Promotional pens are among the most common items used for promotional purposes, and for good reason: they're generally inexpensive, can be mass-produced for minimal cost, and are easily personalized. From the basic ballpoint pen that's been a staple of the industry for many years, through the wide range of gel, felt and marker tips, to pens that combine a couple of functions in one convenient package, to high tech and high-end executive pens, it's a wide open category, and one that's made for promotional marketing.

Let's start our look at this category with the stick pen. It can be easily personalized through screen-printing with a company name, logo, or slogan. Such pens can be used for external marketing (sales representatives hand out pens on every sales call, or the pens that are handed out at conferences and conventions) and internal use (at training seminars, meetings, offsite retreats, etc.) Slogans for internal customer service programs, safety drives, charity efforts, and the like can be imprinted on thousands of pens for very little individual cost, providing a way to get a message out to a large number of people in a cost effective manner.

More expensive promotional pens of metal and plastic, with higher quality materials and more elaborate mechanical workings (think of ?click? pens, gel pens, or instruments that might include multicolor pens, pencils, highlighters, and/or PDA styluses) can be used as incentives by salespeople with favored clients, or to identify members of project teams and special efforts. These promotional pens can come in many styles and vibrant colors, can be made of space-age plastics and metals, and really make a statement.

At the very highest levels are writing instruments made of exotic woods and precious metals; gold, silver and even platinum are common materials for pens in this category. Such items can be used for special presentations and awards, or to recognize a special client. Such pens frequently are engraved and include the name of the recipient. Understated elegance and precision engraving are the watchwords here, with the pens in question being treated almost as carefully as fine jewelry. In the case of pens made with exotic woods, the relatively new technique of laser engraving offers a sharp and exciting alternative, giving you the opportunity to have logos and slogans replicated on the pens with almost photographic precision.

Of course, pens at any price point can be personalized with names and dates of events. Sometimes they're handed out specifically as commemorative souvenirs for events; this is common with organizations and causes looking to promote a specific occasion, and of course many companies use personalized fine writing instruments as time in service awards, retirement gifts, or as rewards for extraordinary performance.

Pens have always offered one of the most effective and efficient ways of promotion and marketing for anyone looking to put their message out there. With the explosion of different types of writing instruments, there are more options than ever out there for the savvy promoter.