Tote bags

How basic can we start?  This is the basic and classic cotton canvas tote bag.  It is made of a 7 oz. cotton canvas material.  Such a bag is typically made from one piece of fabric folded in the middle and sewn at the edges or two pieces of fabric sewn together around three edges.  The handles are added for portability - hence a tote bag.

The size here is 15" x 16" with short carrying handles.  Handles can be over the shoulder or grab and go.  The grab and go handles are shorter - extending 6-10" from the top of the bag.  The over the shoulder handles (also known as drop handles) are intended for you to hang on your shoulder.  (There might be times that you find I have a knack for stating the obvious but I thought it was good to share.)

The size of the bag is variable as well.  A 13" x 13" tote is just the right size to hold a bunch of 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of paper.  Mini totes are available to put a small gift box into and the pictured bag here is just large enough to tote to the beach with a towel and sunscreen.

Of course, material matters as well.  While this 7 oz. material is nice and basic, there are alternate cotton canvas options which are stronger and more durable and others which are more flimsy.  Then there are assorted other materials such as nylon, denier polyester, polypropylene, cotton jersey and leather.  Stay tuned - there's much more in the bag to discuss.

Can you really blog about bags?

I have been in the promotional products business since 1986.  Promotional products can be fun, different, memorable and more.  Ultimately the value of promotional products is in the impression they make on the recipient.  They act as a constant reminder of the company or person who gave them to you.  They are an advertising medium and research indicates that they are quite effective at that.  Of course, that does not make them the only factor in earning or maintaining a client.  You have to be dedicated to your business and have a passion for your business.  But sometimes a little gift helps the recipient sit up and take notice.

My favorite medium is the promotional bag.  These might be paper or plastic shopping bags, tote bags, briefcases, backpacks and many specialty bags.  Why am I so fond of bags?  They are, in promotional terminology, a walking billboard.  Are you at a trade show?  Ever wonder where that person got that bag to carry everything he is picking up?  You don't have to ask him - it is right there on the bag.  Go to the booth and pick one up for yourself.  Now, someone in that booth will have a chance to introduce you to their company.

Have you walked the streets of New York, Boston, Los Angeles...?  What bags do you see people carrying?  Every time that bag is seen means another impression.  There are people out there who research how many impressions you get from different advertising media, take the cost of the media and come up with a cost per impression.  According to a research study published by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) the average bag makes over 1000 impression a month and the average cost per impression is $.002.  The cost per impression for a radio ad is $.005.  For an ad on prime time TV...$.019.  And for a 1/2 page B/W newspaper ad ...$.0192.

So with those thoughts I would like to welcome you all to our Bag Bragger Blog where we will explore different bag styles, decoration techniques, case histories and more.