Have you heard? Bic now makes pens for women. I’ll let you explore the interwebs and enjoy learning more about this fantastic product yourself (although I do recommend starting with the reviews on the Amazon page), but don’t get your hopes up. It’s not available in US retail stores.
And while I knew immediately that I wanted to share this product extension from Bic in a blog post, I had a hard time deciding what to say.
In some ways, I wanted to give Bic credit for starting a [really hilarious] conversation on blogs, social media platforms, and media outlets. After all, I can’t remember office supplies ever being a hot topic on my Facebook news feed before. So using the “there’s no such thing as bad press” argument, Bic is doing a pretty good job. People are talking. They’re talking with a lot of sarcasm, but talking nonetheless.
However, then I discovered this statement from Bic’s spokesperson Linda Kwong:
“We appreciate hearing honest feedback from all of our consumers, whether it is regarding a promotion, advertising campaign, or product. As a global consumer products company, BIC wants to hear these important comments.”
Bic isn’t acknowledging the humor or playing along. Instead, they’re handling what could be a great publicity opportunity with unnatural diplomacy. Rather than adapting to an unexpected response, they’re sticking to the “crisis communication playbook.”
And because of that, I can’t give Bic too much credit – if any at all. In an effort to be innovative, they released an entire product extension that doesn’t make sense. Pens aren’t razors or tampons. For hundreds of years, women have used the same pens as men with no issue. It’s blatantly obvious that this is a marketing tactic and their consumer base saw through it immediately.
Let’s call it what it is.