Developing the product range
The Cristal range of pens demonstrate how to inject new life into a product range:
BIC's Cristal Ball pen was launched in 1951. It has over 30% market share and is the UK's best-selling ball pen.
In 1964 BIC launched BIC Orange. This is a fine-point version of the Cristal pen, easily recognised by its orange barrel.
In the 1990s, as the Cristal and Orange Ball pens became more mature and encountered fierce competition from lower priced brands, BIC invested in developing the Cristal range to attract new users and to differentiate itself from the competition.
This led to the launch of a range of new products:
Cristal Grip, for more comfort
Cristal Colours, for fashionable colours
Cristal Pocket, for a more convenient size
Cristal Pockets Scents, for fun and fruity inks
Cristal Gel, for smoother writing.
By continually adding to the range, BIC manages to inject new life into the product life cycle of the overall range.
BIC now offers a full range of Cristal pens using both ball point and gel ink technology. The range's development has also helped to support the enhancements of the core brand, and each year sales of Cristal pens increase.