Seems ironical. How can a sub-₹12 pen make a customer happy, let alone help in branding or create customer loyalty?
It's a bit to do with customer behaviour, especially in the Indian context. An Indian customer will never turn down a freebie — an extra plastic packet from the shop, a handful of coriander, mints after a restaurant lunch… it's free and it feels like more value for money.
"For the corporate, a company branded pen is not just a freebie — it's one of the most effective and cost-efficient branding tools in their entire marketing arsenal."
Bulk order pens carry the branding of the company and provide long-lasting brand visibility to the customer. Think about how a pen is used. One always needs a pen, even in this era of digital. Heard the term Phydigital? That's physical plus digital. There's always a space and necessity for a physical presence and touchpoint — and a pen is one such old-world tool that will never go out of fashion.
On average, one keeps a pen (if it doesn't run out of refill) for up to a year. Even when one doesn't need a pen, it's always one of those "just in case" items that will be in the laptop bag, handbag, a drawer at home or at the office. And if someone doesn't happen to have one, they would always borrow one.
And 9 out of 10 times, a person will look at what's printed on the pen — unless it gets scratched off or faded, which of course, is a possibility.
Ridleys MaxView addresses precisely that challenge. It is India's first inside branded pen. Company branded pens usually have just the company or product name either screen printed or etched on the barrel — which can get scratched off or fade. The MaxView inside branded pen has a high-density paper inserted into the barrel. This paper allows 360° hi-resolution printing, so one can add the company name, logo, address, tagline and other details. Hi-res printing enables precise colour replication to match brand colours and any visuals. It uses a high-quality refill and nib with German ink that promises 60 full-scape pages of writing — for an adult, that can last up to a year or more.
So, how does this create brand loyalty? It's about top-of-mind recall — the more one sees a name, the better it registers. And that's the first thing one would remember when thinking of a company or product.
Now imagine what budget a marketing manager would require to get a customer to see their brand for an entire year through digital campaigns, or print and TV ads. Even for high-ticket or repeat-purchase items, the ROI simply doesn't work.
Corporate gifting is not about making the customer feel good — it's a strategic marketing tool that ensures high visibility for top-of-mind recall at an extremely nominal budget.
Do the math.
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