We recently hosted Sam Hart (@thesam_show) at our Florida facilities. Hart posted a TikTok about our BIC® Intensity® Clic™ Gel Pen (ICLGEL) that went viral, with over 10 million views to date. If you missed the buzz, you can read the story here.  

Hart initially stumbled upon the ICLGEL when signing the lease for her apartment. She loved it so much that she quickly secured extra branded pens from the management company before leaving their office. Just when her supply was about to run out, she convinced her boss to include the ICLGEL as part of her organization’s annual swag buy. After handing them out to her coworkers, she quickly became “the most popular person in the office because I’m the person who procured these pens.”

As someone doing comms work, Hart occasionally finds herself in a position to influence promotional product purchases. So, while we had her in Florida, we picked her brain about what she has learned about the promotional products industry from an end-user viewpoint.

Design Matters

Hart was fascinated by all the thought that goes into designing a pen, from the ink system to the grip to the heft of the barrel. She spent time with Jonaleah Carrow-Sherman, category manager for writing instruments, learning about the anatomy of a pen, different types of ink, and how Koozie Group looks for retail trends to inspire new designs.  

The Important Role of Quality Merch

In her communications role, Hart understands the role promotional products play in building customer loyalty. She believes, “The things that you put your brand on are important.” Using the example of bucket hats at a music festival, she continued, “You have a touchpoint moment with a consumer, and that person will now be wearing [your] hat the entire festival, which means they’ll be posting pictures in that hat. There’s just so much continuity to a piece of swag.” For this reason, she insists that quality is important. Additionally, tailoring promotional products to “what people actually want and what people use” is also key.

Creating Branded Products Takes Time

In an age when consumers can get goods shipped to them overnight, Hart hadn’t thought too much about why it might take longer to get an imprinted product. She admits she didn’t realize there were so many steps not only in assembling and imprinting a product but also in the transaction between distributor and supplier. Artwork approval can add time, too. She was impressed with how Koozie Group® engineers work to improve processes to ensure quality while also improving efficiency. In her own experience, Hart confesses that she may be someone who puts off ordering promo for an event until the last minute. Now that she has a better understanding of the process, she promises she’ll be more prompt with her orders.

You Don’t Have to Break the Bank to Connect with End Users

By now, it’s probably no surprise that Hart loves writing instruments! She stressed how she views promotional products as a way to connect with end users, even with something as simple as a pen. “People love pens. You [Koozie Group] are generating 800,000 pens a day because people are using them; they’re part of life. I think that it’s kind of neat to think about how those 800,000 pens are going out into the world where people will use them. People will journal with them. People will write lunchbox notes to their children. People use them in college to take notes and review for a big exam.” The Mighty Pen is just one example of a cost-effective promo that can really make a big impact.

The Bottom Line

Getting end-user feedback was great, and Hart’s observations resonated with us. Koozie Group has a longstanding commitment to delivering products that leave a positive, lasting impact, including our KG Factor that identifies promo solutions that lessen environmental impact through longevity. Our teams work hard every day to process orders efficiently and accurately because we know they are an integral part of building brand legacies. To find out more about how we keep the good going®, visit kooziegroup.com.

You can follow Sam Hart on TikTok @thesam_show. You can view all her pen-related posts here:

Published by Koozie Group Blog

Communications and Content Manager, Koozie Group

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