Smartbags.co.uk – Bag your brand

Reusable bags as a marketing and branding tool

Tips for Successful Exhibiting at Trade Shows

Promotional Tote Bag

September is traditionally a busy time for trade shows, Autumn exhibitions and events. You need to start planning now. To make the most of each show, you need to get organised and make sure that you leave enough time to create marketing materials and promotional items such as reusable bags.
Here’s some tips to help you prepare and get the most from exhibiting at trade shows:
  1. Start Marketing as soon as you register - Let customers and leads know when and where to find you. Blog, tweet or send a newsletter.
  2. Be practical about stand design - Will you need a TV monitor, sound equipment, stationery, storage and electricity points for phone chargers and electrical equipment? How many people will be working there, do you require seating etc? Your requirement will depend on the size and scale of your stand and your marketing objectives for the day.
  3. Promotional items & literature - If you are using promotional bags, catalogues and leaflets you must ensure that you leave enough time to get these produced and delivered on time for the event.
  4. Staff & Training - Are your staff prepared?  Make sure they are on brand, engaging and confident in getting your message over. Role play if need be before the event to train staff.
  5. Capture information - Time will be valuable on the day and you don’t want to spend too long talking to one person and missing the other potential customers who come by.  Talk, take details and arrange to follow up so you can move on and keep meeting people.  Another point to make which may seem obvious, (but can sometimes be overlooked if you are busy) is to make sure exact details are recorded so you can follow leads after the show.
  6. Follow up leads - the key here is to follow up in a short time frame from the event date so the day is still fresh in the customers mind. Communications should be appropriate and consistent with your brand message on the day of the show.

To learn more about using reusable bags at Exhibitions and Trade Fairs, read Bag your Brand and get noticed at Trade Fairs. 

Sign up to our RSS feed  or for email updates to keep up-to-date with the Bag Your Brand series. Further hints and tips can also be found on Twitter at#BagYourBrand

Bag your Brand with smartbags.co.uk. Call us on 020 8242 4468. Twitter @Smartbags

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What does the future hold for plastic bags?

According to a recent BBC article, What should be done about plastic bags?, in a consultation carried out by the European Union in 2011, more than half of the 15,000 people questioned favoured an outright ban on plastic bags. Over 800,000 tonnes of single-use plastic bags are used in the EU every year and over 4 billion are thrown away. These figures are pretty awe-inspiring and appear to speak for themselves but I’m not sure a ban is the best way forward.

 

 A number of countries have taken steps to reduce the use of plastic bags or get rid of them altogether. Italy, Rwanda and Somalia have imposed total bans and the United Arab Emirates and Tanzania have imposed partial bans. Closer to home, the Republic of Ireland introduced a ‘bag tax’ in March 2002. Plastic bag litter immediately dropped 95% and in the first year following the tax, 90% of shoppers switched to using long-life bags.

Wales also introduced a bag tax in 2011 and Northern Ireland is bringing one in in 2013. The BBC has reported that six months since the introduction of a minimum 5p charge per bag that supermarkets in Wales have seen a reduction in their use of up to 90%.

A number of European countries will soon follow suit, including Belgium, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Presumably a ban in England would prove popular yet it is worth remembering that the production of bags of any kind has an environmental impact.

When you compare the resources that are used in manufacturing different types of bag, a paper bag has to be used three times or more to have the same carbon footprint as a plastic bag – used less than three times its carbon footprint is bigger. A plastic ‘bag for life’ also has to be used at least three times to equate and a cotton bag has to be used 131 times (assuming that the plastic bag is only used once, otherwise the number of uses required goes up).

To be honest it can get confusing. Often a paper bag will serve a very different purpose to say a cotton bag and this should to be taken into consideration. For us the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is common sense and applies to plastic bags as much as other household items. Very thin plastic bags are not as strong as long-life bags, don’t last, get blocked in waterways and are not often recycled. We always encourage companies to have bespoke long-life bags to enhance their brand and support the R’s.

Depending on a business’ requirements, ecobags can be made from environmentally friendly jute, woven or non-woven PP (polypropylene), cotton or rPET (made from recycled plastic bottles), all of which can be used hundreds of times, promoting the company with each use.

What would you do about plastic bags? Are you in favour of an outright ban or would you prefer to see a bag tax or more recycling? If you’ve got any comments, please feel free to leave them below.

Sources:
http://www.bagmonster.com/track-the-movement
http://plasticbagbanreport.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17027990
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17595142

Bag your Brand with smartbags.co.uk. Call us on 020 8242 4468. Twitter @Smartbags

 

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Collaborate – and Get on With Your Day Job

Collaborate and get on with your day job

social media illustrationAs I was ordering something on my new tablet the other day, it occurred to me that we have all these tools at our finger tips – skype, smart phones, 24 hour ecommerce sites, tablets – you name it, that allow us to do anything at anytime by ourselves.


We live in a global market place and at the click of a button you can source a product or service for just about anything, anywhere in the world. BUT…

 

 


I experience this with enquiries for reusable bags. Clients have gone down the route of trying to find a factory to source their bags and cut out the “middle person” only to realise it would have saved time and money if they had worked with a promotional bag specialist in the first place!

Just because we can contact anyone, anywhere in the world at any time, doesn’t necessarily mean we should do. There are many benefits to collaborating and outsourcing the production of a bag for life:

time and money illustration1. Time & Money: You can save a lot of this if you collaborate or find the right supplier.

Quality and Commitment 2. Quality & Commitment: Do you really want to chance the quality? We have been using the same production team since we started and have a relationship built on trust and togetherness. You get this when your suppliers are not just suppliers but treated like partners.

efficiency3. Efficiency: Concentrate on what you’re good at and let your partners, suppliers and those you collaborate with concentrate on what they do best. Outsourcing does not mean not caring. Don’t limit your company’s potential by wanting to do it all. Welcome to the new work style!

Sign up to our RSS feed  or for email updates to keep up-to-date with theBag your Brand with smartbags.co.uk. Call us on 020 8242 4468. Twitter @Smartbags
Bag Your Brand series. Further hints and tips can also be found on Twitter at #BagYourBrand 


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Bag Your Brand: Ten reasons why promotional bags can work for your brand.

A stylish, reusable bag is practical, handy and brings your brand alive. Here’s 10 reasons why you should Bag Your Brand:

  1. Generate Brand Exposure: An innovative way to get your brand into your target market’s homes, with the opportunity to be used and seen again and again.
  2. Walking Billboard: Let your reusable bag get your message out there.
  3. A Corporate Gift (that people want to receive): Everyone needs a bag.  It’s useful for social outings as well as corporate needs.  There’s only so many calendars a desk needs…
  4. 101 Uses: There are 101 uses for a reusable bag – from shopping bags, to gym bags to meeting bags the list is endless.
  5. Integrated Marketing Campaign: A reusable, logo bag will create brand awareness and drive traffic to your website (make sure the web address is clearly printed on the bag).
  6. Exhibitions & Events: Perfect as goodie bags, a reusable, promotional bag is a guaranteed way to get your brand noticed.
  7. Feel good about 3 plastic bottles being transformed into a bag: Smartbags are specialists at rPET bags made from recycled bottles.  We’re at the forefront of manufacturing these high quality, low cost reusable eco bags.
  8. ROI: Producing a reusable bag can cost the same per unit as a chocolate bar but is a tangible representative of your brand which will have a long, practical life – not a fleeting pleasure.
  9. Flexibility:  Working with you to determine your perfect promotional bag, there are many different bags to suit your needs and budget.  Our 100% double sided silk screen printing, Non-woven and Woven PP bags offer the perfect blank canvas to create a striking representation of your brand.
  10. Fund Raise with Reusable Bags: If you’re a shop or charity, for instance, many customers appreciate the opportunity to buy an attractive branded reusable bag, so you can make money while feeling virtuous and let your customers do your advertising for you!

 

Sign up to our RSS feed  or for email updates to keep up-to-date with the Bag Your Brand series. Further hints and tips can also be found on Twitter at #BagYourBrand

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Bag Your Brand: Tap into your Brand Advocates

Brand advocates are those customers who are so impressed with your fabulous service and products that they will want to tell the world about your business.

In a series of blogs, called ‘Bag Your Brand’, I will be looking at how your brand’s values can be harnessed to generate a buzz and expand your business.  If you are a predominately an online business don’t forget the ‘real world’, as a physical representation of your brand is essential in order to tap into your brand advocates as well as generating new ones.

We discovered this infographic recently, which is a fascinating perspective on this special breed of customer.

Reusable, promotional bags are just one low cost way to connect with your fans. They can cost as much as a click in an ad words campaign and having a moving billboard in one form or another can drive traffic to your site.

So if you want to connect with your customers, especially your brand advocates:  Keep it real – give them something that will make them want to talk about your brand or walk around showing it off.

The next instalment of Smartbags’ ‘Bag Your Brand’ blogs will be coming soon. Sign up for email or RSS updates

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Ordering Promotional Bags: Lead Times

Cut costs and plan efficiently

An emerging and increasingly conscious part of a company’s quarterly budget management is learning how to improve ways of cutting hidden extra costs and planning more efficiently in order to so.

Plan your promotions in advance

Laminated Gold Promotional Bag from Oh Baby LondonWhen ordering promotional and branded bags for a future big event, it’s well worth remembering “earlier the better”  as the key factor. Order late and you’ll pay more for despatch via express airfreight services instead of significantly saving budget using a more eco friendly standard shipping method.

Try to leave even just 4 weeks more time and you will be able to benefit from a quality made to order and bespoke wholesale service that will serve your brand more vibrantly. You’ll also benefit from larger quantities of reusable promo bags for your money and spread the word of your company even more to the masses – contact smartbags for a quote phone: +44 (0)20 8242 4468/ email: matt@smartbags.co.uk

See our range of promotional bags

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Woven and Non-woven Polypropylene reusable bags – what are they??

We all know that a reusable ‘bag for life’ is environmentally friendly as it’s designed to be used again and again.

  • Reduce your environmental footprint by using Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer which means it is a type of material that can be melted down, recycled and made into other items such as garden furniture and flower pots. It’s use also contributes to waste reduction and encourages movement away from single-use products.
Compare green credentials of polypropylene with other plastics

  • Why use polypropylene as material for reusable bags?

Polyproylene is available woven (WPP) or non-woven (NWPP). WPP are polypropylene strips that have been woven and are perfect for producing strong reusable bags. NWPP is made to look like a “textile” material by having a cross thatched pattern stamped onto the material. Reusable supermarket bags and event tote bags are commonly made from this material.

The material can be used to create tough, water repelling bags. The most complex designs can be screen printed, heat transferred or full colour laminated onto. The material can be matched to any Pantone colour making sure it agrees to your brand “style guide lines” or “brand bible”. Available in varying thickness, it can also be used for zips and buckles. It really is a great material to make smart, long lasting reusable bags suitable for every day use that work your marketing message at the same time.

See some examples of non-woven polypropylene bags

Any questions? Do leave a comment or contact leanne@smartbags.co.uk
www.smartbags.co.uk

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Print Techniques for reusable bags explained

There are a number of print techniques available for printing on a reusable bag and it will influence the material you decide to use and even the style that is suitable.

Silk screen printing:
This suitable for non woven,  cotton,  jute and RPET ecobags.  It is the perfect choice when the art work is simple and bold. Block colours work best – shades and tones will not print well and will drive up the price of the bag as each tone might count as a different print colour. See the silk screen printing process in action

Example of bag using heat transfer technique

Example of bag using heat transfer technique

Heat transfer:

For a photo quality finish a heat transfer might be the ticket. Essentially a tattoo or a decal is created and with the use of heat bonded onto the bag. This method can be used for non-woven bags, cotton bags, jute or rPET bags. The limitation is that there are a set amount of sizes available. It is more expensive than screen printing but the advantage is you can get a brilliant photo quality.

 

Full Colour Process:

Example of bag using full colour process

Example of bag using full colour process printing

This is best for graphic or digitally created artwork and pictures where many colours are used.  It is also referred to CMYK print technique. It will give a contemporary and quality finish. The additional finish of a matte or gloss laminate can be applied to enhance the look of the bag and is worth considering as well if your budget will stretch. This is perfect for woven and non-woven laminated bags, just like the bags sold by the large supermarkets.

Full colour process is possible on non-woven, woven and rPET bags.

 

The process you choose, will depend on the type of bags that suit your promotional campaign.  For more information on choosing the right printing technique for your reusable bags, contact Matt at Smartbags or visit www.smartbags.co.uk

 

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Spanish Brands Bag it at Pure London

I love a Trade Fair, especially a fashion one. At the  PURELondon Trade fashion show earlier in August at Olympia London it was three Spanish brands that stood out with the best event bags.

CUSTO made a  bold statement with a Woven PP laminated gloss bag and webbing handles. The use of block colour and a bold graphic with a retro inspired lady on one side and man on the other  was a head turner.

Desigual returned with their signature graphic a paint pallet explosion of colour with a matte non-woven laminated bag also with webbing handles

Sidecar was my favourite in a gloss woven PP reusable bag. The design was a tutti frutti graffiti delight that didn’t leave a pantone colour out.

Maybe British brands haven’t explored the potential of a strong woven bag. These bags will make many more outings after the event.

If you want to find out how a full colour laminated woven or non-woven bag can make you stand out at your next trade fair or exhibition, please get in touch with leanne at Smartbags or visit www.smartbags.co.uk. Or you can add your question here and I’ll get back to you.

 

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400 Days to Go …..

 

The Olympics 2012 is in full countdown now, with just 400 days to go.  With almost half a million foreigners expected to descend on London for the games, now is the time to start planning your marketing strategy to get your brand out there.

Smartbags founder, Leanne Dal Santo, recently attended a Merton Chamber of Commerce event at The All England Club, Wimbledon, and heard from two Olympic medallists on how to turn personal experience into business opportunity.  Giles Long MBE, a former Paralympic swimmer, and Ray Stevens, an Olympic Judo champion, both now run successful ventures.

The Merton Chamber of Commerce event was well attended as the audience were keen to hear about the effect of the Olympics on business and commerce.

Official sponsor or not, make sure you reap the winning rewards from the 2012 Olympics.  It is estimated that the retail sector alone will see up to £3bn spend during the games.  Check your local Chambers and get involved in activities on how you can benefit as a business from the Games.

Going for Gold

Supporting the Games is great and can be fun with Smartbags’ new super-sturdy, super-fun and super-stylish metallic range of reusable bags.

Available in gold, silver and bronze, the laminated non-woven bags are lightweight, reusable, waterproof and frankly dazzling.

Let your ‘walking’ brand ambassadors do the work for you as you put your feet up and watch the hits to your website tot up.

Smartbags' range of metallic bags come in all shades of glory.

 

A simple way to drive more customers to your website is by running a fun competition on the side of the bag.  For example, ‘Are you a Gold, Silver or Bronze (insert brand name) shopper?  If so, log on to (insert company website address) and take part in our competition to win a gold, silver or bronze watch / bar / necklace etc.’.  This is also a good database-generating exercise.

It’s not just a bag…it’s a golden way to gain heaps of exposure.

Notes about the Olympics and Brand Guidelines

Please note that there are strict guidelines on using words and images associated with the Olympics.  We are not experts but we would strongly advise that you avoid all obvious references to the 2012 Olympics on branded materials.  Please read the official guide below:

-          http://www.london2012.com/documents/brand-guidelines/guidelines-for-business-use.pdf

For more information on ordering reusable shopping bags, contact matt@smartabags.co.uk or visit www.smartbags.co.uk.

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