EcoArticles
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How to Choose the Right Custom Imprinted Tote Bags For Your Next Trade Show |
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Written by Robert Piller
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Wednesday, 15 October 2008 15:57 |
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 When it comes to environmentally friendly trade show give-aways, few items give more bang for the buck than imprinted tote bags. Trade show attendees are constantly looking for quality bags to put their catalogs and handouts into, and a heavy-duty tote bag will be used over and over again—long after the trade show has ended. Tote bags are light in weight, fold up easily and they help prevent dozens of plastic bags from ever being needed.
Robert Piller, president of Eco Marketing Solutions, notes, "Imagine the return on investment that a reusable tote bag offers, when you factor in the hundreds of people who will be carrying your billboard sign around a trade show floor promoting your company."
With all the choices of eco-friendly promotional tote bags, how do you choose which is the best tote bag for your budget? Below are the five most popular types of eco-friendly tote bags and information to help you choose the correct tote bag for your needs.
1. Cotton/Canvas Tote Bags: Cotton/canvas tote bags are probably the strongest and most durable of all tote bags. Cotton tote bags come in various weights and offer possibly the best value, as well. For trade shows, choose a cotton tote bag made with a minimum of 6 ounce cloth in order to carry and support substantial weight from catalogs, thus ensuring that the tote bags will actually be used. You can order these in natural color or dyed, depending on the impact of your logo and message. The canvas material is not smooth, so small fonts and detailed logos should be avoided.
2. Organic Cotton Tote Bags (Organic Canvas Tote Bags): Organic cotton tote bags have all the characteristics of regular cotton/canvas tote bags, only they are made from organic cotton rather than natural cotton. Be sure to only choose natural color organic tote bags or you will be defeating the purpose and "organic" message you are promoting. Even with natural dyes available, always choose the neutral or natural fabric color when using organic cotton tote bags. Of the five types of environmentally friendly tote bags, organic cotton bags will usually be the most expensive option, but have the most appeal to the die-hard environmentally-conscious recipient. Because of the cost, organic tote bags are best for high end products or services, such as spas, real estate, salons, etc.
3. Recycled Tote Bags: Tote bags can be made from a variety of recycled materials—including denim, soda bottles and other plastics. The plastics are processed and refined and the appearance has a shiny, smooth finish and tight weave, so your logo and imprint will look crisp. Most recycled tote bags come in dark colors so these are best for a light colored imprint where your message can stand out from a distance.
4. Jute Tote Bags: Jute tote bags have become very fashionable recently. Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads and the material is often referred to as burlap. Jute tote bags often come in natural color, or can be dyed with Azo-free dyes to ensure that it remains environmentally-friendly. Jute has a loose weave with a coarse surface, so an imprint with larger graphics and fonts often work best with this material. Jute bags tend to be more expensive then cotton so they are better suited for higher end products or services.
5. Polypropylene Tote Bags: Although tote bags made from polypropylene are not natural, they are often considered to be environmentally-friendly because they are extremely durable and can be recycled. This plastic material is ideal for keeping products from getting wet or for packaging products that may "sweat" or that may leak. Polypropylene tote bags have a smooth and shiny finish and are ideal for all types of graphics and colors. In large quantities, polypropylene tote bags can usually offer the lowest cost.
Tote bags are ideal for trade show giveaways. You can have an imprint area the size of a mini billboard that will be carried from place to place – each time promoting your company to an audience. Choosing tote bags will help reduce waste and prevent plastic bags from ending up in landfills. An eco-friendly tote bag will help promote your company in a positive light and is one promotional item that will be appreciated and used immediately.
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Robert Piller is President of Eco Marketing Solutions LLC, a company that helps businesses promote themselves to their customers and prospects at trade shows using environmentally-friendly promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues of green marketing. He can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. You can also visit his blog at www.greenspotblog.com . |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 October 2008 16:12 )
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Seeded Business Cards are a Low-Cost Green Business Builder
| Improve your green image with plantable business cards from Eco Marketing Solutions. These full-color cards are printed onto handmade paper embedded with seeds. Customers just plant them indoors or outdoors for a colorful miniature wildflower seed garden. Ideal for trade shows, direct mail and sales call, these seeded business cards will set you apart. Also available as seeded postcards, seeded hang tags,statement stuffers, on-packs/in-packs, seeded CD cases, seeded invitations, etc--please inquire for details. Grows in any climate. Two year shelf life. Click here for more information. |
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Imprinted Promotional Products Yield Lowest Cost per Impression of any Advertising Medium
The results are in… and the June/July 2008 survey of 618 businesspeople on behalf of the Advertising Specialty Institute prove that imprinted promotional products return the best return on investment of any advertising medium.
A summary of the conclusions of the report are:
• Instant recall: More than 8 out of 10 (84%) respondents remembered the advertisers of the promotional products they’re received.
• Very impressionable: 42% of respondents had a MORE favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving the item. And nearly a quarter (24%) said they are MORE likely to do business with the advertiser on the items they receive.
• It’s all business: Most respondents (62%) have done business with the advertiser on a promotional product after receiving the item.
• User-friendly: The majority (81%) of promotional products were kept because they were considered useful.
• Staying power: More than three-quarters of respondents have had their items for more than 6 months.
• Bag it!: Among wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently with respondents indicating that they used their bags an average of 9 times per month. They also deliver the most impressions: Each bag averages 1,038 impressions per month.
• Most impressive: The average CPI of an advertising specialty item is $0.004; as a result, marketers get a more favorable return on investment from advertising specialties than nearly any other popular advertising media.
With budgets tight this year, doesn't it make sense to utilize a proven medium to keep your name and message in front of your clients and prospects?
Imprinted advertising specialties, from tote bags, pens, shirts, caps, USB's, mugs and other imprinted gifts can help you to increase and maintain business during this tough economy. While some of your competitors are cutting their promotional budgets or spending their money on more expensive forms of advertising, your company can gain top-of-mind market penetration for pennies per impression through proven promotional products—delivered in a way to maximize its impact.
Promotional specialties can be used as a gift with purchase, as part of a customer loyalty or incentive program, as a thank you gift or as part of a trade show campaign.
Choosing the right imprinted gift, and the proper distribution of it, can help you maximize sales and gain more referral business this year – at a fraction of the cost of other forms of advertising.
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Note: The survey was a series of interviews conducted in June/July 2008 in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia regarding promotional products they had received. The purpose of the interviews was to understand how advertising specialties influence end-users’ purchasing decisions; determine the number of impressions of popular advertising specialties; and analyze the Cost Per Impression (CPI) of advertising specialties compared with other popular advertising media. Further, during October 2008, an online panel survey was conducted among recipients of advertising specialties to augment the non-wearables sample from the in-person interviews. Results have been combined in the report where appropriate. There were 213 completed Web based interviews, for a total of 618 completed surveys for this study. Respondents were asked if they had received any promotional products in the last 12 months. Most respondents were business/professional people (84%) and all were age 21 or older. Research provided by the Advertising Specialty Institute, Copyright ©2008, All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------
Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and environmentally-friendly promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive eco-friendly advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for anyone interested in going green. The site's handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com. |
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Eco Marketing Solutions Provides Trade Show Solutions
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