Promotional materials, including giveaways, custom-branded merch, and business swag, play an important role in any marketing strategy. In addition to providing an excellent opportunity to engage with potential customers at trade shows or other gatherings, promotional materials also make your business more visible and strengthen the connection between your company and your community.
Pens are among the most popular promo products, as they are practical, affordable, and easy to produce, transport, and distribute. Nearly every office worker can benefit from a new, high-quality pen, making them a low-risk promo product with a high potential return on investment.
There are two types of pens commonly used as custom business promos: custom capped pens and custom click pens. The best option for your business depends on your marketing strategy and business goals.
Understanding Custom Capped Pens
Custom capped pens have been a business swag mainstay for decades. Capped pens use a removable cap, usually made of plastic, to cover the writing tip. When in use, this cap fits snugly on the base of the pen. Capped pens are older than click pens by about a hundred years and dominated the pen industry for most of its existence.
Custom Capped Pens: Pros and Cons
The main advantage of custom capped pens is the security of the ink. Pens will sometimes leak ink out of the tip of the pen. Capped pens will catch this leakage in the cap, while click pens have nothing between the tip and the exterior of the pen. Pen caps also insulate the tip from the outside air, which prevents dry-outs and extends the life of the pen.
That said, pen caps can be easily lost or broken. Once a cap is lost, it won’t be long before the pen dries out. It also takes more time to ready a custom capped pen for writing, because you need to remove the cap first—click pens are ready after one click.
Exploring Custom Click Pens
A more recent addition to the business swag landscape, click pens were invented around the middle of the 20th century. Click pens don’t feature a cap. Instead, the pen tip is retractable and extends outside of its protective sheath only when in use. Because they can be opened in a single click, these pens are ideal for fast-paced professions.
Custom Click Pens: Pros and Cons
Custom click pens don’t have any removable parts—or at least none that the average user needs to interact with, making them even more simple and user friendly than capped pens.
Despite having fewer removable parts, custom click pens are far more complicated than capped pens under the hood. The mechanical click system can become jammed, rendering the pen useless. Click pens also tend to have a shorter lifespan because they have no cap to protect the ink.
Target Audience Considerations
The ideal pen type for your custom business promo depends on the audience you want to attract. Both capped and click pens have advantages that can make them desirable to specific industries. Capped pens are longer lasting, making them a good choice for industries that need reliable pens and don’t need frequent refills. Click pens, on the other hand, are better for fast-paced work environments that don’t have time to keep track of loose caps.
Customization and Branding Opportunities
Both capped and click pens offer ample opportunities for customization and branding. When you partner with a promo products and business swag expert like FaceTime Business Resources, you can personalize them with your company logo, tagline, or unique designs, creating a memorable impression for your audience. With almost limitless colors, shapes, and grip options to choose from, you’re sure to find a promo product that finds your niche.
Facetime Business Resources Has You Covered!
Ultimately, the choice between capped and click pens depends on the goals of your custom business promo, your target audience, and your budget. Whether you prefer the long-lasting reliability of a capped pen, or the fast-paced practicality of a click pen, FaceTime Business Resources can help you choose business swag that meets the needs of your clients.
Contact us today!