Bags of Ideas

May 2019

Choosing the right shopper for the job

Choosing the right shopper for the job

Choosing the right shopper for the job Posted on May 28, 2019 at 12:30 PM In part one of this two-part article, we covered the key benefits of choosing bags as a promotional item and why, year after year, they’re still the most popular and effective promo giveaway, beating power banks, bottle openers and travel mugs into a cocked hat. But with so many bags to choose from, and so many differing business needs and varying budgets, how do you choose the right one? This blog aims to help you make that decision, and ensure your brand gets the most prominence. Of course, as you’ll no doubt already have seen on the Bags of Ideas website, there’s a huge range of branded bags online to choose from and we don’t have the room to cover them all here, so we’re going to focus on the UK’s most common reason for buying promotional material – giveaways. And as a giveaway doesn’t generate a direct income, choosing the right product is vital to justify the expenditure. Free! Free! Free! The BOI definition of a ‘giveaway’ is a branded bag; literally given away (generally) in high quantities at an event such as a university fair, trade show or festival. The purpose is to increase awareness of your brand on the day of the show, and beyond. If purchased in bulk – orders of over 100k are out of the ordinary, and if you shop correctly they can be a low cost item. Several charities use a branded reusable bag as a thank you for a donation, even for quite small sums. But your ultimate selection depends on how you intend to hand them out and to whom. I know what you are thinking – surely it is the budget that will ultimately determine what bag will be used. You wouldn’t be wrong. But in this blog, our focus is on making the right decision based on your business needs. Understanding how promotional bag marketing works could even lead you to reconsider your plans, and even rejig the budget. There are two obvious scenarios which dictate the right branded freebie: we can call them “Competitive” and “Non-competitive”. • Competitive describes a situation such as an event where you are one of many organisations – perhaps in direct competition – such as a trade show. • Non-Competitive scenarios might include an event you are running – a conference, or a music festival – so you’re the only source of promotional product.   A competitive scenario forces you to choose something that paints the right picture of your brand, but still ensures that your bag is the must-have of the day. At a trade show your potential customers spend their day going from stand to stand, picking up some sort of promotional ‘freebie’ at each one. Most of these come with a printed shopping bag – containing catalogues and smaller promotional items – and they soon build up. Loaded down with goodies, most show-goers choose one printed carrier bag from their collection to store everything else in, and some cases some promotional conference bags will be disposed of in the process. You have to be the business providing those essential branded tote bags that survive the cull. Your bag needs to be big – with a gusset so it can hold all of the other stuff – and it should be strong and comfortable to carry. If you can, opt for a dual-handled branded canvas bag, the ultimate bonus feature (long and short) is ideal, meaning it can be used as a tote or a shoulder bag. In these Eco-conscious times, Branded plastic bags are simply out of the question, and not just because plastic carrier bags are still ending up in landfill in huge quantities. Choosing branded reusable bags that last long after the day of a trade show, ensures your brand’s visibility goes home with the attendees, and is used long after for the weekly shop or even the daily commute. On the other hand, a non-competitive scenario gives you complete freedom. Lets use a festival as the example – on entry, festival-goers get a programme, food and drink tokens, lanyards and other essential items, all safely coddled in a branded promotional bag. Seems straightforward, but have you given each reveller a printed bag they value enough to hold on to all day and take home as a souvenir of their experience. Hand out a bag with no “sex appeal” and it’s unlikely to travel further than the bin at the burger bar. An ideal festival solution is a rucksack of sorts – perhaps a drawstring bag – which allows the user to walk around hands free. And Festival weather being what it is, a water resistant style is a winner. No matter what the situation, to get the best out of your investment, you need it to be the popular choice so that it is re-used as much as possible, and if the user finds it impractical on the day, chances are it will go nowhere. The Big Decision 1 – Printing Requirements Brand communication is obviously key to promo giveaways, and simple logo design with spot/solid colours gives you the largest choice, simply because it can be printed anywhere. But as the complexity increases, that choice decreases, so it’s always worth asking: should we simplify the design in exchange for a more useful bag? If your design is complex – perhaps multi- or even full-colour – your bag choice should be complimentary. A white bag always brings out the best in full-colour printing, and non-woven polypropylene gives the cleanest result, although cotton bags are also a good choice for a more sophisticated result. As a rule of thumb, if you’ve been thinking about an eco-friendly woven bag – such as Jute – make sure your design is simple. Because of Jute’s coarse nature, screen-printing is advised. Avoid thin detail and complexity, such as fine text and multiple overlapping colours. Full colour prints on

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Lets Benefit from Branded Bags

Lets Benefit from Branded Bags

Lets Benefit from Branded Bags Posted on May 3, 2019 at 2:30 PM Bags of Ideas very purpose is to help businesses find the promotional or branded bags they need, not only by offering the best range of products, but also providing the most accurate and relevant information to ensure customers make the right choice. In this, the first of a two-part blog, we’re going back to the basics of branding and promotional product marketing. We want to show why bags really are the most effective promotional product, and how to get the best out of your marketing investment, no matter what budget you’re working to, or what industry you’re in. We actually touched on this topic in an earlier blog, but this time we thought we’d delve even deeper. Historically, bags have always been one of the best-selling promotional products. In 2015, businesses spent £103million on branded bags in theUK, relegating the next biggest selling item – promotional pens – to a poor second place, by a clear £40 million. Four years on, the promotional product market has grown rapidly, but bags are still far and away the number one product with an estimated expenditure of £140million, or just under 15% of the total market. At Bags of Ideas – the most clued-up suppliers of branded bags online – we believe there is one simple reason for these impressive figures: branded bags are just the most effective promotional product, offering the highest impression rate and the widest geographical spread for brand awareness. In addition, bags don’t suffer from shifting consumer tastes to the same extent of other products, nor are they a seasonal offering. So, what is a branded/promotional bag? Simply put, it can be any type of bag that has been personalised, be it a company logo, a sports crest or any other form of imagery, representing an organisation, society or institution. Bag styles – and branding methods – vary greatly, from screen-printed supermarket plastic carrier bags and branded tote bags and conference bags, to engraved or de-bossed specialist laptop or hiking bags, and everything in between. Bags of Ideas can meet all of your needs, however niche. So let’s first look at the reasons why promotional bags are used, whether they be branded freebies given away at trade shows or university fairs, or a retail product sold on the high street. Brand Awareness Loyalty and Confidence One directly-related benefit to using bags as a marketing tool is customer loyalty and brand strength. Because branded reusable bags are long-lasting – offering continuous function – they stay with the recipients for a long time. Customers see a reliable and durable giveaway as having value, and suggesting strength in an organisation. In turn this promotes loyalty. This also applies to prospective customers; a long lasting, practical tote can encourage inquiries by helping to put out a strong perceived image of your brand. An added benefit is consumer confidence. Pens, for example, are known as a low-cost promotional product. With bags however, companies offering a well-made range of printed bags with desirable designs suggest financial strength, reassuring not only customers but also new prospects of your stability. Brand Identity Versatility is yet another strong selling point. Perhaps you need to promote a new concept or logo that is more than just a single-colour print. Because bags offer a larger print area, they allow for more creativity. A vast range of material options – including jute, cotton, or non-woven â€“ means that even the most complex or intricate designs can be printed with vibrant colour and without compromise. Edge-to-edge, high-resolution full-colour printing means designs can be achieved easily and efficiently. And the longevity of the printed design is much higher than other alternatives. Most other promotional products tend to lose print with normal use – a pen being held, clothing going in the washing machine, a bottle opener on the key ring. Gift bags don’t suffer from this issue: they’re carried over the shoulder or in the hand and any wear is inside the bag, leaving the exterior in better condition. A print that stays intact maintains brand value, as opposed to a print that starts to fade, wear or chip. So how can you the strengths of a promotional bag in your marketing efforts? In part 2 of this blog, we’ll look at a range of bags, strategies and solutions – from low cost giveaways, to retail and for staff usage and motivation. A key factor for investing in any promo item is maintaining or boosting brand awareness. Practically speaking, it doesn’t matter if your business is B2B or B2C, a pen in a pocket, or a bag in the hand will ensure your message is not forgotten, and increases visibility and awareness to potential customers. But the exact level of impact depends more on the choice of product. For starters, to gain the best exposure for your brand or message your chosen vehicle should be practical and reusable. Pens are certainly practical: every desk has a pen on it, and almost everyone carries one in a pocket or a … bag. And they also get re-used until they run out of ink. But how far do they travel? And if you received a branded pen, how many other people would be exposed to the brand it bears if it’s hidden away in a shirt pocket? On the other hand, bags tick all the boxes – using your promo pen, perhaps? Bags are undeniably practical and re-usable, but they also travel as far and wide as their owner, and in plain sight too. Choose the right bag, and the potential visibility can be huge. Imagine the scenario; your company hands out free printed cotton tote bags at their next event, and all 1,000 are eagerly snapped up. That means 1,000 branded conference bags travelling around the event all day, and then on hundreds of different routes home as delegates leave the location at the end of the day. That means 1,000 portable brand ambassadors advertising your message on public transport and in

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