Dixon Ticonderoga

Creators of the iconic yellow No. 2 pencil, Dixon introduced the first Ticonderoga pencil in 1913. Committed to creating quality products, the company was founded in 1812 on the idea that there is always a better way to do something. That sentiment extended to their social media presence. Ticonderoga needed a consistently top-of-mind campaign machine that would convert to sales on their social platforms. Further research showed that the brand was quickly losing ground to competitors because they weren’t as relevant to target customers. To boost sales, they needed to grow and maintain a community of brand loyalists.

More than a pencil company, Ticonderoga empowers people to take conscious and subliminal thoughts, facts, ideas, and dreams, and preserve them using tools that are simply extensions of themselves. In learning about the company through conversations with staff and target customers, we developed a social campaign framework that connects the essence and brand positioning of Ticonderoga to relevant topics and trends their target customers would engage with.

Fleshing out the brand’s personality through archetypes, values, and customer personas ensured that campaigns stayed true to what Ticonderoga has always stood by, while breathing new life into the familiar product. Copy guidelines keep messaging focused on the mission to connect with customers and make positive impacts in their lives. Tailored scheduling shows when and how to best engage with each of their target consumers. Shaping Ticonderoga’s brand identity helped define who they are as a company, how they best interact with the world, and, moreover, why that matters—for the brand, their customers, and society as a whole.

Pencils represent the other end of a blank piece of paper, allowing the world of possibility to open up to people, regardless of how they’re used. Ticonderoga’s social media presence needed to inspire that same sense of potential. In addition to the overarching brand voice outlined for Ticonderoga, each campaign theme has its own set of copy guidelines. While #Beyond is open-minded and ethereal, #SchoolDays is straightforward and educational. At the same time, the #Heritage campaign needed to avoid sounding out of touch.

Ticonderoga’s social media strategy introduces new segmentations of their target customers, creating multifaceted approaches that don’t just look good, but also drive engagement. The iconic brand now has a go-to strategy that fulfills their business objectives while forging genuine connections with customers.