It’s Your Brand, So Make Your Mark(er)

8. June 2010 by Frank Goad.

They go at a bit of a premium over most other felt-tipped pens, but they’re selling well. I’ve seen their display pegs in stores empty many times. Why? I’m convinced it’s the brand more than the pen. Don’t get me wrong – I like them and think they’re worth the money.

The “creatives” I mentioned have had a long love affair with Sharpie permanent markers. Many use the permanent markers like the rest of us use any pen. Despite bleeding through pages, they faithfully keep one around. Is the rest of the world as enamored? Don’t know, but I do know artists who buy them by the box.

In a crowded market already filled with products that are just as good, and with many being cheaper, they jumped in and captured a healthy segment of pen sales, and THAT’S the power of branding.

The manufacturer has a good track record and has marketed the brand well. From collections of colors in varying point sizes to mini-markers for your key chain to highlighters, they’ve done great at imprinting a recognizable name on a variety of creatively conceived and well-made products.

Go to their website, (www.sharpie.com) and you’ll see special offers, news on their racing events, and art galleries of things folks have created with their markers. A cool one is a collection of mugs at a coffee shop all decorated with Sharpies. They’re doing the right things to keep the brand vibrant and continually build loyalty. Their website is fun and attractive to keep us coming back for new stuff. They even have a program to “upcycle” your used markers. 

Back to the Sharpie pen: First they introduced a black fine point version, then blue, then a pack with red, green, blue and black, and then a retractable Sharpie click pen. Now they’re introducing one with a metal cap that is close to half the body’s length and a grippy rubber “clutch” surface. One-by-one, they’ve introduced new product variations while emphasizing the brand’s art and doodling personality.

This demonstrates that customers own the brand because they:

• Play to their customer’s loyalties
• Understand how they use their products
• Engage them by exhibiting customer works
• Understand customer demographics, uses and feelings
• Create products based on expanding customer demands
• Continually find ways to promote the brand
• Most importantly, they never lose the playful attitude

They know what their customers like and channel their attitudes, perceptions and desires into products they’ll buy. If Sharpie wanted to attack the high end pen market that Mont Blanc, Waterman and Cartier occupy, credibility would take time in that prestige market, but they could do it.

Imagine this ad: A picture of a 24K gold Sharpie pen, cap on the end and the point exposed. It’s lying on a highly polished antique cherry desk replete with mother of pearl inlay. In the edges of the light are silver and gold accessories. The picture murmurs, “Rich people own this.” The pen lies on a glossy photo of a high-fashion model in an expensive Dior dress with the point aimed straight at the model’s face. Looking at the picture, we see … a mustache drawn on her lip. Whimsy, irreverence, luxury and doodling - they could pull it off.

They could blast into that territory with Waterman as a partner and have instant credibility. I think many folks would buy a prestige pen with Sharpie guts. You might say, “That’s like Rolex announcing, ‘We created a lower-cost line with Seiko movements.’” Sharpie has enough brand loyalty to make people giggle with delight every time they doodle a daisy during a stuffy meeting with a $100 pen; I don’t think Seiko has the same loyalty.

In the end, you must talk to your customers … a lot. Ask them simple questions like, “When you think of our store (company, etc.), what do you think of?” or, “What do you like best about us?” What products sell best? What gets the most inquiries and least returns?

Since they own your brand, find out what they think of it. Knowing that lets you serve up exactly what they want and create new products and services they’ll like, and that’s sharp business.

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