Editing The Pen Addict 392/transcript (section)

== Topic Shift: Product Promotion ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Speaking of looking good, Myke. Okay, what have we got? How about this TWSBI Eco Tee in mint blue?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Remind me, the Eco Tee.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, so this is part of the conversation. So, the Eco Tee is the more molded grip TWSBI Eco model. So, the TWSBI Eco standard model has these three little nubbin plastic bits at the end of the grip section to kind of shape where you should hold the pen. But they're very kind of small, and they're out of the way. They don't really – I guess they do help because, like, when I clean my Ecos, I remove the nib and the feed, and I always have to hold it in the proper place so one of the little plastic triangles fits in between, like, my thumb and my forefinger. So, you know, it's not out of alignment when I put it back in. The Eco Tee has a little bit more of a shape. Not quite Lamy Safari molded grip shape, but it's a little bit more than the standard Eco. And I actually prefer the Tee grip style, the Eco Tee, because it's – my grip is standard, and it's not too much in the way. Right?

'''Myke Hurley:''' It's just a little bit. I haven't tried those.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Well, they do – they don't do the same colors in the Tee's, which is why I wanted to bring this mint blue one up. As I bring up – look at all the Eco Tee's, they tend to do more of a pastel color range than the traditional, you know, color ranges that the Eco does. The Eco will have orange and green and pink and purple. The Eco Tee has mint blue and coral, so you can tell they're in a little bit different range. They also have clear, and I got in – the first one that came out was a kind of a bright blue. I don't even know the name of it. That's been my favorite one that's come out so far. But anyway, I wanted to point this out so we could talk about the second TWSBI Eco. The mint blue Eco Tee is out now, but in the standard Eco, Myke, they're just about to launch the TWSBI Eco Rolls Gold. And I wanted to get your opinion on this in a lot of aspects. Number one, the aesthetic and style of it. Number two, and I think more importantly, is the price point. So the normal Ecos run between $28 and $30. This one with the rose gold finish is $50. So what are your thoughts just overall on the white and rose gold Eco that's coming soon?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I have no problem with slapping some higher quality materials on the TWSBI Eco and selling it for more money. Like, the TWSBI Eco is a fantastic pen. I love it. So from my perspective, make a luxury version. Like, why not? Right? Like, because it's still a choice. If you don't want to pay the $50 for the rose gold one, we'll just get like the blossom red one for $29. Right. Right? Like, it's a choice. But I have no problem with this because I think it looks fantastic, especially that they put a rose gold plated nib on it. I think that that's like a great thing that they did. Like, it's a rose gold plated steel nib. So it's not a gold nib. But my point is like, they kept the design. It wouldn't have looked so good if they had a steel nib on this pen. But I think that this is like, this to me is like, that is an excellent gift. Like, I think that is a great looking pen.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' They did so well with this. I want to argue about the price, but I can't. Like, they did a good job. The thing that I always think about is like, okay, well, how does this work in the bigger picture product lineup? And what does it hold for the future of the product lineup? Right? Those are the things I can't help think about when I see this pen at this price point where you've just plated the hardware and charged me $20 more for it. So.

'''Myke Hurley:''' You pen the design premium. Like, that's what that is. Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I can't argue with it. I want to fight this pen, but I can't. I want to fight somebody about the way this pen, the style and the price point of this pen. But I just can't because I think they did a good job with it because let's face it. And the drum I've banged for years is the Eco is so far underpriced for what it is to begin with. What are you going to do?

'''Myke Hurley:''' That's what that's my feeling. Right. That like typically this pen is a lower price pen. Right. But for what is a higher quality. We said that many times. It's like the 2SB Eco sums up, it is like the culmination of a lot of work that they did. Right. You know? So I think that this is perfectly fine to, you know, you could bump the price up a little bit more and it's like a fair price for the Eco. But then you put some extra style on it, charge a little bit more. You have the option. They're not like completely changing the line. I think it's fine.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I think they're going to have to redo the 580 lineup almost from scratch at this point. Because we're getting, we're creeping into it. You know, that's what I'm looking at. Right. We're creeping into the 580. And I think that needs to be moved up in conjunction with what we're starting to see from the Eco. So they're been so successful with this pen. I just think they need to, they're going to have to change the 580 somehow in the next year or two.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So they're not cannibalizing their own product line. So I look into it a little bit like that. But this is a great looking pen. Like I'm not a rose gold person necessarily. So like I won't buy this pen, but I love it. It's fantastic looking.