You may remember from last month’s article that the average cost per impression for promotional products was .004 which was far below that of other traditional media, such as national magazine advertising at .033, sports radio advertising at .005, newspaper advertising at .019 and city/national billboards at .003.
Promotional tote bags beat that already attractive average at a cost per impression at .002. The reason for this tremendous return on investment is that promotional products (especially those that are useful and practical), in general, have staying power especially those that are useful products. That means that recipients hang onto promotional products, and they keep them in their offices, homes or on their person. They use them in highly visible ways such as commuting to work or school, going shopping, or enjoying leisure activities. Because of this, tote bags have long been the classic and the most frequently used promotional product. Statistics show that tote bags are used on average of 9 times per month resulting in over 1000 impressions on a monthly basis. That is more than twice other popular items such as caps, shirt, writing instruments, desk accessories, glassware or calendars. With that data in mind your promotional tote bag purchase can be extremely important, and can contribute in a major way to the success of your marketing programs. There are a multitude of bags from which to choose, so we want to provide you with some considerations when making your next purchase.
Target Audience: Initially, we must identify and understand the target audience. Long before we start looking at specific styles or color schemes we need to determine whether the intended recipient is male, female, young adults, seniors, teens, children, urban or professional. Almost every member of these groups will use a bag of some sort at least once a day, but each of these demographics prefer different bag styles and each may use bags for very different purposes. We need to really understand who that recipient will be so that we can choose the bag that they will gladly incorporate into their daily lifestyle. If we can accomplish that, then your company or organization has just increased your brand awareness by at least 1000 impressions every month. And, when viewed within that context, the time spent purchasing promotional bags is time well spent.
Venue: Now, we need to analyze whether the venue where the bag will be used or distributed requires or points to specific features. For example, conference totes may need to contain registration materials; golf bags may need to contain promotional products from tournament sponsors; bags presented at an awards dinner may need “stage” appeal; direct mail campaigns may require a foldable, lightweight tote to save on postage; and, backpacks might be stuffed with “back to school” necessities. Understanding and planning with these venue requirements in mind can help you maximize this branding opportunity. So, we ask that you allow us to help you estimate the overall size and weight of all inserts to be presented to the recipient within the bag.
Bag Style: Next, we need to identify the bag style based on target audience and venue requirements. In general, men will prefer briefcases or duffel bags in darker and muted colors, women will prefer fashion totes in brighter colors, professionals will prefer briefcases and computer bags in traditional “business” hues, and students will prefer backpacks and possibly in coordinating school colors. Sometimes target audiences will cross several of these demographics, so we need to envision the daily activities in which most members will engage. We can take a cue from fashion magazines as to what bag style will be most popular with a given demographic. Bags are popular on the fashion and runway scenes recently, so there are plenty of opportunities to browse retail advertising in magazines and newspapers, as well as celebrity outfits on television and in movies for cues on what bag styles best fit today’s trends.
Budget: At this point we need to understand whether your project’s overall budget is geared toward a higher expenditure for long-term branding purposes, or whether it is geared toward a lower cost short-term branding purchase. If your marketing goal for the promotional bag is for long-term exposure, then we need to make sure that we are selecting the highest quality and most durable bag at your budget’s price point to ensure that it can withstand and invite daily use over a prolonged period of time. And, since most promotional tote bags last longer than many promotional products and enjoy sustained use spending a little extra for a durable bag with a high perceived value only increases the advertising impact that it will provide.
Imprint Method: We must align the imprint method with the material of the chosen product and your logo or slogan. Canvas and PolyCanvas bags can easily accommodate one or two color screen prints, or embroidery in multiple colors. Screen printing will be the most affordable for one and two color imprints, but with new transfer methods can also accommodate multiple colors or four color process. Embroidery will be most cost effective for projects with smaller imprint requirements and production in smaller quantities, but still require multiple colors. Vinyl and nylon bags will perform best when logos are screen printed, because embroidery will actually degrade the water repellent nature of the material. And, leather or simulated leather bags are ideal candidates for debossing for a tone-on-tone effect. There is no production obstacle to screen printing on leather or simulated leather products especially if your logo lends itself better to this style of reproduction. However, the deboss method in general enjoys a higher perceived value at the same cost as a one color screen print.
In Conclusion: Promotional tote bags are the equivalent of walking billboards for your brand, and can be extremely effective members of your marketing arsenal. Taking the time to work through the decision-making process presented here will ensure that more people will see your promotional product in use which will result in an increased return on your purchase, in addition to the success you will enjoy in communicating your message or promoting your brand. TheMarketPro stays abreast of new products, industry data, and market trends so that we can help you with this process, and can be reached at 800-905-0073 or sales@themarketpro.net.
Author: Connie King
Publication Date: March 2009