Pencil Wars

First and foremost, I would like to address the elephant in the room, yeah it is that pencil in the room.  That pencil that is an off orange, pink rubbery hard eraser, and silver metal wrap to attach it to the unauthentic feeling wood.  I am talking about that knock off of a pencil, the pencil that wishes it could be that Ticonderoga HB #2 soft!  Yeah you know the one I am talking about, the pencil that would leave smudges of graphite on your paper, or would rip a hole in your homework when you just wanted to erase something!  This blog is going to be a dive into the monster that is the standard wood pencil from office depot/Papermate. (It's actually about a perceptual map regarding two competing pencils)

Let’s break this down using a perceptual map.  What are some things people consider when purchasing a pencil? Functionality, erasability, quality, feel, lead brittleness, snapability, and of course price.  Now keep in mind that all of this is my perception only.  But still, I know everything, after all I am a wizard, Hagrid told me so on my 11th birthday (keep up with the references people).    Let’s focus on some basic aspects of the purchasing of pencils; cost and quality.

 That Standard Wood Pen from Office Depot/Papermate
So in my experience the standard wood pencil that is not Ticonderoga is super low quality.  The eraser falls out of its hold, the eraser is firm and causes paper tears as well as lead smudging, and the actual wood of the pencil is firm and uncomfortable to grip.  There is even a subreddit regarding the terribleness of these pencils! (Ayy Reddit Memes) Another testament to their poor quality is their rating on office depot, sitting horribly at a 2-star rating.  That's with 39 reviews too!  That means 39 people took the time to write reviews on a pencil, 24 of the reviews being 1-star ratings.  BUT, it does only cost $7.99 without tax for a 72 pack. (The Underdog of the pencil game)






Ticonderoga
On the other end of the ring we have the champ itself, the Ticonderoga HB #2 Soft.  The Ticonderoga is the tried and true.  The eraser is soft and smooth and allows for effortless erasing.  The eraser rarely ever rips off or smudges your writing.  The lead is soft and the wood is supple for maximum comfort without a rubber grip!  The true master of the wooden pencils.  The lead is sturdy and true like a mighty blade.  A 2005 review of the Ticonderoga pencil tells the journeys of a man and his search for the best writing utensil (A mans journey to write with a quality utensil) and what would you know? He chose the Ticonderoga as his newly preferred writing utensil.  BUT again we must look at cost, the Ticonderoga’s are currently listed at $13.35 without tax for a 72 pack.  (Ticonderoga FTW)
 



So here we are with our facts.  Thus this perceptual map was made using ancient hieroglyphics, shouts to them pharaohs!  As we can see the perception of these pencils is on different ends of the spectrum.  Now most would consider the pencils to be the same, functionality wise but from a standpoint one is significantly lower quality.  Now changes can be made to improve the perceived quality of these pencils by even possibly by redesigning the pencil.  Changing the color and textures is a large aspect that could alter consumers to increase their quality perception of these pencils.  But then again, you could just purchase Ticonderoga and not have to worry about anything!  *Ding ding* match over, we all know who the winner is!

PS. I swear I am not biased at all