Missed opportunities, a critical analysis of Parker Pens marketing strategy
Parker Pens hold a unique place in my heart. I bought a Parker 51 as a well-done gift to myself for passing my Msc. A Rollerball IM was my self-reward for passing my Fda, in addition to a plethora of jotters (one of which I used to write the first draft of this article) when I needed a reliable and preferably more environmentally friendly pen than a plastic biro for my alevels.
But the brand lacks, something. That something I will be exploring and trying to diagnose. I cannot quite put my finger on one specific thing, that I can declare with enthusiasm as being “the thing”. Hopefully I will provide enough food for thought and ideas that you reader can make your own conclusions and be able to build off it.
Socials
To put it mildly, their social preference is mismanaged. While a poor-quality channel, twitter/x always has been at least until about a year ago a good source of website traffic. But it is still in many regards a good way to get organic information across and as a tool for customer feedback. It would not be asking the world to use a social media management tool to post organically and to have these scheduled at least a month in advance.
Instagram is a key driver of highlighting the brand with strong imagery to followers and this is performing well. With regular posts doing well to actively raise brand awareness and subsequent mental availability. However, its clear paid ads are what nudges the needle. This seems to be a missing factor looking at the engagement figures on the posts. Additionally, education content about the brand is missing, this would be a clear way to add to the brand and refresh its cultural context to the audience. Parker has a strong history with different models and it’s a pity that this is not being utilised. For example, the Parker 51 was a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II and was the same model of pen that the end of the Second World War was signed between the allies and Japan in late 1945. Or the jotter with its dominance in the show ‘madmen’ and within the sixties and seventies as the goto for writers, business people and your ‘normal’ consumer.
On Youtube, Parker is doing well. It’s clear it’s a depository of branded video content of which there is nothing wrong. However, there are improvements that can be made, such as turning the comments section on so that steps can be made to build a community of enthusiasts, and also make it easier for other consumers to see reviews from those users. The footage is clearly high-quality, carefully shot and well edited.
Something that stood out and is a source of annoyance is the lack of clear story in the videos, a pen by its nature is a tool and one of creativity and tasks. The ability to relate the product to the audience is far larger than most other products. Some off the cuff ideas. Would it be difficult to make a miniseries of interviews with authors and historians talking about their job/books, with footage of them signing books or writing notes? Tying the brand to creativity, careful detailed work and something of consequence? Would it be difficult to make a series where a carefully selected premium pen is gifted as an award to an author, historian, journalist to help build the profile of not only the product range, the brand but also the work that is possible with that pen? The range of possible work that can build the brand with new customers s immense and the possibilities are near endless with the historical or cultural events that a parker was near or was used. A video like a single poster does not make a campaign, with that author video you would have the potential for print ads, blogs/sponsored articles and POS (point of sale) promotional material for retailers.
Website
I understand that Parker sells to retailers its products through distributers. But it is really missing a trick by not selling specific products on their websites. It is not an enjoyable customer experience to try and chase down specific models, try to judge a price between different sellers.
How can Parker get to new heights?
1- Socials
2- Website
3- Brand building
4- Celebrity/influencers
Socials are clearly working, but it could be worked so much harder. With a wider variety of content, but retaining the quality of imagery. Educational content is something that the brand will clearly benefit from the most. The use of authors in a way I discussed earlier will boost brand awareness and mental availability in the long run. As well as communicating the brand as one that is reliable, enjoyable and one to create great work. It would be more impactful in the long run than an objectively good photograph with accompanying fathers day promotional copy.
Influencers (these would need to extremely carefully chosen) would open the brand to new audience’s and there is great potential to do so. Content that could overlap well that influencers could theme their content on could be.
- Journaling
- Organisational
- Writing
- Students
- Book signings
All of the above can go across different influencers in different areas of content creation. A creator who focuses on mental health content is reasonable to assume will journal, a creator who is a student talking about being a student (particularly If they attend an influential and esteemed establishment) will be writing a lot and it will fit the bill as being authentic as an addition to their content.
The website does need to have a purchase function and one that makes it easy to order basic models. Or accessories that retailer may not hold but would fit the brand well.
This ability to buy from the retailer is also an issue, by surrendering the sales process to distributors the brand is at their mercy. A terrible display, that is not clean, properly priced or covered in tacky sticky labels that ruin the packaging is not a pleasant experience for the customer (UK readers will know of the large highstreet chain I speak off).
Expanding Mental Availability
As a brand Parker should be considering its own physical retail presence. Parker would benefit from its own boutique stores, not many but in very carefully selected cities would be excellent to building the brand. Not only to show off the brand, make sales but also to set the tone for how the brand wants to be seen. Parker as well with its design history with the Jotter of making designs around architecture could make specific designs exclusive to specific stores and could help influence those stores to have a taste of the city they are based in (wall graphics of the London skyline or the Shard for example in London). There are lessons to learn from other brands, Tag Huer is (in my opinion) the leader in their boutiques. Mini chapels to the brand, tying in the watches with their celebrity influencers in a precise environment that allows for the brand history to shine through. For an alternative is the Montblanc shop in Selfridges. Which is extremely well polished and as an observer provides a clear and excellent level of customer service.
To Conclude
If Parker wants to get the brand to a higher level of brand awareness. With a clear vision of where in products sit and can display it in a relevant, on brand, context rich environment. Parker should consider some form of store experience, not many In quantity but with the goal of building off local landmarks. For example, linking the stores locations to the architecture designed jotters. In London having one store (in a train station to maximise footfall from workers and tourists?). You would be able to powerfully theme the store with the local area, for example the Shard, with the jotter inspired by it being a key player for display. These stores would be extremely impactful for not only brand building but also building mental availability with consumers who would not consider the brand previously.
Parker has a great range of options, messaging to build off and channels to expand to generate the mental availability and sales growth that would put the brand higher up the food chain in terms of marketshare. But the company has to choose to use do it.
