History repeats itself. This is true not only of politics and universal chronicles but also (and even more so) of the economy, where, despite the passage of time, revolutions, wars and pandemics, the laws of the market remain substantially unchanged. And so, after the two-year shutdown due to the health crisis, business will bounce back, just like the financial crash of 1929 was the dawn of such a powerful recovery that marketing as we know it today was conceived during that period.

The promotional writing instruments industry, as one of the most effective means of marketing and communication (unlike a business card, you always have a branded pen in hand...) is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and the restrictions on gatherings imposed by it. Yet in the coming months, as people gradually start getting together again and taking advantage of communication tools, it may play a key role in recovery.
The industry is well prepared for the exhibition: months of forced shutdowns or, in any case, a decline in orders, were not wasted. On the contrary, that time was put to good use by companies regrouping and investing in research.

“We arranged an internal organisational reshuffle”, explains Massimiliano Moro, owner and sole director of Maxema, “choosing to invest heavily in digital, now a key sphere for companies in any industry”. Paolo Millo, sales and marketing director of Happy Gifts Italia, highlights the importance of a back office that can translate customers' personalisation wishes into digital documents that are compatible with industry standards: “We make introductory graphic cards free of charge, thus avoiding solutions that cannot be reproduced, resulting in wasted time and bad impressions.”

As far as research is concerned, now more than ever, this is a key factor of a brand’s success as it perfectly aligned with, not only the urgent need for environmental sustainability, which is increasingly demanded by the market, but also the very concept of quality. “A high-quality, reliable product that stands the test of time”, Massimiliano Moro points out, “is, in itself, sustainable.”

An eagerness to satisfy these needs has led to promotional pens being transformed from mere communication props to high-quality manufacturing and design writing instruments.

So we turn to specialists across Italy, which boasts districts such as the one between Settimo and San Mauro Torinese, unique in the world for its experience in producing writing instruments, or to those of the aforementioned Swiss brands, or Germany’s Baden-Wuerttemberg (where the company Klio-Eterna operates), always renowned for their creations’ precision.

In addition, China seems less and less close, as the recent container crisis has demonstrated, so turning to producers and customizers from the Old Continent presents undeniable advantages both in terms of control as well as costs and timeframes. “We provide our customers with the best quality writing instruments made in Germany at the best possible prices”, states Daniela Ehret, customer consultant export at Klio-Eterna. Production actually takes place at the company's headquarters in Germany, in the Black Forest, where refills are also manufactured.

The quality bar being raised has also affected customisation techniques: “It would be a shame”, sums up Marco Campana, sales manager at Prodir, “to see a pen entirely made in Switzerland that writes for over 4km with a PMS (Pantone Matching System, a colour standardisation protocol, ed.) logo done wrong or out of register. Not to mention when a logo is ruined simply through contact with the nail.”

So it is not surprising that companies in the industry have expanded their range of custom services with technologically advanced versions with a huge visual impact. Happy Gifts Italia, for example, in addition to the dynamic markings generated by the button pressure, produce logos in 360° digital quadri-chrome on the barrel of the pen as well as custom-shaped clips (this service is called Clip Logo). A bit like what happens in limited editions of the great fountain pens, where even the smallest details pay homage to a historical character or event. So it is toward the premium end of the most emblazoned writing instruments that promotional pens in 2022 increasingly seem to be looking.

Top photo: Prodir pens made of Pha. The perforated body also allows less material to be used and speeds up decomposition in nature