Bagged Goods

IT’S TIME TO rethink everything that’s previously been said about promotional bags and luggage. No more are the items, particularly bags, confined to the category of “trade show giveaway” or subjected to “who-would-want-that” scrutiny. A new day of higher-end luxury bags and luggage has dawned. The incentive bags and luggage category is ever expanding to include a variety of tasteful items worthy of gift-giving and receiving. Clients should know that long before the plane sets off to the Caribbean carrying 50 of its top salespeople to a well-deserved four-day, three-night stay at an exotic resort, they would do well to throw in a classy leather weekender for a well-rounded trip.

Coming in a close third only behind diamonds and shoes, bags also find themselves bearing that coveted title as a “girl’s best friend.” However, when it comes to promotional products, both men and women can appreciate the gift of a high-end incentive bag or luggage set.

Latico Leathers, Denville, N.J, offers a wide range of bags in a variety of sizes, shapes, leathers and colors. “For incentives and awards, our best sellers are designs that are suitable for a mixed group of women and men, but we also have designs [that are] ideal for a group of women or men,” noted Michael Schreiber, vice president.

The primary purpose of an incentive is to motivate. And what better way to motivate employees than with an attractive leather brief donning the company’s name or logo? To take it a step further, consider this: Even after the employee has moved on from the company, the employee is likely to continue using the item at his or her new place of business, further exposing the former employer’s message or logo. Note: most people carrying around leather bags imprinted with the IBM logo probably aren't employed by IBM. “A leather weekender is a powerful incentive for employees to achieve their sales or productivity goals and/or other measurable criteria,” noted Schreiber. “The employees can be motivated to make the extra effort if they know a beautiful leather bag is the reward that awaits them.”