"Before It's Too Late, Even Just One Pen"... Monami Rushes to Launch "Trump Marketing"

Launch of Limited Edition "Signature Pen"
Targeting the Premium Market Amid Declining Stationery Sales

Stationery company Monami has belatedly jumped on the "Trump marketing" bandwagon. After it became known that former U.S. President Donald Trump showed interest in a signature pen containing Monami components during the recent South Korea-U.S. summit, the company seized the opportunity to launch a limited edition "Signature Pen" set. While this move is seen as a breakthrough amid the deepening slump in the stationery industry, some point out that instead of relying on one-off events, Monami needs long-term marketing efforts to support premium strategies such as brand storytelling.

According to industry sources on October 9, Monami began selling 1,000 sets of its new "Monami Signature Pen" both online and offline starting September 30. The first batch of online stock sold out immediately after launch. This product applies a rosewood cover to the existing "Guestbook Pen" and is designed to write on a variety of materials and surfaces. It also comes with a magnetic in-case and a replaceable refill. The price is 70,000 won. A Monami representative stated, "This product showcases Monami's technology accumulated over more than 60 years," and added, "It will provide consumers with a special writing experience."

The launch of the new product was inspired by an episode during the South Korea-U.S. summit on August 25 (local time). At that time, President Trump commented "Nice pen" after seeing the pen President Lee Jaemyung used to sign the White House guestbook. It later became known that President Lee immediately gifted the pen to Trump, generating buzz. Although the pen itself was not a Monami product, its refill and nib were sourced from Monami pens available on the market. As a result, Monami's stock price soared to its daily limit in just one day.

With this new product launch, Monami plans to consider expanding its "Signature Pen" lineup for use at special events such as funerals and ceremonies. However, some believe that this "Trump marketing," which was rolled out more than a month after the initial buzz, may only generate short-term attention and may not serve as a driving force for Monami's transition to a premium strategy.

Monami 'Signature Pen' set released in a limited quantity for 30 days. Monami

A Monami representative explained, "We moved up the release date so that consumers could experience Monami's technology more quickly, taking advantage of the guestbook pen's popularity," adding, "This is a continuation of our existing premium strategy." Since 2019, Monami has been focusing on expanding its premium lineup. While the size of the domestic premium pen market is not clearly measured, global market research firm Business Market Insights forecasts that the Asia-Pacific luxury pen market will grow from $715 million (about 1 trillion won) in 2021 to $996.03 million (about 1.4 trillion won) by 2028.

Monami has attempted to transform its image and ride the wave of market growth through the launch of the "153 NEO" series and collaborations with global brands such as Beanpole, Vans, and Apple Pencil, but results have been limited. In the first half of this year, stationery sales reached 48.8 billion won, down 1% from 49.3 billion won in the same period last year and a 9.8% decrease from 54.1 billion won two years ago. Despite consistently releasing premium products, sales have continued to decline.

Since consumers use premium pens not only for their superior writing feel but also as souvenirs or status symbols, Monami risks stagnation if it fails to establish clear differentiation points, regardless of market growth. Lee Eunhee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University, said, "It is necessary to develop multifaceted and long-term marketing strategies that emphasize uniquely Korean elements not found in famous overseas brands or differentiated brand storytelling to propose value." She added, "Monami could also consider segmenting its premium pen line into a young classic line targeting younger customers and a VIP line for high-ranking professionals."