I'm sure you know that the famous ship, the Titanic, sank.
What would you have done if you were on it after it struck an iceberg and was sinking? You could put on your lifejacket, find the nearest lifeboat, set off an emergency flare or rearrange the deckchairs.
Which of these activities would be the most pointless and ineffective?
Exactly.
"Stopping giving free pens on reception when the company is going bankrupt, is just rearranging the the deckchairs on the Titanic."
Here's a great, short video about the one and only voyage of the ill-fated ship.
