Bagging Up Big Sales

Bags have been around for all of human history. Cave people used animal pelts to carry rocks, the ancient Romans used bags to carry the vast amounts of wine they drank and people today use bags for everything from shopping on Madison Avenue to picking up seashells on the beach. Because of their widespread use, bags make great promotional items. We at Promo Marketing spoke to a few experts in the field of promotional bags and totes to find out what makes a popular promotion.

Having the Look
Users will want something that looks good if they're going to use it repeatedly. Christopher Duffy, vice president of marketing for Bag Makers, Union, Ill., noted that the look is how users make their first impression of the product.

"The look of the bag is very important to end-buyers," Duffy said. "It says a lot about who they are, their brand and the perception they want to put across."

Anne Zimmer, president of Sailor Bags, Victor, N.Y., also said that first and foremost, bags need to look good. She likened it to a first date: if the initial attraction isn't there, then it probably won't be successful in the long run.

"At the end of the day, all of the function, features and quality of a bag are pointless if it doesn't appeal to the customer aesthetically," she said. "So the appearance of the bag is critical—without that initial impression, the customer doesn't look any further, whether it's picking the bag up off a retail display, reading more about it online, or—of course—considering it for a promotional program."

Fun Features
Aside from just toting groceries, promotional bags can include a lot of cool features. Using a bag's features and abilities can help with making a sale. Zimmer laid out what she feels are the most popular bag features.