What To Consider When Using Reusable Bags For Your Marketing Initiatives

The world loves free items. It’s even better if the item turns out to be something useful with multiple applications (or at least some reusability). To that end, reusable bags are a great item to offer for promotional purposes at any business. Not only are they an ideal way to protect the environment—they are usually made of more natural materials and are much better than plastic bags—but they give customers something worthwhile that they can use over and over again or simply take anywhere they go. Whether you’re putting together your first marketing initiative using promotional bags or are setting up a new strategy altogether, here is a brief guide to choosing the best reusable bags for promotions at your business.

Color

The first step to choosing your reusable bags is to settle on some color schemes. Bright, vibrant colors might be more likely to show off your “fun” side and demonstrate to customers that your organization is one that wants people to be happy. A vibrant color can also work well to enhance your logo, depending on how you plan to customize your bags. There’s a surprising psychology behind choosing colors for items you sell at your store, which extends to selecting a bag color. Typically, you can’t go wrong with colors that are easy on the eyes, like blue, red, green, yellow, and black. By carefully selecting colors for your reusable bags, you can entice customers to reuse them and build some positive brand awareness at the same time.

Branding

Speaking of developing brand awareness, the branding question is an important one. Offering customized tote bags featuring your branding is a great way to generate interest in your business. It can act like a portable business card, really, and ultimately reinforce your brand values. By offering reusable bags, you can give customers something functional and even honor discounts or other promotions if they come back and use it again at your facility. Positioning your branding prominently on the bag can make a big impact among potential and existing customers, making it the ideal leveraging reusable tote packs at your business.

Style

Tote bags are great because they come in a wide variety of distinct styles. In addition to tote bags, full bags come in a variety of styles. Although there are many different types, the one to choose for your business should probably be based on what customers are probably going to use it for. In most cases, tote bags are going to be the most common because those are going to be used for grocery shopping or general shopping at your store. Other types of bags, like shoulder bags for grocery sacks can be reusable. There are also drawstring backpack style bags that are popular in some cases. Sometimes you just can’t beat the classics, though, so going with something colorful, functional, and prominently featuring your brand is usually the best bet for selling/giving away reusable bags.

Material

One of the most important considerations for your reusable bags is the material from which they’re made. The whole reason people like to use reusable bags is because they’re supposed to be better for the environment. Obviously, they need to be cleaned regularly and maintained in order to be safe to use, but for the most part they are much better than the plastic alternative. After all, plastic takes forever to biodegrade and can leave an indelibly negative mark on the environment. Using a canvas tote bag can decrease your impact on the environment while giving your customers something eco-friendly to use regularly. Canvas bags can also be insulated so they can be used for keeping these cold and coming in a variety of different designs, colors, and styles.

Zippers, Pockets, and Handles

A final consideration for the types of bags that you were going to hand out at your organization is making sure that they have handles. A bag without a good quality handle is going to break or not work as well, so it’s prudent to ensure the handles are sturdy and work well with that. If you’re offering zippered bags, look for a bag with sturdy handles and a zipper closure so that your contents stay safe and secure. Not all bags are going to offer zippers, but some might  contain pockets. Pockets are a great accessory for bags because they can keep things separated and give you slightly more storage space offering pockets and a zipper in a bag can make it easier to manage the bag’s contents. Tote bags have plenty of functions outside of shopping. A clear tote bag featuring a zipper can be an excellent companion for a road trip or camping, for instance. A tote bag with a pocket can be useful for traveling or moving things around at home. Other tote bags are ideal for picnics and can advertise your brand while customers are out and about.