Famous writing brand Gao Shi: sunset industry value innovation

On a certain day of the month of 1946, Rhode Island, United States.

In the sun, a boy about ten years old is seriously pruning his own lawn, which is his second job in the day. Although there are still many lives waiting for him later, it is obvious that he is not reluctant to do so because he knows that after all the “work” is completed, he will surely receive a gift from his father. "Perhaps it will be the CROSS pen that I always wanted." Thinking about it, the boy worked harder and he sang while singing.

The boy is Russell Boss, current president of Goss, a 160-year-old American writing instrument manufacturer. That year, after the president had done a lot of work for his father, he got the Gao Shi rotating pencil he had always wanted. However, before that time, having a Gao Shi Pen has become the wish of many children, and it is still the same.

Because they all know the value of this pen.

The value of a pen

In 1846, Alonzo T. CROSS, who is also a foreign immigrant, inventor, and artisan, started his own business in his home in Rhode Island. His goal is to create elegant, hand-crafted wooden pencils with gold and silver inserts. . This is the predecessor of Gao Shi. Since then, the pursuit of excellence has always been the spirit that Goshi has always upheld, and it has made Gao Shi the oldest writing instrument manufacturer in the world.

"So, Gao Shibi was positioned at the middle and high end from the beginning," said Russell Boss.

Of course, such positioning makes Gao Shi and Parker, Montblanc, and other well-known high-end pen brands are still different. "Montblanc will compare itself with Mercedes-Benz, and Galz is more like Audi," said Russell Boss.

Although 100 years later, the outbreak of World War II made Gao Shi also had to produce rotary refills for Parker, another high-end writing tool manufacturer in Europe, but this did not affect Gao Shi’s brand. With the pursuit of quality.

In order to allow the customer to have a more comfortable and fluid writing experience, Gao Shi has been focusing on the research of technology from the very beginning. Thus, in this process, Gao Shi not only created the first movable telescoping pencil and was used by the world. It also pioneered a pointed ink pen to guide the invention of the ballpoint pen. CROSS now has 25 patents registered in the world.

“After using a high-level business model, you will find that there are many ideas in this small product.” Chen Yongqiang, sales director of Greater China Sales, said while picking up the pen he put on the notebook, “For example, people are used to The pen is hooked on the pocket, but sometimes we wear thick clothes like jeans, if the time is long, the hook will be loose, but some high-hook hook design clips The same can be pinched at the other end, so it will not be loose."

In order to ensure quality, Gao Shi stipulates that every employee has the right to reject defective parts during the production process. Each product must be carefully inspected and hand-tested before leaving the factory, and trial sales will be carried out at the high-level retail stores in Boston and Cambridge towns. Once there is no problem, it will be sold globally.

In addition, all Goldsmith's writing instruments are accompanied by a lifetime warranty, no matter who, when and where.

“Two days ago, I received an e-mail from an old man from Qingdao.” Chen Yongqiang said, “More than ten years ago, this friend of the old gentleman gave him a high-grade pen, but now he is broken, he does not know. We can't repair it." The old man asked for an exploratory question, and then he got a satisfactory answer, and he didn't spend a penny on maintenance and postage.

Value innovation

Of course, if people no longer need cars as a means of transport, there may not be anyone who buys an Audi specifically for collection. Therefore, after the emergence of various electronic products, especially computers, all people think that writing instruments have become a sunset industry. Even high-end brands like Gao Shi will feel the impact and have to rethink their own industries.

In order to cope with the challenges brought about by the social development trend, GAO Shi began to enter the field of accessories such as leather, watches, and glasses like other brands and extended the brand.

In 1988, Gao Shi acquired MARK CROSS, a famous American leather manufacturer, and began to produce leather goods such as luggage. It is worth mentioning that Gao Shi also produces some notebook covers. This not only increases the opportunity for the Gao Shi brand to meet consumers, but also makes the new products connect well with the main business, the writing instrument.

“Actually, people still have a need for high-quality writing tools.” Although David Whalen, chief executive of Goss Inc., admits the rise of computers and its influence on Gao Shi, it is still full of hope for Gao Shibi’s future. “For example, grandfathers and grandmothers are willing to send such things to children when they graduate; companies will still think of pens when they want to reward employees and give them some honor; when people attend some meetings, they will need some more. Special decoration to show your identity and status.”

So, according to David Whalen, the value of a high-grade pen is no longer purely written, but written + accessories. And Gao Shi is no longer a simple writing tool manufacturer, but an accessory brand.

“We see Gao Shi Pen as an amazing ornament because it reflects everyone's style.” The CEO of Gao Shi said, “People always want to reflect on what they use and their own decorations. His own style, and Gao Shi precisely meets this demand."

"For example, the shirt I wear today has buttons in the cuffs that are pink, so I took a red pen." Chen Yongqiang used his own example to illustrate this point.

In order to meet the needs of customers of different ages and identities, Gao Shi spared no expense to hire well-known designers and added various elements in product design to form different styles. For example, the VERVE series representing luxury, the fashionable ATX series, and the TOWNSEND series used by the current US president Bush when signing the inaugural declaration.

This year, Gao Shi has specially invited New York's popular accessories designer Rafe to carry out new designs. Not only should the Gao Shi pen show different personalities, but it must also be combined with fashion trends to reflect the value of high-end accessories.

China is also a "blue ocean"?

Unlike his boss, Russell Boss, David Whalen got his first high-end pen when he graduated from high school. "That's what my grandfather gave me," David Whalen said.

In some Western countries, all kinds of memorable days, such as Christmas, birthday, father's day, company celebrations, etc., people will send a gift to express blessings. This is also a big market for Gaoshi Pen.

“We have 1/3 of the market as a personal gift, and a third as a business gift.” David Whalen introduced. In the recent issue of Forbes magazine, Gao Shi was also named one of the top ten gifts for Father's Day.

With the increase in consumption levels, China has become the third largest consumer of luxury goods. Gao Shi naturally will not miss this opportunity. Not long ago, boss Russell Boss, CEO David Whalen and Gao Shi’s global sales director all came to Beijing and made China the highest nugget place for Gao Shi.

However, Father’s Day is a Western festival after all. How warm is the Chinese’s enthusiasm for such a festival? Even though it is the best sales season that Gao Shi thinks, the Chinese New Year, how many Chinese people who are used to giving children money for money will be given a pen?

"Next, our main task is to cultivate the awareness of Chinese consumers." Russell Boss also seems to recognize this.

It seems that whether China can become the next "blue sea" in the development of Gao Shi still needs time to test it.