Executives and office workers all like to receive high quality gifts, and one of the favorite items to receive in the work place is a brand name pen. There are some brands of pens that can be made into promotional pens, and these have a certain presence and value that is always appreciated. There are many brands you can choose from, and you can normally have your logo or a name printed or engraved on a wide variety of models. How much you can spend on these pens will vary from a few dollars to several hundred dollars or more. The Parker Pen Company makes some of the finest pens in the world. While they are not the most expensive they have a good reputation for being reliable, high quality writing instruments. All parker products, even those made into promotional pens, carry the manufacturer’s warranty that is good for the life of the original owner. They are available in plastic or stainless steel with gold plated trim available on some models. All come with comfortable rubber grips and are priced upwards of $15. Lower-priced models are available but these are often bought by people as every-day pens and if yours are meant to be promotional pens they will have to stand out as a pen that somebody might not buy for themselves. Fountain pens from this manufacturer are also available, but if you want to really impress with a fountain pen you should probably have a look at Waterman or Schaeffer. Both of these manufacturers made names for themselves on the quality of their fountain pens, and now you can order these magnificent writing implements as promotional pens. Waterman fountain pens are all made of the finest stainless steel and gold plating, and are also guaranteed for the life of the original owner. What sets them apart from other fountain pen manufacturers is their constant free-flow and leak-protection, ensuring a clean, smooth writing experience for as long as you live. Schaeffer are slightly more exotic pens and will definitely be appreciated by the writing enthusiast. If you are using this brand as promotional pens it is probably a good idea to include a refillable cartridge or a box of cartridges with the gift as they can be a little bit difficult to get hold of in some parts of the world. These pens are great in sets, and everybody loves to receive a gift set which includes a ball point pen, a fountain pen and a mechanical pencil. If you are out to impress an executive of your own company or a high profile client, brand name promotional pens are always a safe bet. If you have the chance, try to find out what kind of pen the person uses as their favorite, and go one better. However much it costs if you give somebody a writing implement they would never have treated themselves to, you will have won over a customer or an employee for life.
Imagine some of the objections raised to H'agen-Dazs when it was first proposed. ("Nobody will be able to pronounce that!") Or names like Oreo and Kodak. ("But it doesn't mean anything!") Or even something as harmless-sounding as Internet Explorer. ("But what about Ford Explorer?") And let's not get started on Virgin.
All names, even ones that now seem brilliant in retrospect, have downsides. And savvy naming specialists are comfortable with the tradeoffs. Why? Because they understand the four basic truths of choosing names for companies and products:
1) No name is an island. Through packaging, advertising, store placement, web copy, whatever-there will always be a context for your name that helps tell the story. So you don't have to strain to make your company or product naming say it all. In fact, you shouldn't-it will only make your name leaden and dull.
2) The best names are a little different. You want your brand to stand out in the marketplace, right? So don't shy away from ideas that may seem a little strange at first when creating a company name or a product name. Where would Google or Apple have been if they had? Probably not where they are today. Yes, it's only natural to be more comfortable (at first) with ideas you've seen before in some form. But if you've seen it before, so have your audiences. And they'll be much less likely to take notice of your brand.
3) On the other hand, you don't have to be unique to be distinctive. Don't get bogged down trying to distinguish yourself from every single brand out there because of marketing or trademark concerns. In most cases you can adopt a name that's similar-or even identical-to a name being used in an unrelated consumer space-as long as your name is different from names in your consumer space. Think Ford Explorer and Internet Explorer. Or O Organics and O Magazine. These names co-exist without consumer confusion or legal roadblocks. So use your common sense. As naming specialists, we've seen many great names rejected out of an excess of caution or a misunderstanding of marketing differentiation.
4) You can't have everything. So know your priorities. It's okay to want a name that's short, easy to pronounce, original, totally cool-sounding, relevant in meaning (with few negative associations)-and that's available as a domain name. But be prepared to go ahead with a name that meets only two of those criteria-and know which two those are.
Follow these rules of company naming and product naming, and you're less likely to overlook the diamond in the rough because you're playing it too safe, and looking for the perfect-and perfectly nonexistent-name.
Both Gareth Parkin & Burt Alper are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gareth Parkin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Promotional Advertising, Promotional Advertising and Web Development. Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet, the UK's largest online source of and other. Gareth Parkin's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.
Burt Alper has sinced written about articles on various topics from The Internet, About Branding and Promotional Advertising. Burt Alper is a principal of Catchword, a full-service naming company that specializes in creating names for companies and products that stand out in the marketplace and are perfect for our clients. For more information, call 510.628.0080 ext.101.. Burt Alper's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.