The Re-Emergence of the Ink Pen

The Times Monday November 13 2006 - 'The Power of the Pen'

This makes interesting reading though I think one point that is missing is that the pen, and particular the fountain pen, makes the recipient reader feel genuinely that the writer has taken time and effort to communicate and connect in a way that the bic biro, email or text does not at all. The reader therefore feels valued and cared about.

The world has become so shorthand that to take the time to communicate in a beautiful way really hits home. The value, therefore, of the humble postcard, written in good old fashioned ink is much higher than it used to be. This mode of communication has to a certain extent become like the vintage car that appreciates in value because of its rarity. I need not add that fake handwritten marketing efforts are of far less value than their counterpart smartly printed efforts!

The Times The Fountain Pen Value Marketing

Comments

[Richard Millington]

haha, just come across this again. My comment was actually a sarcastic one, it really didn't come across well. Apologies.

[Lydia Mallison-Jones]

I think that electronic 'gunk' has its place though Richard.
Chris Rushton spoke at the Delivering the New PR conference in London recently, he talked about how electronic press releases are often deleted without even having been opened.
The critical elements are the subject line of your email, and that the release itself is in the body of the email as well as being included as an attachment.
The importance of writing for the journalist, and in a format that the journalist can use, is critical to your work being printed in the media.
In your relationship with the journalist its not really about making him / her feel valued by using a fountain pen, its about making him / her feel valued because you bothered to write in a format / style that could be readily used.
So happy writing Richard.

[Richard Millington]

The pen really is a lost art. I thus implore all PR pros to send handwritten press releases to journalists rather than that electronic gunk.