Some of the most appreciated marketing campaigns that use promotional products are the ones that include branded bags. Extremely useful and easily customizable, bags have proven their success no matter the industry.
Their low campaign costs have increased bags popularity among companies interested in improving their customers’ loyalty through giveaways.
A bag was the first product personalized, back in 1866, to promote a company. It was a bag of biodegradable jute fabric, very popular at that time: “burlap bag”.
The story says that Jasper Meek, a Newspaper owner in Ohio, wanted to use the time when the printing presses were not working. Seeing a kid that dropped his school books on the ground, Meek came up with a great idea to increase sales. He told his friend, the owner of a shoe store to print some of his bags for school.
These would later become the first promotional products branded with the name of the business: “Cantwell’s Fine Shoes” (see photo). The kids` bags would be seen by everyone all the way between school and home.
Even today, giving away branded bags is a simple, effective and cheap way to promote sales. It quickly grew alongside the promotional industry and alongside with the appearance of more resilient fabric, with more attractive designs.
Choosing the right bag depends on the desired features. Let`s talk further about some of the most important.
The bag`s fabric: 100% canvas cotton, 100% jute or mixed fabrics of cotton and jute. Polyurethane (non-woven material) is also a possibility.
It’s really important to know that density will give a fabric its strength. Light fabrics have around 130 gsm, while the more rigid and resilient ones are heavier, with 300 gsm.
What does gsm mean?
Gsm = gram per square meter – a measurement unit for the weight of textiles. This weight will give you information about thickness and density.
Some products have an inner layer. The inner fabric is usually thinner and made out of cotton, satin cotton or silk.
Eco-friendly fabrics have become the standard in recent years. OEKO-TEX® certifications can help out aligning a brand with its environmental statement in a marketing campaign.
More and more often, companies requests for personalized bag models made from natural, ecological materials. OEKO-TEX® certifications can be an explicit confirmation of the brand`s environmental policies.
Volume depends on the bag’s sizes and design. The volume of a bag can extend, for two similar types, if one has a gusset and a bottom. To sustain higher volumes or weights, bags made of strong fabrics are more suitable.
You can choose between branded bags with short (50-55 cm) or long (around 70 cm) handles, depending on the bag`s future use. In terms of accessories, you can pick from multiple closing mechanisms: with a buckle, cors, with a magnetic flap or simple, without any closing. In the same category appear pockets: inner or outer pockets, closed or not with buttons, zippers or Velcro.
Various functionalities have an increased importance for this kind of promotional items. Cleaning methods, reusability in different purposes (shopping, beach), packing in smaller volumes, these are just some of them.
Branding methods used for customizing a promotional bag are similar to the standard ones used in textile branding. Bags have the advantage of offering a large personalization area, compared to other textile products.
Choose the best branding method taking into consideration a series of criteria. The main criteria are the campaign and the customers that will use the branded bags. It’s essential to think about the budget as well, to choose between multiple fabrics. Last but not least, the logo will determine the best customization method.
Here are some of the best personalization methods for promotional bags:
Embroidery: a resistant and elegant customization method. Computer embroidery works best for high color combinations and high-quality images. It`s utilized for cotton or jute bags.
Direct serigraphy or serigraphy transfer: a method used for logos with multiple colors, in high count series, depending on the fabric of the bag.
Embroidered labels (patches): pieces of fabric branded with the logo of the company or with a bit of text and sewed on the promotional product.
Cardboard labels printed in polychromy: – added as an extra accessory, these labels are imprinted using the logo of the company or a short message related to the marketing campaign.