation company recently had an eco-friendly product launch and ordered every color of Pilot’s Bottle2Pen products (IB2C).
“Our Bottle2Pen series is the first made from recycled water bottles,” she says, noting the pens offer two imprint locations and come in seven different colors that match the barrel colors.
That’s not the only trend driving this supremely popular product category. From robust color options to lucrative kitting ideas to changes in design, here are top writing instrument attributes to watch out for.
“Traditional pens are difficult to recycle because they combine plastics, metals and ink. But newer designs use single-material casings, plant-based plastics, and even ocean-reclaimed plastic to make recycling easier and reduce waste.”
– Allison McDermott, Taylor Promotional Products (asi/333647)
Get the Look & Feel
On that topic, color is something that currently drives writing instrument sales as well. And it’s not just a color logo – though full-color logos on pens are currently trending, Reilly says – but color on the entire pen itself. Suppliers and distributors alike note that the ability to customize the color on the entire pen currently appeals to customers buying writing instruments. According to Jonaleah Carrow-Sherman, category manager at Counselor Top 40 supplier Koozie Group (asi/40480), end-users are turning away from screen printing on pens and instead opting for full-color imprints of gradients, patterns or photography that complements their brand.
“End-users are choosing pens with intentionality,” Carrow-Sherman says. “The pen’s style, material, color and even the feel in the hand is being used to reinforce brand identity. A startup might want a bold, neon-colored pen with modern lines. A luxury hotel might want a smooth metal pen with laser engraving. The key takeaway? The pen must feel on-brand and match the message the gifter is trying to portray.”
Counselor Top 40 distributor Taylor Promotional Products (asi/333647) recently had an order for an education company that follows the full-color trend. The team created a virtual pop-up shop where event managers could order branded giveaways to hand out at an event that covered about 600 campuses. The items included T-shirts, bags, lip balm notebooks, cups, travel pouches and pens.
“These common items were elevated with attention-grabbing finishes like holographics, iridescence and metallics,” says Allison McDermott, Taylor’s vice president of marketing. “The pen was no exception with its rainbow-colored aluminum barrel. We sold just shy of 10,000 units of just that pen. The exciting colors made for a great overall presentation to support a successful event, and the order size far exceeded our expectations.”
The multicolor craze extends to ink colors, as well. Carrow-Sherman notes that one of the unique product combinations selling at Koozie Group right now is the BIC 4-color pen, with four different ink colors integrated into one pen, kitted with the Good Value adult coloring book planner.
“The multicolor pen works not only to keep your notes color-coordinated but also to assist with the occasional doodle in your coloring book planner,” Carrow-Sherman says, noting that she’s also seen writing instruments as the final touch of campaigns for onboarding
kits, event swag and direct mail pieces. “Pens still have this everyday utility that makes them an anchor piece,” she says.
The Way of the Future
Distributors and suppliers are routinely packaging writing instruments with employee onboarding and welcome kits. They’re seeing pens and pencils come along with other swag like a notebook and a lanyard, planners and sticky notes, and backpacks and school supplies.
“Because pens are lightweight, affordable and universally needed, they’re an easy addition that reinforces brand visibility long after they’re given away,” Sachs says.
Another new trend in writing instruments that offers long-lasting brand visibility? Smart technology that connects the physical and the digital world. Stran recently ran a campaign for a product launch where all the pens included near-field communication (NFC) chips. The pens were handed out to salespeople and channel partners who would be promoting the new product. When end-users scanned the pen with a phone or other digital device, the chip took them to a site the client created that contained educational information about the new product’s features and benefits.
“We sold just shy of 10,000 units of that pen. The exciting colors made for a great overall presentation to support a successful event, and the order size far exceeded our expectations.”
– Allison McDermott, Taylor Promotional Products (asi/333647)
“We combined the pens with other giveaways and training materials and they were a big hit,” Turkenkopf says. “It was so successful that they went back to the same NFC pens for their product launch.”
For a more analog feel, Sachs has noticed more suppliers manufacturing pens with fidget features, which makes them both a functional writing instrument and a way to relieve stress.
Some of the options he’s seen include textured grips for tactile interaction, spinning components and magnetic caps that have a satisfying “click” when properly placed. On the opposite end of that spectrum, Carrow-Sherman and McDermott are seeing a reversal to more minimalist styles. McDermott mentions pens with no clips and writing instruments with sleek styling and matte or muted colorways, as has Carrow-Sherman.
“There was a time when bulky pens were all the rage,” Carrow-Sherman says. “The thicker the barrel, the better. Now, the trend is shifting toward sleek, minimalist designs that let elevated inks and metallic accents do the talking.”
While the designs sometimes swing toward minimalist, Reilly says that pens with brand names on them are making a big comeback.
She notes that several years ago, the promotional products industry stepped away from brand-name logos, but now suppliers are popping them back on and receiving huge amounts of sales as a result.
“It seems end-users are looking more for a quality writing instrument more than a price-oriented one, which makes brand-name pens more appealing,” she says.
Ultimately, though, selling a great pen or pencil is about more than just branding. It’s a way to get specific messaging across, provide a useful tool and sustain conversation about the company that handed it out.
“Don’t underestimate the power of a pen,” Carrow-Sherman says. “ASI reported recently that ‘pens’ has been a top searched term on ESP for more than four years straight. Even in a digital world, writing instruments are personal, tactile and high-frequency brand reminders. The trick is helping clients see them as strategic tools, not just giveaways. When chosen intentionally, they can turn a simple kit into a lasting brand impression.”
