Observing reality is key to marketing. And it can be a healthy exercise for companies, which, through analysing the “not-yet-thought-of” or “desired” within a certain market segment, find solutions to fill the gaps.
This must have been the thinking behind Fiordo’s management, a printing company based in Romentino (Novara, Italy) and specialised in mailing and producing books, calendars and Scratch Cards for over 20 years, when they revolutionised the look of the notepad by moving the pen holder from the classic vertical position at the side of the notebook to a horizontal position at the top.

“Fiordo’s idea, specifically that of its founder and managing director Fiorenzo Donati”, explains Gianfranco Tria, the company's sales director since September after a quarter of a century at Carioca, where he created their promotional division, “was questioning the traditional image of this accessory, an image that seemed inextricably linked to the narrow elastic buttonhole on the right. Whereas our solution is both more aesthetically pleasing (the pen is actually hidden) and more practical and safer for the writing instrument, which does not run the risk of slipping out of its cap and falling on the ground”. The holder relocated to the top of the notepad is patent protected. And since sustainability is a key word for the current zeitgeist, the choice of materials for the new holder, as well as for the notebook covers and pages, landed on FSC certified paper and cardboard. “A 100% recycled paper version will soon be available”, adds Tria, “for which the biodegradable plastic pen we offer our customers is the perfect pendant”.

There must be some hidden romantic thread in Fiordo’s management: in what seems like a digital binge, focusing on analogue writing and making it your promotional channel workhorse cannot be taken for granted, as if the pen's historic Settimo Torinese pole had redefined its geography by moving to Novara. “We offer a wide range of customisations, from covers in corporate colours to sheets (in white, graph, squared or ruled paper), in A4, A5 and A6 formats, as well as pens. In addition to logos, our customisations include licensing and private label characters, i.e., lines of notes created specifically for companies in the office sector and customised with their brand. We do all this starting from just 50 pieces”, points out Tria, whose strategy focuses on the immediate future, harnessing the retail channel, office supplies and stationery specialists and stationery stores. For notepads aimed at this last channel, there is an impending collaboration with Ugo Nespolo, a major Italian artist who will design the covers. Just Like all the other items in the Fiordo catalogue, they are exclusively Made in Italy.

*Opening photo: Fiordo’s plant in Romentino (Novara)