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writing instruments
Writing instruments
continue to be on trend
as portable branded
communication devices.
by
Julie Richie
On Point
W
hile the growth of email communication
and the digitization of the worldmay have
increased the need for computers andmobile
devices, they haven’t
decreased
the need for writing
instruments. Quite the opposite. In fact, a Technavios
market research report predicts that by 2019 the
writing andmarking instruments market will have
grown five percent annually since 2015. And the
market for writing instruments is expected to reach
$17.5 billion by the year 2020, according to Global
Industry Analysts, Inc.The organization also reports
that market drivers fueling the increasing demand
include a penchant for luxury pens, an increase in
the number of home offices, a large base of students
and corporations, and strong product innovation.
So what are the other trends underlying this
expanding promotional category? Mike Fleming,
vice president of sales at supplier Hub Pen (UPIC:
hubpen), says that smooth writing inks found in
hybrid ink pens are growing in popularity. Hybrid
ink pens combine the best features of ballpoint
bens and gel ink rollerballs—saturated color and
non-smudging. “We introduced several new pens
featuring hybrid inks in 2016,” Fleming says. He
reports that sales of hybrid ink pens have increased
by 67 percent in the past year. “Our ultra-smooth
writing Javalinas andMardi Gras pens are our best
sellers, so the demand for better-writing inks is
huge,” he adds.
Rhonda Reilly, sales manager, promotional
products at Pilot Pen Corporation of America (UPIC:
PILOT1), believes that the biggest pen industry trend
revolves around brand. “It is not all about price
anymore,” Reilly says. “Millennials buy brand and are
seeking out brand-name pens more andmore.” She
also points to the “cool factor” of pens as a draw for
end users. “Our FriXion (pronounced friction) pens
are the No. 1 selling erasable pen in the U.S.These
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