The Power Of A Pen
The pandemic has hit the world hard. Every single industry has been affected – some positively, others negatively. Despite the changes, the world had to embrace the shift to be able to move forward.
The stationery business was no anomaly during the pandemic. With students attending classes virtually, and the business world heavily depending on platforms like Teams and Zoom for meetings, panels, and conferences, the use of stationery has significantly decreased in the past year and a half. As a marketeer looking after a portfolio that is focused on stationery, I faced a challenge, but one that was an opportunity in disguise.
During the pandemic, it was clear that purpose prevailed over product. The ethos around which a product philosophy is built helped us, at BIC Cello, connect with consumers despite the changes that took place in the market. Consumers were still able to connect with our stationery products and the pen was still considered a tool that brings people’s imagination to life.
No matter how fast the rate at which the digital world is developing, print and what comes with it has an authentic charm. Scrolling through the day’s news on tablets is enjoyable but touching physical material brings readers joy and pleasure.
Self-expression has long been a cornerstone of any culture. Writing, poetry, drawing, scribbling, jotting down thoughts are all actions that depend on writing tools. Tools that are a part of any culture, and should not be easily sacrificed, despite the changes happening in the world. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that simplicity is key and is the foundation of every activity.
Taking a step back and looking at school systems and raising generations, it’s also evident that writing instruments have always been a crucial part of children’s and students’ learning and development journey. Despite the integration of technology in the education curriculum, writing still has a tremendous impact on learning abilities. Writing instruments are still believed to reinforce reading and language processing skills as they slow down the thought process enabling writers to think about the words they’re writing, how they are spelt, and the structure – making writers more adept.
Similarly, our minds get more creative and ideas flow better when they’re translated from pen to paper. Whether it is journaling, writing to-do lists, or creating stories, writing has a positive impact on humans. According to an article published by Amsterdam Printing, writing by hand helps stimulate and develop the human brain. It also has a positive impact on memory, learning abilities, and is said to boost creativity.
A study published in Neurology also states that writing letters or reading books keeps you mentally active during old age. It is also believed that handwriting slows down your mental ageing, enhances your focus, helps deep and critical thinking, and improves learning comprehension. interestingly enough, handwriting also relieves stress, anxiety, and depression. It is impressive how much positive impact handwriting has on the human brain.
While the digital world standardizes people’s styles, stationery offers them a way to stand out and help express their styles. Writers, poets, students, and artists long for creating a unique presence for themselves. At BIC Cello, we focus on celebrating that and leverage our products to bring out personal identity, style, and character. We live in a world that is constantly changing, with technology introducing new tools of communication, however, the experience of bringing ideas to life through pen and paper will never be replaced. Think about having your friends over for coffee and compare that to a virtual coffee outing, it's incomparable – the same applies to the print and digital debate.
The Author is Tanveer Khan, Director, Marketing, BIC Cello India
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