ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the branding of Montblanc, which is interesting in terms of brand, through its entrepreneurial spirit and social contribution. Specifically, the chapter will focus on Montblanc’s entrepreneurial spirit, from writing instruments to watches and social contribution projects through the art of ‘writing.’ Montblanc’s watch business is considered a brand innovation. Because Montblanc is a rare example and is interesting from a branding perspective as other well-known writing instrument manufacturers, such as the US Parker, German Pelikan, and Japanese Pilot, Sailor, and Platinum Pen, do not produce watches. Moreover, luxury brands and luxury businesses are considered to have a long history. They entered the watch market in 1997, and for the first decade or so, their watches made consumers feel scared and surprised by a sense of incongruity, as in ‘why do Montblanc of fountain pens make watches?’ As a result, they operated ‘cautiously.’ However, in the decade of the 2010s, their watch brand has established a strong presence, rather than a sense of incongruity. This chapter shows that Montblanc’s involvement in branding emphasizes the four major brand components (management resources) of history, place, people, and technology. The authors have provided spirited discussions on the four components and our perspectives in this chapter.
