2017

It’s Not Hard to Compute Why Laptop Bags are a Promo Winner Posted on April 27th, 2017 at 04:30 PM A great laptop bag is the essential accessory for business people, and for promoting your brand. The usual target of promotional merchandise is other businesses, often via conferences or client sales and support, usually called B2B or Business to Business. Inevitably, many promo items are business tools – pens, memory sticks or notebooks, for example. But what business tool these days is as essential than a laptop? Now, while it’s unlikely your marketing spend will stretch to a free MacBook Air or Asus Chromebook, a laptop bag is a great accessory and the ideal promotional platform because it will get used every day, and put your brand prominently on show every day too. But it doesn’t stop there, the end recipient might not actually be your customer or potential sales lead. Many of the bags we sell are used by company employees to simply carry out their daily work: remember, it’s not just salesmen or managers that routinely use portable computers. From electricians to plumbers, delivery drivers to washing machine repairmen (or women) computers are a part of  their job, checking stock levels, consulting online libraries or filling in “paperwork”. At Bags of Ideas, we appreciate the demand for all types of laptop, ultrabook, notebook and tablet cases, from giveaway tablet sleeves – with branding – costing from less that £2 per unit, to tough, stylish and practical wheeled trolley cases, ideal for the international traveller, and competitively priced starting at less than £75 per unit. What you need to look for Notebook cases come in almost every shape, size, material and price range. Your ultimate decision will come down to the intended purpose, choice of material, protection level and brand customisation. We recommend starting with a clear idea of what your target market is, by asking yourself these four questions: Will it be exposed to the elements? If yes, best to avoid open-ended totes. How durable does it need to be? If it’s going to be used occasionally – for example, taking the equipment through an airport check-in – your requirements will be different to that required for the rough and tumble of the daily commute. Will it just be used to carry the notebook/tablet/laptop? A simple sleeve used to protect a tablet inside a larger briefcase or rucksack will obviously be smaller than a travel bag on wheels, but in between there will still be a need to be able to store power cables and adapters, books, pens pencils and even a bottle of water. How long will the user be carrying it? A Neoprene laptop sleeve may be fine if you’re carrying it between lecture theatres, but a day spent with it under an arm will tire out muscles and fray nerves. If that’s the idea then a backpack is more  suitable. Notebook computers are typically classified by screen size, with 14/15in and 16/17in being today’s most common dimensions. It’s important that the device fits snugly within the space, with no more than 2cm or so of “wiggle room”. In the event of an impact, for example, with a desk or other furniture, the equipment should be held firmly in place. Larger carriers like backpacks and briefcases usually come with an interior compartment for the laptop, notebook or tablet and as a general rule of thumb there should be 20% more capacity in the rest of the bag for all accessories. Material questions you should consider Your answers to the first two questions above are important; the more a bag is to be used, the more sense a well-made one makes. Take note of these signals of good – or bad – quality: Seams and stitching: check the stitches on the leading edges. Quality bags will have heavy duty double-stitching and for durability the stitches will be on the inside of the seam where they are less exposed. And unless you’re actually looking for an “artisan” finish, the stitching will be consistent, inside and out. Quality manufacturers don’t cut corners. Material: Many of the Laptop Bags we sell at Bags of Ideas are made of Nylon, a versatile man-made textile which comes in many different finishes and characteristics. It is usually rated by “Denier” – the same term used for spangly tights and seamed stockings – but instead of a sheer 10 Denier used for hosiery, exterior-rated Nylon is usually at least 500 Denier for toughness, meaning that the threads are at least 10 times thicker. The Macau Laptop Bag is a well-made, modern, robust black backpack, which is great for the business traveller who wants to avoid aching shoulders or a grumbling back. Its large main compartment is separate to a sleeve which easily accommodates a 15-inch computer. It also has several smaller pockets for every accessory you can think of. Another favourite is the Case Logic Laptop Bag, a modern take on a laptop bag with a more feminine chic. It is attractively ergonomic, rejecting dull corners and embracing elegant curves, yet big enough to house a 15in computer. For those essential personal items there is an adjustable pocket, two detachable pouches, and a securely placed phone holder, keeping your smartphone safe though accessible: a great choice for the modern businesswoman. Neoprene is another material with good wear characteristics. While it’s usually employed for laptop bag interiors or sleeves, it is sometimes used on its own, such as the Lupus Tablet Sleeve. The Lupus is perfectly-sized to hold a standard size tablet such as an iPad and has a zipped main compartment, front pocket and carry handles, with generous print area to the front for your logo or message. Neoprene is also more familiarly associated with wet suits. PVC is a material which appears at all levels of quality. The Halfar Success Laptop Bag is an on-trend, heavy duty shoulder bag, with a main compartment, a padded sleeve and Velcro fastening for a laptop, as well as two smaller pockets for accessories like a smart phone. One of the benefits of PVC is

Life’s A Beach, So Bag Yourself Some Brand Awareness Posted on April 10th, 2017 at 02:30 PM Summer holidays aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, let’s be honest. What, after all is the attraction of stretching out on a beach, sipping a cocktail and soaking up the rays? Who are we kidding? It’s a very attractive proposition. So much so that “summer” holidays aren’t simply confined to the summer months any more. The growth in winter sun, spring sun or “late season” getaway holidays means that tanning oil, bikinis, flip-flops and all the usual beach accessories are now a year-round necessity. You also need to be seriously looking at the one thing that holds every holiday together … the quintessential beach bag. No matter if it’s a handy-sized bag for those essential beach accessories, or a shoulder bag just to stuff that swim towel in, you simply must have one. Tote-ally Amazing For All The Family Think about it. A beach tote is as essential to anyone planning a day out – not just at the beach but frankly anywhere – as remembering your sunglasses, wellington boots or everything your need for baby. Without the roomy canvas bag that holds so much more than you can ever imagine, you’d be weighed down with picnic food, blankets, buckets and spades, spare shoes, clothing or underwear, reading materials etc etc. The list goes on and on when considering just what you end up piling into the oversized canvas tote that rules the beach. That’s what makes a the gift of a beach bag the ideal promotional tool for your business. Your brand always on show and associated with fun in the sun, wherever and whenever you find it. And because beach bags are usually large capacity there are generally large areas available for branding at the right price. The knack is to make the right choice of beach bag. The bags that people will want to take with them wherever they go. How do you do that? It’s all about the vibe really. Are you heading to a beach with the whole family that’s likely to end up all sandy and wet? Are you in the UK climbing a hill to have a picnic at the top and admire the view or is it a chilled out day at the races with your friends? Either way, your way or someone else’s, there is a beach bag of the right size just waiting for you. For the messy, sandy beach trip you need to be looking for a spacious and waterproof tote bag – preferably with a zipper to keep the sand from tumbling in. For the hike up the hill you want a lightweight beach bag, probably one that you can put on your back – or use as a shoulder bag – but still have enough room for the picnic blanket and food. Keeping The Water Out If you’re the sort of woman who only has to consider themselves and the only decision to make is whether to use factor 30 or factor 15 then the whole beach bag cannon is on offer. A family heading to the beach would benefit from adding a few smaller waterproof drawstring bags in which to put wet beachwear, plus a couple of dust bags to keep things like keys and money in so that they don’t get all tangled up with the numerous shells and pebbles that are likely to be collected. In fact, a great idea would be to get every member of the family group their own cotton shopper with a waterproof bag inside and a dust bag for delicates so that they all fit inside the large beach bag but keep all their beach accessories separate. The hill-climbing crowd – unless they’re attempting to drag a handful of reluctant children up there with them – probably need a canvas tote that is spacious enough for a blanket or ground sheet, holds at least one bottle of decent wine (or water if they’re being good) and enough food to sink a ship. They probably won’t need much more than a camera to take shots of the view to stick up on Pinterest and possibly an old-fashioned map just in case there is no phone signal. But, the most likely user of a good beach bag by far is the single girl on the beach travelling with friends. Let’s take a peek in her beach bag and see just how much one woman can fit into a large size tote! First off there’s going to be sunscreen (we’re talking Mediterranean beach here, not some dreary, damp UK backwater) plus a spare lower factor suncream in case she feels like she’s not tanning fast enough – the lobster look never goes out of fashion when fair-skinned Brits travel abroad! What every woman needs, once tanning is taken care of, is beauty and hair maintenance. After all, just because you’re lying on the ground surrounded by sweaty and sandy people you can’t have an off-day can you? So, in her holdall beach bag you’ll probably find a collection of face creams, lip balms, waterproof mascara, more lip balms and probably oversized sunglasses from an up and coming designer who anyone under the age of 25 would never have heard of. Then of course there is the essential smartphone in its waterproof casing to catch-up on Facebook and Instagram, headphones so that she can’t hear the seagulls but can have a whole play list blasting in her ears for hours. Plus, there’s the e-reader with the latest must-have chick-lit best-seller or, if she’s into retro and can remember how to actually turn a page, then she may well have an actual book nestled in the bottom of her beach bag just waiting to be plucked out from underneath one of those chic Kaftans and the spare flip flops. And of course, it all has to go with that pretty summer sun dress. Of course, it soon becomes clear that choosing the right low-price beach bag with a view to using it as