Goldstar Pens has done the unthinkable: they transformed a big, worldwide company, in a seemingly commoditized category, into a fun and intimate brand. Goldstar created a mandate, company-wide, and dubbed it “the launch of simplicity.”
In this episode, I chat with Howard Cubberly Goldstar’s global general manager, and RJ Hagel, Global Marketing Manager about how they were able to achieve scale with intimacy. It’s obviously working as they’ve not only endeared themselves to customers but they are achieving record sales growth. Goldstar the pen company, became goldstar the quirkey personality you love, here’s the story of how they did it.
Howard Cubberly is the General Manager at Goldstar Pens, a leading manufacturer and supplier of customized writing instruments. Howard is driven to build a global brand for Goldstar Pens through its simplicity model across Europe and North America. He has worked in senior roles for companies such as Astor Chocolate and BIC Graphic USA. Howard has a BA in Business Communication from Valparaiso University.
RJ Hagel is the Global Marketing Manager at Goldstar Pens where he works to enhance the company’s communications and brand development. He has held roles with ARCADIS, Fontis Solutions, and Eagle Graphic Creations. RJ has studied business, marketing, and social psychology at California State University-Long Beach and has an Associates degree from Saddleback College.
In our chat with RJ and Howard, we talk about:
● The motives for going global, the opportunities, and the challenges
● Developing a simplicity value proposition
● Creating a personality within the marketplace
● Pain points in the industry today
● The balance between being unique and being reliable
Join our friends RJ and Howard as we talk about this transformation from big and unapproachable to quirky, cool, and reliable!