| I am sitting in a hotel room staring at a pen, as you | | | | of the hotel alone. Let's see, the hotel chain has ten |
| do when you cannot sleep at 5:00am. The | | | | hotels and each are quite large so that is probably |
| promotional pen is one I know very well: the Prodir | | | | about 1000 pens just to go in each room on day one. |
| DS3. The Prodir Pen company is very well known | | | | Now of course the reason one purchases promotional |
| throughout Europe for its unique pen clips that have | | | | pens in the first place is to promote so they must |
| ample space to print on. In this case, however, it is | | | | hope that a lot of these pens are taken home by |
| unprinted and rather boring looking. In fact, the whole | | | | the customer. At least one third will be taken home |
| pen is boring as whoever was put in charge of | | | | which means they will need to be topped up quite |
| purchasing these pens for the hotel chain obviously | | | | regularly. I figure the initial order would have been for |
| did not put much thought into it. The only print on | | | | at least 10000 but very possibly many more. |
| the pen is the hotel's name and web address. This | | | | I hope that my insomnia has given you one very |
| was printed so that I have to squint to read it. | | | | important bit of information about printing onto plastic |
| Most promotional pens are manufactured to do just | | | | pens. If you are going to do it, then give it some |
| that: promote! Yes there are the new more design | | | | thought. Try to find pens that have large print areas |
| oriented models that offer very little printable space | | | | and then use that space! If you have a colourful logo |
| but most have quite large print areas for your logo | | | | then ensure that it is printed. Many people do not |
| and message. So it is bewildering how the person | | | | have their logos printed because they do not have |
| that purchased these pens could have got it so | | | | their artwork in the proper format. Perhaps that is |
| wrong. Did there promotional gift supplier not help | | | | why the pen before me looks so bad. Not having |
| them? Did they actually want to spend money on | | | | your logo in the proper format should not stop you |
| pens, and for that matter, quite expensive plastic | | | | from getting it printed onto your pens. Ask your |
| pens, just to look dull? | | | | promotional gift supplier for assistance. Logos can be |
| This well known pen that is in front of me could have | | | | redrawn quite inexpensively in a matter of hours. In |
| been printed all over the barrel with the company's | | | | fact, many promotional gift suppliers do not even |
| logo and many more details. The print area on the | | | | charge for the service. |
| pens is a massive 50mm x 25mm on the barrel but | | | | Promotional pens are the best selling printed gifts in |
| they appear to have only used half this space and | | | | the UK. They are popular because everyone needs |
| their logo does not feature at all. The clip and the | | | | one to write on a daily basis. Getting your logo and |
| spaces on each side of the clip could also have been | | | | message into your customers' hands helps build brand |
| printed for a few additional pennies per pen. | | | | awareness and ensures your information is where |
| I begin to wonder just how many of the drab pens | | | | you want it: in front of the people that matter. Get it |
| the hotel chain actually ordered. Hopefully only the | | | | right and you will no doubt realise future business |
| minimum order quantity of 500 but more likely | | | | because of it. Get it wrong and someone might write |
| thousands as there are over 200 rooms in this branch | | | | an article about how boring your pen looks. |