It's the digital age but don't write off German pencil-maker Faber-Castell

MUNICH (Reuters) - If the digital revolution is going to consign anything to the dustbin of history, you might think the humble pencil would be a leading contender.

However, with such pastimes as doodling and colouring being touted as stress-busters to escape the daily grind and relentless lure of smartphones, German pencil-maker Faber-Castell is thriving 256 years after it was founded.

"We see that people with all the digital devices around go back to a more manual way of expressing themselves," Mr Daniel Rogger, chief executive of the family-owned firm, said.

The fashion for adult colouring, where people have books of different themes and patterns to complete, like children, lifted Faber-Castell to record sales in 2016-17.

While that fad has now ebbed, new trends such as "bullet journals" - a combination of writing to-do lists and artistic doodling - will keep sales stable in 2017-18, Mr Rogger said.

Faber-Castell is even seeking to turn the online world to its advantage by setting up a digital gallery. It launched the platform last year in Brazil - one of its biggest markets - where artists can share their work and creative ideas.

It is also setting up fine art academies in Japan and Lebanon, modelled on the one in Germany.

The company has been in the same family for nine generations, and over that time it has faced repeated threats to its existence. The castle overlooking its factory was commandeered by the Nazis and, after World War II, requisitioned by the Americans to house journalists covering the Nuremberg war crimes trials.

Last year, Faber-Castell appointed Mr Rogger as its first chief executive from outside the family. For him, the digital era and social media present an opportunity.

"It enables us to get very close to our customers, to interact, to get direct feedback on our products, on trends," said the 49-year-old Swiss with a background in the luxury watch industry.