Dos and Don’ts for selling post-lockdown Posted on 18th May, 2020 at 12:30 PM Coronavrius has had a huge impact on UK businesses, bringing a silent and sudden chaos. Businesses nationwide had to rethink and adapt their sales and marketing strategies for uncertain and cautious buyers. As the UK slowly starts easing Lockdown, we look at what companies should – and shouldn’t – do to sell products and services in a post-Lockdown world. Hard selling techniques may not be as effective generating new business. Customers may be more sensitive. The key is to take a friendly but helpful approach, but sales teams may not know where to begin. To help your business navigate your way through selling in the sensitive environment, we’ve put together a dos and don’ts list to highlight some key considerations: Dos: Understand your customer’s needs – All customers want innovative ideas and advice but may not be able to purchase straight away. Let them know that’s okay, and that you’re here to help with any questions they may have. Be prepared for them to say no – Every person (and client) is different. Not everyone will be ready to invest yet. Be polite, thank them for their time and ask them to bear you mind for the future. Listen to them – By listening to someone, you can get a feel of what they’re thinking. Always make sure to be understanding and friendly, and don’t interrupt. Take time to listen now and you could make a sale later down the line. Let the customer lead – If they are interested in what you have to offer, they’ll want information. Let them lead the conversation and answer any questions they may have. Provide them with the relevant information, and give them space to make their own purchase decision. Provide the best possible service – Go the extra mile for your customer. Show that you care by addressing any worries they may have, and make their experience as personable as you can. This is great for building memorable relationships and rapport. Don’ts: Create a sense of urgency – Regardless of your own situation, any pressure felt by the customer is likely to backfire. If your stock is running low, you can always recommend an alternative, or let them know when the item(s) will be back in stock. If you need to close the sale, this will become apparent and may not go down too well. Turn your conversation into a sales pitch – Avoid hard-selling at all costs. By slipping into a sales pitch, no matter how well it may have previously worked, yobbcu run the risk of putting your rapport with the customer at jeopardy. Remember above all, we’re all human. Think about how you’re communicating with potential and current customers. How would you respond if you were in their shoes? It’s a different world, and until things go back to “normal” we need to learn how to adapt. Putting your customers’ needs before your own has never been so paramount. When your business is ready to resume its marketing efforts and if you are after inspiration for your next campaign, our team is here to help. Until then, stay safe and think customer first.

What could be in store for trade shows after Lockdown? Posted on 8th May, 2020 at 10:30 PM The Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has changed everything, even the way we speak. Phrases such as “Social Distancing” and “Lockdown” are now as everyday as “having a cheeky Nandos” or “indulging in a little retail therapy” used to be back in the “good old days” just three months ago. We even have an up-to-date name for it – the “New Normal”. Of course, staying at home has put paid to the usual crop of mass marketing events for the moment. And while a Zoom conference with dozens of talking heads can help to keep the wheels of industry turning for the moment, it’s hard to say when the trade show merry-go-round will begin turning again. One thing’s for certain, “business as usual” is a way off yet. Large gatherings are extremely unlikely for the foreseeable future in a post-Lockdown world. So, perhaps, it’s time to adapt, and prepare for when the better times finally return. Virtual trade shows are a thing Some events are already going digital. It’s a cost-effective and risk-free way to source, sell, and showcase new products. “Delegates” can engage with “exhibitors” by scheduling meetings, chatting live, and watching presentations. But the experience doesn’t have to end there. If this were a real-life expo, they wouldn’t walk away empty-handed. A good marketing ploy is to give your “virtual visitors” a little something to remember you by. Why not send them a promotional tote bag or another long-term keepsake (like a notebook) as a reminder? Face-to-face trade shows after Lockdown Of course, lead generation and building business relationships work best in person, but when the conferences and shows resume, social distancing measures are still likely to be the order of the day. These might include increasing the physical pace between stands, enforcing one-way aisles, or capping the number of attendees at a manageable level, just like the supermarkets currently allow in a fixed number of shoppers. Visitors may be encouraged to choose which exhibitors they want to engage with before the event starts. Booking an allocated timeslot could help reduce crowding and assist with event organising. Adapt your marketing efforts If you’re planning to run your own event or exhibit at a trade show after Lockdown, you should already be considering your use of social media to make it known and answer any questions in the lead up. With the inevitable uncertainty surrounding the events, highlight a safety-first approach by detailing all the measures in place to maintain social distancing. Face mask may be part of the solution to maintain the safety of staff, visitors, and exhibitors. The latest advice from both the UK Government and WHO is that face masks do offer some protection against spreading the virus through coughs and sneezes. With this in mind, we can already supply certified face masks printed with your logo or message that can be worn at trade shows to help your staff feel safer. They also double as a useful promotional giveaway and could become the must-have item for 2020s discerning conference delegate. For more ideas about how to maximise your RoI at your next event, read our 10 Steps to Trade Show Success.

Why branded face masks are a businesses must Posted on April 30, 2020 at 10:00 PM While “Business as Usual” is hard to do in the UK at the moment because of Coronavirus, we’ve been busy manufacturing branded certified face masks to help you and your clients stay safe. While there may be a cloud of uncertainty surrounding what things will be like when we emerge from Lockdown, one thing is certain – life as we know it will be completely different, and face masks could become the new “norm”. Do face masks actually prevent the spread of Coronavirus? One major cause of virus infection is via droplets spread by coughs and sneezes. While there’s still much debate over the issue, certified face masks have been shown to offer some protection from coming into contact with virus particles spread this way. And because symptoms may not become clear for up to two weeks after infection – or may not show at all – they also help to ensure you’re not transmitting the virus to others if you have it. Face masks in the UK Demand in the UK is soaring as the war against Coronavirus goes on. Face masks are sold out across pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide and stockpiles are flying off shelves as soon as they’re delivered. Major cities such as New York and Berlin have already made face masks mandatory in public, and we believe it’s only a matter of time before the UK follows suit. Recently, the BMA – the British Medical Association – urged the Government to equip all key workers outside the NHS – including delivery drivers, shopkeepers, carers, transport and supermarket staff – with face masks to help combat the virus spread. They also want the Government to ask ordinary people to cover their mouth and nose when venturing outside to shop of for their daily exercise. The new norm in the workplace and beyond… How long Lockdown should go on is constantly being revaluated by Government officials and scientific advisors, but it won’t last forever (thank goodness). So, now is the time to start thinking about life post-Lockdown, and how you can maximise safety in the workplace. Face masks are part of the solution. Because of the nature of your business, it may simply be impossible to stick to the two-metre social distancing rule, so face masks may very likely be enforced for the safety of staff and customers. Take football clubs, for example. Fans up and down the country are hoping for the return of the Premier League in June, even though it may be behind closed doors. But when the stadiums start to fill again, face masks could help to prevent further spread of the virus. Even in ordinary workplaces such as offices and warehouses, the use of face masks will be a must-have to help protect staff from the transmission of Coronavirus between workers, even if the two-metre rule is being applied. Don’t forget that a cough or sneeze can spread droplets as far as six to eight metres and can linger in the air for up to 10 minutes. The safety of your staff is not worth putting at risk. Introducing, promotional face masks! Like pretty much everything else, face masks can also be custom-printed for promotional purposes. In fact, branded face masks are nothing new, the music industry was one of the first to tap into the idea and promotional face masks are some of the most-wanted merchandise on the web stores of many rock bands. They’re also given away to fans who place online orders. Why? Because they’re cost-effective, they help the wearer to stay safe and they will be reused time and time again. We recognise face masks are an essential item for businesses and employees returning to work in the coming weeks and months. So, in addition to our range of promotional bags, we can now source fully-certified face masks printed with your company logo, so your clients and colleagues can stay safe, look good and promote your brand, all at the same time. Whether you want an elaborate and colourful full-coverage design, or a minimalistic one-colour logo print option, branded face masks are an essential way to show the world you care. To find out more please email: sales@bagsofideas.co.uk

Eco Bags for UK Why Reusable is the Future Posted on June 6, 2019 at 3:30 PM The pressure for your business to go green is huge, and only getting bigger. Whether it’s reusable shopping bags for the weekly trolley dash or reducing the amount of stuff we chuck out to end up in landfill, it’s clear that an eco-lifestyle is essential. We’ve already examined green shopping, and how we still need to do more to reduce plastic consumption, even with the UK’s bag tax on plastic carriers. But there’s more to eco bags, than simply using an eco-friendly jute bag instead of a plastic patch handle. Today we’re looking beyond the confines of a Bag for Life to examine at the definition of an eco-bag and the materials that we can use, as well as killing off some of the myths around products that claim to be “eco-friendly”. Everything you do, own, or use has a carbon footprint – the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere in its manufacture or use. So, to be truly “eco-friendly”, the longevity (or reusability) of a product must outweigh the environmental impact of its manufacture and delivery to the consumer. Using plastic bags as an example, their creation alone involves the collection of raw materials, manufacture and distribution. When you consider their actual life span – measured in hundreds if not thousands of years – they are the very opposite of “eco-friendly”. A study by finance info site Market Watch calculated how many times an eco-friendly reusable bag had to be re-used to beat the disposable alternatives and found that even with the increased manufacturing process required it took just 100 cycles for them to be “better for the environment”. So, if being environmentally-friendly is important to your brand values – and it should be – you must look at the potential longevity of the product you are supplying – even if it’s just the tote bag in which your customers carry off your actual products. And if you’re using bags as a giveaway simply to promote your brand, perhaps at a conference or event, there’s even more reason to make sure they’re “green”. As well as longevity, there’s also biodegradability. Petro-chemical plastic bags are certainly not biodegradable. An alarming number of printed carriers end up in landfill, in hedgerows, fields, beaches and even rivers, seas and oceans, shredding down and eventually becoming micro-plastics that lodge in the guts of birds and wildlife and sealife. Recently, a plastic bag was even found at the bottom of the deepest ocean on the planet. We all owe it to our children and grandchildren – and every other creature on the planet – to eliminate plastic from our lives, and some consumers are already trying to live a life without plastics at all. If your company uses plastic, consumers like them will cease to be customers before long. The decision process The bottom line with longevity of promotional merchandise is build quality. It doesn’t matter how pretty the print on your gift bag, if its handles aren’t strong enough, or the cotton is too thin, it won’t last and will end up in a tip somewhere, along with the masses of plastic carrier bags, defeating the object entirely. In choosing the right tote you need to look at the following aspects; material weight (thickness), seams and handles. All three of these boxes must be ticked to ensure you’re supplying a potential eco branded bag. For example, an increasingly common choice for merchandising your brand is promotional jute bags. Jute is a natural material of high strength and durability, with the added benefit that it is completely biodegradable at end of life. Eco jute bags are seen more and more as part of the groceries shop, or as a tote for school or business, where they act as a constant reminder of your business brand. On BagsofIdeas.co.uk we’ve created a zoom function on each of our products so you can see how each bag is made, but here we’re going to give an example of what you should be looking for as regards the handles. This cotton bag has a folded seam on the top, into which the handles are sewn, not only around the edges, but also through the middle in an X shape, ensuring durability and longevity. As for the bag’s seams, unless there’s a gusset, ensure the bag is only sewn at the sides (not the bottom). A bag is only sewn along the sides, there’s no seam at the bottom because it’s one piece of cotton or canvas folded. This makes the bag stronger. As a rule of thumb, the fewer sewn seams the better. For gusseted bags, make sure the seams are strong. Samples, Samples, Samples Bags of Ideas provides free bag samples to improve your experience and help you decide which combination works for your brand. Simply order a selection of bags to test at your business. Non-woven polypropylene bags offer a great low-cost option for eco branding, but they are not always built to last. One thing to look for is that the handles sewn into the bag. There is a wide range of options with polypropylene, including versions with handles heat sealed into the body of the bag. Avoid them though because it makes the handles weaker and shortens their longevity. Saying You Can’t Be Green is Rot As a final note, if you really have to use plastic carrier bags – perhaps because of the need for very large quantities at low cost per unit – you can still retain your green principles by choosing a biodegradable option. We offer a range of promotional carriers in biodegradable materials, all meeting current EU standards. Check our Plastic Bags page (all punch and patch handles are biodegredable) These take around two months to degrade in an ordinary compost bin. This is a huge improvement on standard carrier bags, which can take anything from 10-1000 years. Even better, they take about two-thirds of

Notes about Totes: What’s your Bag? Posted on July 26, 2019 at 11:30 PM What’s in a name? As far as bags go, quite a bit. This blog is going to try to cut through the confusion over the many different types of bags on offer at Bags of Ideas and help you to make a better informed choice for your next promotional giveaway. Just few weeks ago in an article on promotional conference bags, we highlighted the many variations of the names for the same promotional article, among them “messenger bag”, “document wallet” and “conference folder”. This diversity can cause confusion. You may know, or may not, that one of the UK’s biggest selling promotional carrier is the “cotton shopper”, but what does that actually mean? You may know it as a cotton shoulder bag, a “bag for life” or even a canvas tote, and the variations don’t end there. What would you expect for the country’s most popular printed promotional product? So we’re going to delve deep into the bag for life, clear out the unnecessary technical jargon, and make sure that whatever branded bag is over your shoulder, you’re confident about its name. Plus, we will look into why this style of bag is so popular, from small-scale projects, to mass marketing. Tot-ally Awesome Let’s start with the “tote”. The textbook description of a promotional tote is that it is an open top bag, with parallel handles, generally made from cloth/canvas material – most commonly associated with the reusable shopping bag. Its purpose, says the definition, is to carry “a ton of stuff”. Tote is actually a 17th word for “carry”, but the design first came to prominence in 40s America where outdoors store L.L. Bean introduced an “ice carrier” looking remarkably similar to the modern Tote. By the 50s, the iconic design had become a mainstay for housewives going about their daily chores, including the shopping. In the 1960s, L.L. Bean revisited their “ice carrier” and released a canvas fashion bag which they called the “Boat Bag”, and it’s still being produced today with its distinctive colour trim. The bottom line here is, there are numerous bags, all similar in purpose, with differing names. Understanding this diversity can help you find the right bag for your next promotional campaign. Making your Bag-for-Life Easier At Bags of Ideas, we understand that one person’s cotton shopper, is another’s shoulder tote – and for this reason, we have developed an intelligent product category structure, allowing buyers to find what they are looking for regardless of the name they know it by. We use multiple categories with product overlap. Take for example our Paka Cotton Shopper which can be found in our Cotton and Canvas, Eco and Shoppers and Totes sections. So no matter what you call it, you can find it. Shopping Wisely Now we all understand that totes are no different to shoppers, let’s look at what bags we should sling over our shoulders and why. Shoppers work for every budget, whether it’s high-quality, heavy-duty canvas, or strong, but lightweight and low cost non-woven polypropylene, we can get a bag worth of your brand! Previously we’ve focused on the uses of shoppers and totes as promotional marketing tools. This time we’ll focus on the budget elements, the idea being to showcase a range of products that can work to promote your company, despite financial constraints. Bags on a Budget To kick things off let’s look at a select few satchels that are well within even the smallest of marketing budgets. As a result of their popularity as promotional tools, stock items are mass-produced, leading to economies of scale – a good product for a low price, without the need to purchase large quantities. The bags featured here have numerous benefits; the first being a low price per unit, and a large, pantone matched screen print. On top of that, all are available with low MOQs (Minimum Order Quantities) of 50 to 100. The icing on the cake is the huge range of available colours for each bag from stock. In short, you can have your logo printed on to one of these stock totes with a complimentary base colour, delivered to your event in as little as 5 days. Non-Woven Tote Non-Woven Tote Value Non-Woven Shopper These can be described as simple, or basic shopper bags – long handles, large print area, and a durable material. The next step up in the range are similar in design, but have improvements such as heavier canvas, the addition of a gusset, or eco-friendly jute being used as the core material. Considering a “tote” by definition, these will hold more, and in some cases last for longer because of the more hardwearing materials used. The bags below also benefit from low MOQs but as a promo have more perceived value if given away, or guarantee a higher retail price if sold. 10oz Canvas Shopper Rainham Tote Bag Market Jute Shopper If you want to make a bigger impression, there are better featured styles which are still more than affordable but will promote an image of quality and luxury to the consumer. Our examples have that extra flare sought by the fashion-consciou, such as coloured handles or trims, side pockets, and more comfortable straps. The combination of canvas and jute is not only on-trend, but also hardwearing, guaranteeing re-use, and increasing brand visibility. Kuku Cotton Shopper Bag Funo Jute Shopper Bag Choroa Non-woven Shopper Bag All the bags in this blog are “off the shelf” tote bags, shoppers, bags for life. Different names aside, this style of bag has to be one of the most affordable branded marketing tools there is; whether you choose a mini tote, or a large canvas shoulder bag for your next trade show, what is guaranteed is value for money within this range. There is always a canvas or non-woven shopper bag that fits within your budget, and also passes on value to the end recipients far in excess of the cost.

Why Laptop Rucksacks Are More Than Back to Basics Posted on July 16, 2019 at 2:30 PM Almost everyone has a laptop these days, so it’s no surprise that demand for suitable luggage has soared. Whether printed with a logo or plain, a good bag is essential to hold what is for the majority of us, their most valuable piece of tech, securely and comfortably. Whether it’s commuting to work, going to study, or travelling for the weekend, the personal computer tends to go with us. Historically, people have tended to use the shoulder style bag, made from water-resistant material and able to house a 15.6 inch laptop, plus essential accessories. Though a messenger-style branded laptop bag still has its place, consumer needs have changed a bit, and at Bags of Ideas we’ve noticed an uptick in demand for larger carriers, such as rucksacks and backpacks designed for laptops. While the appearance of a laptop bag is important – especially for a promotional product – comfort is also extremely important. And looks aren’t always skin deep: how tempting does it look to would-be thieves? We’re going to look at the reasons for the shift in demand towards rucksacks. We’ll also highlight some of the benefits of a larger backpack style, whether you’re supplying as a gift to your staff or pupils. Plus we’ll also delve into some of the features that now make rucksacks most people’s carrier of choice. From one Strap to Two Over time, not only are more and more people carrying a laptop around every day, they are carrying more and more personal items too, from cosmetics and comfort items to usb leads, chargers and accessories. Studies show that heavy single-strap shoulder style bags can cause physical damage to muscles and tendons, resulting in aches and pains and it’s clear this is one of the biggest reasons for the shift – especially for business travel. Backpack rucksacks are the logical alternative, allowing a safer balance and distribution of weight across both shoulders. For occasional use, a cross-body shoulder strap may not be an issue but for those regularly commuting with a heavy load, an ergonomic rucksack with adjustable padded straps and support ensures they remain without pain. Space requirements More items need more space. With business travel sometimes taking days at a time, the traditional shoulder laptop bag simply doesn’t have the necessary room for all your stuff. Laptop rucksacks are built with this in mind. The latest promotional backpacks not allow for a laptop, but also a laptop tablet such as an iPad pro, folders and clothes. The outside may also feature front pocket or a pouch for a water bottle to keep hydrated. “ If you really wanted to push the boat out with luxury features, some hi-spec rucksack laptop bags now come with built in power banks featuring usb charging ports for keeping phones topped up, and even built-in tablet bags. Below we’ve picked out some popular laptop backpack examples from our range, highlighting the features available. Berlin Rucksack Macau Laptop Bag Jaunt 15.6 Safety is Key Another reason for the shift to rucksacks is security. We’ve all heard the stories of someone having their phone taken while on public transport, despite it being zipped away. With many of the branded laptop carriers now available, feature anti-theft security as the norm, allowing peace of mind while squeezed on to busy trains or buses. From zipped pockets to hidden pouches – as well as anti-slash material – the possibilities are almost endless. We focused on secure bags in a previous blog, and listed bags that ensured contents are secure, whether on a busy Tube train, or at your local coffee shop, and below we’ve picked out a couple of our favourite laptop cases that ensure your belongings are safe. Milano Rucksack Bobby Ant-Theft i-Stay Rucksack Advertising Potential When branding any type of bag, one key objective is visibility. We believe that the impact of a rucksack – whether as a gift to top customers, students or employees – will be greater than any messenger-style bag, simply because of the way it’s worn. Messenger bags almost always display the brand on the side, at waist height. In some cases, if the bag is the wrong way round, it probably wouldn’t be visible at all. A laptop rucksack guarantees visibility at all times, and at around eye level. This makes the amount of impressions and brand awareness much higher than cross body options. Longevity Our research also shows that, despite build quality on the shoulder style bags being as good as rucksacks, their lifespan tends to be shorter. This is because of the way they’re worn, and the load distribution. Where a backpack has two straps to divide the weight, and has very little movement while in use, the cross-body bag bears all the weight on the single strap. Plus while being used, the shoulder bag itself suffers from movement – at a brisk walking pace the bag tends to swing, and bang against the user, putting increased stress on the seams. Of course, the value of any promotional product is directly connected to the life of the item. If it wears out, or if it creates a bad user experience, it’s days are numbered. Staff Research shows first impressions are everything when it comes to sales. For this reason many organisations now use branded laptop rucksacks as a sales tool for their marketing staff. A high-quality feature-packed backpack, bearing your company logo, sends strong signals to prospective clients. It suggests financial stability, sure, but it also stresses the importance of your brand image. There’s also the benefit of your brand travelling in high visibility, wherever your staff go. Advertising aside, it also promotes staff moral. Investing in your staff creates trust between employer and employee. That boosts morale and productivity. As a promotional Tool So what are the benefits of using a laptop rucksack as a marketing tool. Promotional bags rightly have the image of being a low-cost

Cooler Bags are a Hot Item at the Festival Posted on July 10, 2019 at 12:30 PM With the summer season in full swing , we thought we should highlight a promotional product that will help you keep your cool. We’ve covered summer bags before and while cooler bags may seem to have seasonal restrictions, they can still effectively promote your brand all year round. Insulated cooler bags differ from a lot of promotional carriers in the way that they offer opportunity. Where a standard shopper might be given away at trade fairs and shows, cooler bags lend themselves to other forms of distribution. At your next trade show, why not hand out a branded cool bag with a shoulder strap to customers and prospects, and maybe throw in a printed bottle opener. . A soft cooler bag is best used for “in-the-moment” marketing – giving the customer an insulated lunch cooler bag, when and where they need it. If you’re a festival organiser, or even a retailer at a festival bar or ice cream stand, there is huge opportunity. Why not add a tote cooler bag bearing your logo to your festival kit, in place of the normal cotton or canvas shopper bag. This way festival-goers not only get a bag to help them keep their stuff together through the day, they also have somewhere to keep their food and drink cool in the heat of the day. The perceived value of such a gift – and thereby the boost to the visibility your brand – is huge. A Multi-Purpose Giveaway And when it’s all over, you can then benefit from the hundreds or thousands of people leaving the site with your cooler bag in hand carrying your brand far and wide. Not only will the festival-goer feel they have been given a great gift, others will think the same: “What a great idea – a free cool bag at a festival?” It’s also worth remembering that while we’re talking about cooler bags, what we actually mean are insulated lunch bags – they can be used to keep hot food warm too The If budget doesn’t allow for handing out cooler bags to all and sundry, why not incentivise attendees by offering a free bag with the purchase of a festival program? This way, the cost of the programme could cover the cool bag too. The festival-goer will reckon they’ve bagged a great deal, you won’t overspend your marketing budget, and your message gets a boost. Alternatively, you could offer something like a wine cooler bag when someone buys a certain number of drinks at the bar. For example, purchase six beers, get a free promotional cooler bag. If you’re selling your drinks in cans, this will go down particularly well because it means they can keep their purchases cooler for that bit longer. Especially important if there’s a hefty queue for the next round. Ultimately, you can simply sell branded cooler bags to attendees alongside other branded goods, perhaps featuring more elaborate high quality full colour designs, for customers to use on the day and take away as a souvenir. At Bags of Ideas, we have dozens of styles of insulated bags, of different styles, qualities and specifications. Some will keep wine cool for after-work picnics in the park, or keep sausages safe for breakfast on day three of the family camping trip to the New Forest. Meeting all Requirements There’s also size. We range from the “I need a lunch box that will keep my pie warm until midday” to the “I want all our beers to be cold at midnight on day one of the festival”. Not least is the question of comfort. Will it be carried a long way? And is it comfortable to carry fully loaded? We have a range of styles for that too. All these features have cost implications, which you need to consider. As always, our expert customer service team are here to help. Why not drop us a line to discuss your requirements? Away from the festival sites, there are still plenty of opportunities to utilise promo cooler bags in your marketing campaigns, such as branded cooler tote bags, which almost everyone has to enable them to bring frozen food back from the local supermarket.Why not offer a free branded cooler with a purchase of chilled or frozen foods such as bottled water, ice creams or pizza. For example, an end-of-isle stack of your product – lets say soft drinks – announces that buying 12 cans gets the customer a free cooler bag. This not only encourages an above-average purchase, but also add value to your brand as you’re being seen to offer a useful item to the consumer. As a general retailer you might extend the offer beyond a single product, perhaps giving an insulated shopping bag to customers who spend above a certain threshold. You might ever do it in tiers – £50 gets a small 6 can leak-proof cooler, £100 gets a large 12 can cooler, £150 gets a massive 50 can cooler. Bags like this are used all year round for the weekly shop. Going further still, you could add the incentive to your customer loyalty scheme. Budget Non-Woven Cooler Bag Rainham 12 Can Cooler Bag 50 Can Cooler Bag A Wider Offering An offer like this doesn’t have to be limited to food retail either – there’s no reason why high street stores couldn’t encourage consumer spending by offering a free branded cooler bag. The gift will be well received, and is perfect for use on a sunny day for picnics in the country or trips to the beach, all the time promoting your company. Offering branded lunch coolers, or picnic kits as gifts to customers can go far in maintaining customer loyalty. Firstly, a gift like this helps your organization to be remembered. Secondly, the usefulness and value of the product ensures you’re seen in good sun light. The bottom line is, though cooler bags are a

Why UK businesses drawn to Drawstring Bags? Posted on July 2, 2019 at 2:30 PM At Bags of Ideas we pride ourselves on our expertise and knowledge Our blogs aim to provide customers and readers with up-to-date information to make sure they choose the right branded tote. But the other day, it dawned on us that while seeking to focus on the latest market trends, we’ve neglected the timeless classics that are guaranteed winners at trade shows and beyond and, hands down, still remain the most popular promotional items. So today we’re looking at a sure fire promo merch winner – cheap drawstring bags. Why are drawstring backpacks still one of the best-selling designs, year after year? And why do so many brands opt for them over other bags such as canvas totes? We’ll also show how the product has evolved over time, from a simple, low cost and very effective polyester plastic drawstring bags to a more feature-packed package, including eco-friendly and bespoke options. In most cases, promotional drawstring bags are simple rucksack with cord or string shoulder straps which also double up as the closing mechanism at the top. The simple reason for their popularity is practicality and versatility, which stretches beyond the use as a promo giveaway. Walk into any sports or luggage shop and you’ll see tons of them on the racks, just like 25 years ago. The simple design and construction makes them cheap compared to other promo items, and very popular for large advertising campaigns, where huge numbers of printed backpacks are required. The flat construction, with a large promotional blank area also makes them perfect for printing, allowing big, bold designs with great results. The polyester construction also allows for great colour choice with little or no difference in unit price, meaning that you can match your brand Pantone with relative ease. More importantly, they can be used effectively in lots of situations and industries. Where a beach bag might have its limitations, the drawstring rucksack does not. Whether you are in the education or construction industry, it is a bag that can be utilised. We thought the best way to show the wide range of uses is to give examples of where they’re employed, and how they’re used in each case. Charities Charities are among the biggest uses of drawstring rucksacks, particularly at large open-air events such as sponsored runs, festivals, sporting events, and the rest. Of course, cost is a major factor for charities and drawstring rucksacks always allow non-profits to stay within their budgets. On top of that, they are ideal to hold other promotional products like travel mugs without spillage. But the biggest benefit is mobility: in a 5K run or half marathon participants can run with the bag on the back as though it wasn’t there, whether it is holding a sweat towel, or a bottle of water. Rucksacks are unobtrusive, carrying the essentials – as well as your brand. Schools Many schools now enhance their local image with branding beyond uniforms. Drawstring rucksacks are great for this. For primary school kids, they can hold all that’s needed for the school day, while in secondary schools they are a great choice as a gym bag or a lunch carrier. Trade shows We’ve looked at trade shows in earlier blogs, where we drew conclusions regarding the bag of choice (large, strong shoppers). Essentially, everyone at a trade show is vying to have the best bag for the day, so at the very least it goes home with the consumer and is reused. But this competition is based on consumers only using their hands. The printed drawstring bag is the exception to this rule. Offering a drawstring rucksack can prove to be a winner; as on the day, it can be worn with ease, and if you have provided a high quality printed bag, it will certainly be taken home. Trade shows are actually one of the places where polyester backpacks with their large print area are not widely used, so it could be a tactical advantage to improve visibility on the day as well as beyond. Construction/Onsite Another area where drawstring bags have proven popular is construction or warehouses, where they are employed by staff to carry personal items and lunch. All these scenarios have the added benefit of usage away from the workplace: they get used in day-to-day life, be it as a canvas drawstring gym sack, or a tote bag for a day at the park, raising your brand visibility. Product Evolution Over time, the drawstring rucksack has evolved in many ways, ensuring its popularity in the promotional market remains. Today the options available stretch further than choice of colour, to the material – for example cotton canvas or the better quality 100 cotton. In the case of a bag, size can be important, as can the eco credentials and the branding possibilities. Below we’ve selected some product variations to highlight why this drawstring rucksacks remain one of the best selling promotional bags out there. Eco-Drawstring In previous blogs we have looked at why businesses need to make the shift away from disposable plastic bags, wholesale. To meet a growing demand from Eco-conscious organisations, the classic cotton drawstring bag is an obvious and ideal choice. Punda Cotton Drawstring Bag Rpet Drawstring Backpack Increased Practicallity Times change, so do demands. The simple plastic drawstring may still be effective but some marketing campaigns need that little bit extra. The addition of extra features like pockets & pouches, multi-colour designs and transparent materials has increased appeal. With more on-trend designs now readily available “off the shelf” you main now have to go down the bespoke route to find the perfect option. The way they’re made has also advanced in such a way that 100% full colour design can achieved without having to venture to the Far East, and that means you don’t have to plan six to nine months to be as creative as you want. Shoop Draw String Peek Drawstring Rucksack Daffy Non-Woven

Conference Bags can be a talking point all of their own Posted on June 19, 2019 at 12:30 PM Summer’s here, so why are talking about conference season? We’re looking at promotional conference bags because it takes time to plan for a trade show. Though the next few months may promise to be heady days of music and arts festivals, September’s not so far away. The corporate season will be back in full swing before you know it, so now’s the time to make sure you’re be prepared with the right tote for the job. What is a “conference bag”, anyway? And what use are they? Are there any alternatives, and what else can branded document and conference folders be used for? Conference bags – including document cases, or document wallets – are usually given away at gatherings of like-minded professionals, generally to hold supporting literature from the day’s events. They are also commonplace at lectures ans seminars, be they academic or business. Conference-goers get a branded conference handed to them at the entrance or found waiting at their seat, chock-a-block with information on the event and additional promotional items. Size and design are important factors in helping you come up with the right conference bag ideas. Dimensions are informed by the paper sizes of documents (generally A3, A4 or A5). Most have a handle and a flap closure. Some document wallets also have additional pockets or holders for power banks, pens, flash drives and other accessories. Materials vary, from low cost polypropylene “popper wallets” to more upmarket options made from nylon and even neoprene. Some folders can now even accommodate a laptop, as well as documents and literature, and often feature lightweight shoulder straps as well as carry handles. But perhaps conference folders’ real USP is the promotional aspect: clear branding helps to promote brand recognition, and ensures attendees won’t forget the event. And brand awareness lives on as delegates head home with their swag bags, displaying your logo far beyond the confines of the conference hall. Of course, branded conference bags work best as a promotional tool in situations where there is a single host. As they are the only material received, the resulting “goodie bag” clearly associates good times with your conference bags. UK trade shows – which are generally larger – present a different challenge, as we explained in our blog about how to choose the right business bag. The competitive scenario of a big trade fair calls for bolder and brasher designs. Packed and Prepared So how do you choose the right bag for your conference? Consider the variables. So you’re probably thinking “budget”, but there are other important factors too. What’s going inside? Will it just be holding literature from the day, or will there be a promotional product pack too? Everything has to fit, so at Bags of Ideas we always suggest trying out a sample gift bag or two to test how well it all fits. The actual promotional style is important too: conference gift bags are not always the easiest items to brand. Think about the required area for the design, the complexity and colourfulness of the logo, as well as the style. Do you want a sleek embroidered design, or an impactful full-colour print? There might also be an event sponsor’s logo, meaning additional designs need to be fitted in. If so, a bag with a large print area is essential. Last but not least, consider your audience. Who’s attending the conference, and what is the event focus? If there’s a green slant to proceedings – say a talk on improving environmental practices for business – shouldn’t you consider, for example, a jute conference bag with an impeccable eco pedigree. On the other hand, if delegates are “tech savvy” then a more feature-packed tote with pockets galore may go down well. Here are just some suggestions from our extensive collection, complete with examples of their use. • A jute bag, ideal for an environmentally-focused event • Kansas document bag, full off additional features, ideal for a tech crowd • Philadelphia Conference bag. Ideal for an event with additional, bulky giveaways, such as travel mugs Beyond the Conference Hall One of the biggest trends Bags of Ideas has seen in recent years is the take-up of standard printed conference bags by the educational sector, particularly academy schools. For a school focused on public image, branded folders are the ideal solution to transporting the day’s required reading to and from the campus. This increases public visibility of the school name and its crest, which can be hugely beneficial to local image and reputation. Conference-style bags are now widely adopted by UK educational institutions, from major secondary school through to the local infants class, or even nursery. There’s no limit Some may argue that the event-focus of a conference bag reduces its reach as tool for brand awareness. What guarantee that it will survive beyond the day of the show? Conference bags have their uses, but if their principal objective is to raise your business profile, you need them to be used again and again. If you have a conference coming up, think “outside the bag” when it comes to choosing your next giveaway. Instead of a “traditional style” carrier, how about a large shoulder tote instead? It might then be used as a work or school tote, or as a shopping bag. Not only will the user have an improved perception of your organisation, your brand will seen further afield. 10oz Canvas Shopper Halfar Modern Classic Shopper Pimbi Canvas Document Bag And remember, just because you’re hosting a conference, you don’t have to use a “conference bag”. Without increasing your budget you could provide a bag suitable for event attendees’ requirements, which could also be reused again and again, for the trip to the local Tesco or the daily commute or trip to the gym.   Bags of Ideas has a range of great ideas for shopper and shoulder bags. The right choice will guarantee a

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

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 – 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

Green groceries: Shopping the eco-friendly way Posted on April 18, 2019 at 7:30 AM Last time, we saw how the UK’s bag tax was actually working and concluded that despite efforts to cut the use of plastic bags, the increased usage of heavy-gauge plastic bags-for-life was actually failing the environment. The bag tax wasn’t meant to stop people using bags, only the plastic they’re made from. Pollution, wildlife damage and finite resources are forcing us to find alternatives, yet the current bag tax is not leading to the use of greener materials. So what alternative promotional bags are available to replace the cheap carrier bags lining our shores, stuffing landfill sites and drain our precious natural resources? There are many alternatives to the printed carrier bags found at supermarkets and high street stores. But the choice of replacement depends on the context. In some cases, switching from low-cost plastic shopping bags to eco-friendly alternatives may not be viable, so we also aim to provide solutions for smaller businesses. As we saw last time, a big issue is the low value that consumers place on 10p bags-for-life, which is why so many end up in the bin. Increasing the tax this wouldn’t cut the manufacture of plastic carrier bags, but studies show fabric shopping bags – including Cotton, Canvas or Jute – aren’t used as bin liners, and are actually seen as an “asset”. The design and the material of such a bag contributes to the amount of re-use; the most-used bags feature custom prints, with the rate of re-use goes up in line with the attractiveness of the design, not only for shopping trips, but day-to-day. So, what factors improve re-use? Below we outline eco friendly solutions to the generic branded carrier bags available in your local supermarket, restaurant or clothing store. Whatever your need Bags of Ideas has custom carrier bags ready to print. Jute Bags The first eco-friendly material is jute, a heavy-duty material that is a popular choice to replace the single use bag. This style – with a rigid structure, and strong build – is particularly suited to supermarket shopping, allowing for easy packing and assurance with heavy loads. Jute bags are readily available in supermarkets, normally at a minimal cost to the consumer, but are rarely sold in retail without a custom design and print. A well thought out, on-trend and appealing design often leads to high demand. An example is gift bags with branding for charities such as Help for Heroes or Comic Relief. Plus, as the consumer is paying for the bag, the likelihood of re-use is greatly increased. By simply switching from plastic to a natural fabric there is little chance of the bag being used to collect and dispose of rubbish. As a retailer trying to encourage consumers to go green, never neglect attractiveness: simply printing your company logo may not be enough. Bespoke options being endless, there’s already a wide range of jute bags on the market. Trying to push an eco product based on profit margins may backfire – think more about the intended use. Cotton Bags “Cotton shoppers” is a generic term for bags made out of cotton or canvas – simply a heavier duty cotton). In some ways they are even more attractive than Jute, including the obvious fact Cotton is softer, lending themselves more to clothing retail than food. Jute still wins on strength and robustness, but Cotton is better for printed carrier bags used in clothing retail where the alternative is a printed plastic bag. One noticeable difference between Cotton and Jute is the pattern of re-use. Jute bags are mostly linked to supermarket shopping whereas Cotton appeals more for trips to the office or gym, high street shopping or as a school bag. It’s also worth pointing out that end-user cost is a consideration. Compared to Jute, the wholesale price of Cotton bags is lower, yet they usually bear a higher retail price tag. Yet the biggest source of reuse comes from giveaways at trade shows and education fairs, suggesting the high price tags adopted by retailers may not the right direction to go. Unlike supermarkets, high-street retailers often feature eco bags as part of their brand, and they are sold as a fashion item at consistent prices. The comparison below shows a jute bag-for-life, from a supermarket, against a canvas bag for sale on the high street, alongside the purchase price for similar bags. Retail Price £18 (H&M) Canvas Shopper Bag Under £5 (Bags of Ideas) Retail Price from £3-5 (M&S, Tesco) Market Jute Shopper £1.70 (Bags of Ideas) The price difference is huge, and no doubt discourages investment. Maybe if high street retailers took the same view as supermarkets, there would be more commitment to the use of eco-friendly bags-for-life. Smaller Businesses Promoting eco-friendly shopping may be riskier for smaller business. Investing in eco bags for direct sale to customers to re-use at your shop may not be financially viable in the medium to long term. One option might be to incentivise your customer to return with your old plastic bags, offering a discount for those who bring their own. Such a strategy, if it became popular, could significantly reduce your requirements for plastic carriers. Clearly, the current bag tax is not having enough impact and consumers can be encouraged to switch if the alternative is attractive enough proposition. Small adjustments from retailers could have a big impact on the way we shop.

Bags for Life UK: The Reusable Bag Movement Posted on March 29, 2019 at 4:30 PM No-one can escape the fact that the planet’s resources are running out – and have been for a long time. There’s more and more pressure to “go-green” every day. Yet by making small adjustments here and there, using recycling bins, using more efficient vehicles, car-sharing or shopping responsibly, we can all make a difference. The Bag Tax was introduced in England on October 5, 2015, the last of the home nations to do so. It was among the most visible moves by government to get us to switch from flimsy throwaway plastic bags to more heavy duty, reusable, eco-friendly carrier bags. Official figures show the numbers of single-use bags by the seven biggest supermarket chains has declined by more than 86% since the charge was introduced. And the total number of single-use plastic carriers sold by all 249 UK retailers who reported in 2017-18 was 1.75 billion – down from 7.6 billion in 2014. On the surface all this seems positive but recent data paints a different picture. Currently, supermarket shoppers pay 5p per single use plastic bag, or 10p for a Bag-for-Life: generally made from more heavy duty types of plastic, creating a bag with a much longer life span. Paper bags are not affected by the tax. As a result, the UK is has seen a huge increase in the sale of plastic Bags-for-Life – at least 1.18 billion. In reality, because of their generally larger size, and thicker profile, these are actually estimated to contain at least twice the amount of plastic contained in the old single use throwaways. It would be great if these purchases lead to more eco-friendly usage, such as re-use at the weekly supermarket shop. However, new research shows that although consumers buy Bags-for-Life with good intentions, they generally end up by using them in the same way as the old single use plastic bags. The statistics make grim reading: more and more 10p Bag-for-Life are ending up in landfill – despite clear indications to consumers that they can be recycled. A lot simply end up as bin liners. What’s worse is that the heavier duty Bags-for-Life are tougher than the single use bags they were meant to replace, and make take even longer to degrade. Some critics suggest that the Bag Tax concept needs an adjustment to have any real impact on the vast amounts of plastic still ending up in our streets and hedgerows and rivers, and choking sea life. At Bags of Ideas, we believe there are real solutions. If the widely-available alternative to single-use bags was a material other than plastic – such as a cotton or jute bag complete with your company brand – we might really help to save the planet. Eco-friendly natural-material Bag-for-Life designs also offer perceived value to the customer. Heavy duty, practical and memorable, a reusable shopping bag is much more likely to end up back at the check-out week after week. Britain’s supermarkets and high street stores do offer a wide range of real eco Bags-for-Life. They range from tote bags and printed shoulder bags, to larger jute shopping bags and cotton bags, but it’s clear that the use of this style of branded Bag-for-Life needs to be encouraged. Bags of Ideas sees many potential strategies to increase the use of eco-bags, reducing the use of plastic and enhancing brand recognition and public image through the increased visibility of personalised Bags-for-Life. Our custom bag company specialises in finding great solutions to particular problems. We believe we’ve identified several opportunities – other than selling directly to consumers – that utilise branded reusable shopping printed Bags-for-Life. All are made from alternatives to plastic, which not only reduce single bag usage but, at the same time, improve your Brand’s public image and increase public awareness. Customer loyalty is the foundation of two clear opportunities to increase the usage of printed plastic-free Bags-for-Life. Many retailers already run loyalty schemes where customers exchange collected points for in-store discounts or special offers. Why not allow customers to exchange some of their points for eco-friendly shopper bags made from natural fibres? This concept is attractive to company and consumer alike: on the one hand, the shopper “pays” nothing for the gift of the bag, and on the other the retailer retains the customer’s loyalty through repeat custom. In practice, point accumulation easily offsets the cost of manufacture of a custom-designed bag, plus there’s the added benefit of increased brand awareness. Design you Bag-for-Life correctly, and consumers will not only use it for the weekly shop, but for everyday use. Alternatively, a free Bag-for-Life could be offered to customers based on in-store expenditure. Spend X and get one free grocery bag, spend Y and receive two, and so on. To encourage repeat custom retailers might also offer a discount for customers returning to shop with the company-branded bags. But suppose your company does not sell physical products. What benefit might a custom tote Bag-for-Life bring? Bags of Ideas believes your company promotional profile would also benefit from incorporating this style of bag. Whether you attend trade shows or university fairs, handing out an eco-friendly, reusable Bag-for-Life will almost certainly improve the reach of your promotion. Choose the right custom bag company branding, and it will be re-used over and over, not only reducing cost per impression, but also ensuring potential clients see your brand. Inevitably, approaching this topic from the right angle, can bring your custom promotional bags wholesale increases in visibility. And these benefits outweigh the costs because their reach extends beyond your direct customer. Not only are your helping the planet, you’re helping your brand.

Safe and Sound; Satchels with Security! Posted on December 11, 2018 at 2:30 PM A few months ago at bags of ideas, we wrote a blog focused on ‘Anti-theft’, and highlighted a new range of products that are becoming popular in the market. This blog focused on some of the risks which commuters, students etc face daily, such as robbery and theft, and outlined the products and their new features that can help to minimise the risks. Some of the bags had great added features, such as concealed zips, hidden pockets and built in padlocks. Some were even manufactured from slash proof material. Following on from this blog we thought we would focus on another element of risk that is currently in the media, RFID scanning. With the rise in contactless payments, both with cards and phones, there is a risk of fraud via the airwaves. For this reason, at bags of ideas, we looked into RFID safe products that can be used not only to keep your belongings and data secure, but also promote your brand. You will now find in our ‘Anti-Theft and Security’ range, a whole heap of new products that can also be printed for increased brand exposure. The best thing about this range of products, is that aesthetically, nothing needs to change, so we have a range of promotional products that are on trend and functional – something that is not always possible. Below we have outlined a few of the products from the range, detailed their features and indicated how the bags differentiate from the norm, and how to ensure your belongings inside are secure. The first range we will look at is the Odyssey Wallets, 2 travel wallets, one designed for the passport plus extras and the other slightly larger in size, with more space for additional cards or cash. Both products are great as promotional items, and both sides of each product can be screen printed with a logo. Odyssey RFID wallet. Credit cards, passports and other ID cards have embedded RFID chips. The protection with this item is the entire inside of the wallet – as long as your card is inside, it is protected, and all RFID waves that are emitted, will be blocked, keeping you data secure. The next from the range is the ‘i-Stay Onyx’; part of the brand Avenue. A great all round bag for business or student use. The product has multiple compartments, as well as being able to safely house a laptop. Within the main compartment there is a clearly labelled pocket ‘RFID Shield’ – all items placed in here will be kept safe from contactless fraud. And of course – this laptop messenger is well designed to accompany any promotional branding. With a large clean surface on the front of the bag, your logo can be clearly visible when commuting. The final product is the ‘Vault Rucksack’. Larger in size than the messenger bag, this rucksack is a great option for business commuters or again students. This backpack also offers the option of 2 colour ways, allowing you to choose which colour reflects and compliments your company logo and brand image. As with the laptop shoulder bag above, inside this rucksack, the ‘Safety Pouch’ is clearly labelled, so you can make sure your items are in the right place, and secure. This bag can be screen printed, transfer printed in full colour or embroidered, depending on your taste; either way, with the large branding area to the front, you can really increase your brand exposure, and ensure the recipient, be it a customer or staff, have peace of mind while they travel. The best thing about the RFID safe products is they sit at the same prices as like-for-like non-RFID safe products, making them as affordable as a normal promotional rucksack or messenger bag with the same specifications. If you want to know about our range, or are looking for a particular RFID safe promotional bag, get in touch. We will be adding to our range, but if you cant see the bag you require, we will be happy to find it for you.

Winter Winners Posted on November 1, 2018 at 12:30 AM With the summer now drawn to a close, and the festival and bbq season truly over, we thought at bags of ideas we would focus on the upcoming months. Sports seasons are in full swing, the kids are settling into school, and the students are returning. With this in mind we want to give some ideas for how the education sector can use various types of promotional bags over the coming months, and how to get the most from the ideas, highlighting some alternative methods to self promotion beyond simply giving products away at events. Universities With students starting back, both new and old, we want to show you some great bags that can be utilised across the spectrum at universities. Whether its low cost motivators at the fresher’s fair, quality kit bags for the rugby team or practical rucksacks that can be sold through the student union; we have all bases covered. Our range of ‘cotton and canvas’ bags are an ideal starting point for universities. You may require thousands of bags, for providing welcome packs when newcomers start, or for holding the vital information for prospective students at upcoming open days. Or you could simply need a smaller number for a university club or society, to welcome the new members; we have you covered with multiple options with great printing options. Kasa Cotton Shopper Bag Aylesham Colour Tote Kanu Cotton Shopper Bag Amanta Document Bag Flapa Document Bag Eco Recycled Delegate Document Bag With the vast number of sports teams, clubs and societies available to students at university, from rugby and football, to fencing and gymnastics, all with their own identities – personalised kit bags or sports holdalls can be an effective way to promote their uniqueness, while at the same times enhance team spirit and camaraderie. Within our sections on our website ‘Sports’ ‘Holdalls’ and ‘Duffle’ we are certain there will be a bag that works for your team. With a whole range of bags suited to various uses, coming in different sizes and materials, from affordable low cost, to branded specialist bags. And if we don’t have the right holdall for your team – maybe the equipment to be carried is an obscure shape; you can always opt for a bespoke kit bag, every detail, made to your specifications. Below are a few select bags, which can be printed with your teams logo, and can even be personalised with player numbers and names if required to add that extra touch of class to your promotional team bags. Halfar Galaxy Sports Bag Tube Sports Bag SPORT BAG FLASH As well as promotional give away options, there are also great opportunities to sell branded products at a university – for the student unions, it could be a great opportunity to generate revenue and promote the university at the same time. The first opportunity is to offer a range of university ready bags for students to see them through the year – a well-made backpack or rucksack, built to last, and with all the accessories required for a busy student. The novelty of a university branded bag is always attractive to students, and the cost of branded bags, with a logo on, such as Case Logic – is lower through Bags of Ideas – meaning you could offer a unique bag, with university branding and easily compete with high street prices. Example of dual branded product – ideal university Our range also spreads to laptop bags and holdalls, and multi function bags – these could be ideal for students starting ICT courses, with designs built around housing computers plus accessories. Below is a small selection from our ‘Rucksack’ and our “Laptop Bag’ range that we think are ideal retail products for universities. Case Logic Ibira Rucksack Case Logic Laptop Bag Another opportunity for the resale of the branded items via university shops is to target university leavers. Every year thousands of students in every city buy leaving mementos, such as a leavers hoodie. As we all know, the leavers hoodie becomes an item for the gym or the living room – a great alternative could be a Leavers Canvas bag – a high quality item, for a fair price, which no doubt will have a greater impact, and more visibility due to the longevity. Also as a bag, there is no risk of the item no longer fitting (unlike a hoodie). A bag is a much more practical item too, no doubt leading to a much lower cost per impression, and high perceived value from the purchasing students. Below are some options we think would be great items, all on trend and built to last shoulder bags. Tranzip Computer Messenger Tote Sling Fair Wear F&C Hudson 14 Schools As well as universities, schools can benefit greatly from the use of promotional bags. In general, schools do not tend to partake in as many events as other sectors, however, if chosen correctly, promotional bags can have great benefits to schools, and can help maintain and strengthen their image within the local community. Branded school bags would be the first point of call – and by this, we refer to the rucksacks pupils use daily for their school essentials. This could be a rucksack, a backpack, or a drawstring carrier. These types of bags could be provided to students, or offered at a competitive price to encourage purchase. Much like a uniform that pupils wear, if the students are also carrying a branded bag with the school crest on, it essentially becomes an extension of the uniform, and part of the school image. For prospective students and parents, this image of unity can generate greater interest for pupils to enroll.   We hope this blog has outlined some ideas for the use of promotional bags within the education sector. As is clear a promotional bag does not have to be a low cost give away, and if you think outside

Summer Sun, and Bags of Fun Posted on July 26, 2018 at 11:30 AM With the summer well and truly upon us, and the sun cracking the flags, we thought we should make a focus on how promotional bags can be utilised best during the summer months to get your brand great visibility and what options there are for bags that are suited to promotions in the summer months. In this blog we are going to focus on the types of events and activities that occur throughout the summer. Come rain or shine, using promotional totes, rucksacks and cool bags can give you that extra edge, and ensure your brand does not get forgotten during the summer holidays, when generally, the focus of the population is getting outside and catching the rays, before they are gone. Plus, if you don’t have any ‘summer’ events, promotional bags you can use as alternatives during any trade shows on conferences. Festival season Whether you are running a food stand at Street Feast, or organising your own outdoor music event, using promotional bags at festivals is a great tool for promotion; there are a vast number of options available when it comes to carriers and totes, for every basis. To start with, if you are attending a festival as an exhibitor – be it a food stand, or retail, there is nothing better than giving away your products in a branded bag. The visibility this can gain during the day is massive. Many of these events have thousands of people – so why not make them aware of your offering? Bags like the below can be great to direct people to your location. Kraft Paper Bag Laminated Rope Handle Many festivals will offer a kit on entry – programme, vouchers etc. A great idea is to have these items all within a branded bag. As people come and go during the day, others that are unaware of the festival become intrigued – and thus, encourages others from the surrounding area to visit. Plastic Bags Cotton Shoppers As any festival organiser will know – selling promotional merchandise is a huge part of the financial viability of the event. Alongside the usual tshirts, why not include some well-designed canvas and jute bags. The perceived value of a well thought out tote is high, yet the products are affordable. Plus, as we all know, well-made promotional bags are always re-used, so not only will your brand be promoted on the day, but long beyond, making the cost per impression remarkably low, and massively increasing the awareness of your brand. The below are some great examples of stock items that could be used. However, if you have a large event – it could be worth looking at something bespoke, and creating something really unique, yet still not breaking the bank. Tandu Kuku Charity Events Value Non-Woven Shopper Premium Drawstring Branch Events If you are lucky enough to be hosting or are part of an event on the beach, the same rules apply as per the festivals, and the same benefits can be gained by branding your promotional bags. Below we have some other options that could be used as alternatives, that are more appropriate for sandier conditions. For general give away bags, the below options could be great, some which include a closure on the top, all with great branding space for increased visibility on the shores. Clip Close Vivi Beach In terms of the merchandise options, for re-sale, or more up-market giveaways, we have a great selection of beach bags, that can be well branded, that no doubt would be a popular alternative to your standard canvas totes or shoppers, with one bag even doubling up as a beach mat: Mat/Marlene/Marine And lets not forget about keeping those beers and sandwiches fresh. Cool bags can be a great give away item. Whether it be a 6 can cooler, a wine chiller bag, or a large family cool bag, we have you covered. We even have full picnic bags and kits that could be re-sold, or offered as luxury gifts, to your clients before they escape for the summer holidays. Halfar Family Cool Bag Bottle Cooler Bag As we all know, with the British summer, we cannot always depend on the sunshine, but our events must still go ahead. Within our range, we have some great products that could also be great promotional tools, either as re-sale merchandise or give-aways that would be welcomed if the heavens opened, or for making sure contents stayed dry on the beach. Below are a couple of options from our waterproof range. Scuba Bag Waterproof Pouch The Outdoors During the warmer parts of the year, there is a sharp hike in the amount of people participating in outdoor sports and activities. With this in mind, there is opportunity to deliver to clients, well thought out branded rucksacks, backpacks and holdalls as ‘gift’ items. Generally speaking outdoor bags are not low cost giveaways, so they should be carefully selected and offered to the right customers. And within our range we offer a great number of hiking satchels that could make a great impression in the right hands. On top if this, the nature of outdoor activities leads to great potential for visibility of your brand and identity. No doubt a well-chosen hiking rucksack will travel far beyond your customers office, increasing awareness far and wide. Below is a selection of bags that we feel are great products, and will leave a long lasting, positive impression. BACKPACK AND BAG 2 IN 1 Case Logic Ibira Other events If your company is not running of taking part in any outdoor events over the summer, there is still opportunity to focus your strategy to the season. If you are taking part in an indoor trade show or conference, where promotional bags are required, it would still be hugely beneficial to offer a product that would get maximum use during the time. Switching from a natural cotton shopper to a colour cotton shopper is a great

Bagging Ideas Around the Globe! Posted on June 14, 2018 at 11:30 AM At bags of ideas we pride ourselves in delivering a specialist website for all of your promotional bag needs; whether it be for conferences and trade shows, or bespoke technical rucksacks, made to your exact requirements for your staff. To ensure we keep delivering the service you require, we invest time into ensuring that what we offer online really does match our slogan. That’s why every year, we take trips around the world; from the UK & Europe to India, from China to the States; to research the industry and deliver the best possible experience to our clients and prospects. This year our travels took us to Germany, the States and the Far East. Before we leave for such trips – we sit down as a team to discuss exactly what it is we should be looking for. What are we currently doing well at with our promotional bag offerings, how can we improve and what are we missing to give our customers the best experience, both when finding us online, and when building lasting relationships. This year our aims were to look for new trends in the market – as fashion and legislation changes all the time, so does the market for promotional bags. It could be a certain material that is popular on the high street that is now high in demand for merchandising purposes. A material that has had bad press – that leads us to search for satchels that are ‘FREE’ of this material. Or rucksacks with a new feature that people are beginning to desire in the promotional market. We also wanted to look at new technologies and printing capabilities; what more can we offer to our clients when they order their marketing backpacks when it comes to branding options. On these trips it is also a great opportunity to see if there are potential new manufacturers with new products that can be used within our supply chain that can allow us to provide a better offering to our customers. As an organisation, we know price is not everything, and we pride ourselves on offering value, in comparison to ‘cheap’. If we spot an opportunity that can allow us to offer better value products, these will always be looked into, and if we believe our principals are retained, we welcome new certified manufacturers. Anti-Theft and Security The first new trends that stood out from our travels were the anti theft and security bags and rucksacks. We have focused on this previously in the following blog. With this new trend we have allocated a section of our website to this style of satchel, which can be found here. The simple philosophy behind these bags is a design that makes your bag safer; when on your back, or laid down in public – with concealed zips, pad locks, safety chains and some with knife proof front covers. Berlin Rucksack Bobby Ant-Theft Milano Rucksack Mélange Finish If you have not heard of the word – Mélange is a type of finish used on fabrics. Within the promotional bags market we noticed a small number appear last year – but this year it seems to be the on-trend material to have your should bag or shopper made from. With this increase in popularity we have added some great briefcases, document wallets, rucksacks and holdalls that not only are fit for purpose, but look the part. One great thing about this type of material is the high perceived value – cost wise the difference between a standard polyester case and one with a mélange finish is not huge, but the impression the product gives is that it is far superior, thus if supplying to a customer, the impact as a promotional gift can be great. Below are some examples of this finish across a range of styles: Halfar Modern Classic Shopper Berghaus TRAILBYTE F&C Campster 15 Male and Female Sizes A new trend that appeared this year was manufacturers noticing the differences in requirement for males and females. Generally with promotional bags – specifically sports and kit bags and holdalls, there is a one-size-will-do ethos. However, this seems to be changing, with first movers HALFAR now offering 2 sizes on a selection of their range. The main reasoning behind this is that women’s items are smaller (most of the time) – shoes, clothes etc. as well as themselves. So not only are women carrying round rucksacks and backpacks half empty, but most likely uncomfortably too, as they are designed for the average 6 foot man. Below is the first in the Halfar Male and Female range – offering a 14 and 22litre rucksack, with the same design. Halfar Step Medium Halfar Step Large Printing Technologies Printing technology has evolved massively from the simple 1 colour screen print we know and love. However, it can be the adaptability of the technology that limits the promotional market, and does, in terms of what you can print, where you can print it, how big the print can be, how many colours are possible on the bag and how quickly they can be delivered. In most cases if you wanted the perfect product, it would be a bespoke, made to order design. But – there is hope! Printing technology is adapting to the promotional market, which will allow for a variety of improvements; in service, speed and creativity. Throughout our time abroad we came across a vast array of printer manufacturers showcasing their latest technologies, and how it can be utilised for over printing items, such as bags, rucksacks, wallets and other promotional materials. The most noteworthy improvement is the quality of the digital printing has massively increased – sometimes referred to as direct to garment digital printing, or DTG for short. When a company designs it logo and corporate identity – printing this design is always a factor in the final decision – are the details to small, how small can the logo be printed clearly, will

Secure your bag for Business Posted on May 4th, 2018 at 01:30 PM Promotional merchandising, including bags, on the whole is viewed as a low cost motivator; where products are purchased in bulk, printed with a company logo, and handed out at large events, or distributed to large numbers of clients or prospects. However, there is another side to promotional giveaways that can add real value to your brand. A lot of companies now are seeing the benefits of investing in alternative promotional products, especially bags, and not only for customers, but staff too. Over recent years there has been an upward trend in organisations promoting their name through high quality, and in some cases, co-branded bags. Of course, if you are hosting an event with thousands of prospects, it may not be viable to hand out a top of the range OGIO rucksack to everyone that visits your stand. But what about your current customers, and of course your employees Sending a branded cotton shopper to your best customers at xmas may not give the best impression to some of your biggest clients, and giving your top salesperson a low cost motivator may not send the right signals around the company. This is where our range of high quality, technical bags, with designs for a variety of uses come into play. Looking at customers first – it’s a given that 99% of them use a bag to go to work. The way business is moving, everyone has to be mobile, and needs to take with them the vast array of technology wherever they go, safely. Providing practical, on trend, high quality rucksacks or holdalls to your best clients will give a great impression, not only from the initial receipt of such a relevant product, but the longevity of use, if chosen correctly. If you know your customer’s business well, choosing the perfect bags from the CASE LOGIC, OGIO, ZOOM , or the many other ranges should be easy. And with some tasteful co-branding, applying your company’s logo, no doubt your corporate image will only improve. To help a little further we have picked out 3 bags from our range, outlining what they off as a promotional tool, and highlighting the unique attributes, and the potential industries/job roles they may be suited to: BAG 1 – Proton Rucksack – Ideal for travelling Sales professionals – Airport friendly, large space for laptop and accessories, plus a large flat surface for clear company branding. BAG 2 – LAPTOP BAG 15 – Ideal for teachers/lawyers – large storage capacity for paperwork, laptop plus more. Multiple compartments aiding organisation. Heavy-duty, ergonomic design, tailored towards daily use. Generous branding space, for logo application. BAG 3 – Macau Trolley Bag – A perfect option for sales staff and travelling professionals; this product offers more space and improved mobility compared with a shoulder bag alternative. An Ideal option if travelling with more than just a laptop; e.g. pharmaceutical sales. Airport friendly. Large space for company branding on the front of the trolley. Providing staff with fit-for-purpose luggage also has great benefits. Firstly you can issue a bag that works for the individual – with a large choice of rucksacks, holdalls and trolley bags available, there will be a bag to suit every job description. By providing quality, branded satchels to your staff, you also ensure they are selling the correct corporate image wherever they go and create uniformity and consistency throughout your company. Every client, or prospect they see, and whenever they travel, that rucksack or briefcase, when on show enhances the strength of the organisation and hugely increases visibility and brand awareness. It is also common for these types of bags to come in a ‘range’, with 3 or more bags all with matching fittings and trim – like the CASE LOGIC, OGIO or ELLEVEN options – allowing you to choose one brand to work with even if you require 3 different types of bag.When staff are on the move or working out of office, there is of course the potential worry of the high value bags and its contents being a target for theft; it happens on a daily basis to even the most careful of us. Our new range of bags, (now available) are designed to mitigate this issue to the absolute minimum without compromising on usability, longevity or aesthetics. Our Anti-theft range comprises of luggage that will ensure contents are secure, whether on the tube, or in a coffee shop. The video below highlights some alarming statistics when travelling, and how these unique bags have been created with both security and usability in mind to hopefully bring those statistics down. Bobby Bag Video: Within the range of anti-theft bags, there are a variety of rucksacks and holdalls each with unique design aspects that will secure your contents. Some of the bags, such as the Bobby Briefcase have an anti-slash material on the outside – toughened to withstand the potential slash of a blade, keeping your contents inside the bag, where they belong. One of the other features on the bags is concealed entrances/zips. Many of the secure bags have been designed so that, once on your back, the zips are not accessible without removing the back from your person, stopping thieves taking advantage on busy trains or buses, and sneaking into your rucksack. To top of the security features, some of the bags come with a locking mechanism designed for when you may have to leave your bags momentarily (like in the video), and also designated pockets for your contactless payment cards to avoid anybody swiping the data. To see the full range of bags that offers the unique combination of brand enhancement + peace of mind, click here. One great aspect of high quality, co-branded bags, is that they are just as suitable for promotional branding as dedicated ‘promo’ bags are, though we found this is not common knowledge amongst all consumers. Whether you require full colour logos, screen-printing or embroidery – the options available are not limited due to being a branded product. In many cases the aesthetics and design can

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