Greener Writing: How Eco-Friendly Branded Pens Support Sustainable Marketing
Eco-Friendly Branded Pens: Sustainability has become a key factor that marketing teams must consider. In addition to products being useful and cost effective, it is also important for them to have an eco-friendly message. Eco-friendly branded pens are ideal for promotional campaigns as they are environmentally friendly making them suitable for businesses that are trying to send out a message that they are looking after the environment and also because they are practical and can be used time and time again.
GoPromotional are one of the leading UK suppliers of promotional merchandise. With an excellent review score, GoPromotional can compare eco-friendly pens and other eco writing instruments and assist businesses to choose from a range of environmentally friendly merchandise that will provide excellent value from events, staff promotional products and customer campaigns.
First of all, an eco pen is not a pen with a funky finish! When purchasing promotional pens, make sure you are purchasing an eco pen that has been chosen for its eco-friendly credentials to help promote your brand and the fact that you are thinking about waste, the materials that you are purchasing and the length of time that the merchandise is going to be used for. If an item is to promote your brand then it must be used for a reasonable amount of time and be of good quality otherwise it will simply be thrown away and have the opposite effect of what you had set out to do.
Why Sustainability Now Shapes Merchandise Choices
With more and more people becoming aware of waste and its impact on the environment, there are more and more people questioning whether or not a promotional product is necessary. They also question whether or not it is going to be used and if it is going to be disposed of in an responsible manner. The type of merchandise that a company chooses to use can have a huge impact on the message that the company is trying to get across. This is why it is so important for companies to really think about the type of merchandise that they are going to use for their promotional efforts.
Whilst useful to distribute to events and for general use, there are many types of pens that help to combat the perception that promotional products are just thrown away. By choosing an eco friendly pen made from recycled plastics, from paper barrels, made from Bamboo style materials or even from wheat straw, these pen options have a lot to offer. Some even come with refillable options to reduce waste further.
How Eco Pens Help Brands Communicate Values
A sustainable pen can become a ‘small proof of a larger promise’ for a brand. For example, if a company has written about the efforts the company is making to reduce waste and make more responsible purchasing decisions then the promotional items the company distributes should reflect these messages. Eco-friendly pens are ideal for promoting an environmental message. These can be used for environmental events and campaigns, or for public sector events, education programs, for charities and non-profit organizations and for any company’s internal sustainability initiatives.
They are particularly suitable for Environmental campaigns, Public Sector events, Education programs, Charity work and Internal Sustainability initiatives.
Statistics Behind Sustainable Promotional Products
Research into promotional products has found that useful items have the highest level of recall with around 80-85% of recipients remembering the advertiser on the product. With growing numbers of consumers choosing to do business with companies that are environmentally responsible, choosing a sustainable pen can add another layer of value to the product, by reinforcing a responsible brand perception.
The thousands of impressions that can be created by pens left for people to use means that choosing an eco-friendly pen is a great way to add value to the product and create a great impression of your brand’s responsibility too.
Materials and Features to Consider
There are several different eco-friendly pen options, ranging from Recycled Plastic Pens to create cost effective but durable promotional items, to Paper or Cardboard Pens which are obviously eco-friendly in terms of their natural product. We also have Bamboo Style Pens which can give a warmer and more premium feel, and Pens that are Refillable to significantly cut down waste in the long term.
Ultimately, the pen chosen for distribution must be suitable for the audience and the intended use. Recycled plastic pens with a wide range of colors are suitable for high volume events and are cost effective. On the other hand a premium bamboo style pen could be the perfect item for a sustainability report launch as it adds a touch of premiumization to the brand message.
Avoiding Greenwashing in Pen Campaigns
Eco-friendly merchandise must be handled honestly by businesses. If an item is described in promotional literature then the environmental claim must be able to be backed up. Instead of saying that a particular pen is ‘saving the planet’ for example, businesses must specify what makes that pen a better choice than others – be it recycled content, a refillable design or simply the reduction of plastic used.
The most credible eco-friendly merchandise promotions are useful, well made and enable the brand to communicate their values to their target audience. A product that is sustainably produced but doesn’t get used doesn’t deliver any value to the brand or its target audience. As such, a focus on quality, durability, and the writing experience are as important for eco-friendly promotional products as they are for traditional ones.
Practical Planning Tips
When choosing an eco friendly pen for your campaign it is always worth asking a few simple questions: What are the pens made from? How long will they be used for? How will you communicate the environmental benefits of the pens?
Be Honest & Specific: The Strongest Eco Campaigns Are. The use of vague ‘green’ language will undermine the message of your sustainable promotional products campaign. Instead, outline the natural material used in the product or the functionality of the item that allows it to be refillable.
Extra Buyer Notes
By ensuring that the sustainable procurement of pens is based on clear internal criteria such as recycled content, reduced plastic, refillable, stock held in the UK, packaging reduction etc then businesses can compare the ‘eco credentials’ of pens before making a purchase and choose a product that genuinely supports the environmental position of the brand.
Conclusion
Eco-friendly branded pens are a practical solution to create visible and responsible marketing. They are useful, familiar and versatile, and thus support the brand’s sustainability values in a practical and tangible way.
For businesses looking to make better merchandise choices, the goal is not simply to buy a greener-looking
