It would be much easier if branding were simple, but there are many channels to consider when trying to build brand awareness in the market. You have to attack from multiple directions in order to make your brand noticeable to the general public. When you put together a brand awareness strategy, consider adding tote bag marketing to the list of options. These promotional tote bags add to the list of ways you can get your brand’s name out there.
Start with the Brand Message You Want to Carry
Your brand awareness strategy needs to be cohesive across the board. You can’t say you are professional and straightforward in one avenue and then try to convey that you are fun and whimsical in another. Consider the messages you want your brand to convey, choose them with care, and then stick with them. Too many messages are confusing to the customers and the brand.
Treat Tote Bags as Part of Your Social Media Narrative
The New York Times states that social media is a huge part of most companies’ branding message. With the ability to create videos and pictures, customers often don’t even realize your company is trying to sell them something. It’s more about entertainment.
Tote bags can become a part of your company’s narrative on social media. Even if you create ads or videos that aren’t directly related to hard selling, the tote bag’s presence can send a message.
You can also use the tote bag to engage with customers on social media. Create a contest around the bag, for example. Have customers send pictures of how they use their bag or the strangest place they have taken their bag. Not only is it fun for you (and them), but it also creates buzz on social media around your logo bag.
Image: Unsplash
Use Totes as Value-Added Items, Not Just Merch
The Washington Post states that the tote bag is the latest must-have item. That automatically makes it something more than simply merchandise from your company. Totes are highly useful for groceries, shopping, carrying items around, and many other things.
When you give customers totes, they have something from you they can actually use. There’s value in that. Plus, when they use the tote, your logo and message are with them. They see it, and those around them see it as well. Even if they don’t overtly notice it, the more they see your logo, the more affinity they attribute to your company. When the time comes to use products and services you make available, they will more likely think of you and return to your company.
Integrate Tote Bags into Your Event and Community Presence
Branded tote bags are great items to use and hand out at events. If you have a presence at a corporate event, have bags at your table to hand out to guests. Make sure employees walking around at conferences take a bag with them to gather items from other tables. Tote bags are a great way to market at any event.
Beyond professional events, you may also want your tote bags to have a presence in the community. Consider ordering bags that you can hand out to customers and clients, so the bags slowly make their way to homes, coffee shops, grocery stores, and many other community areas. It’s advertising for you every time the tote is used and taken into public places.
Pair Tote Distribution with Email and Content Marketing
You don’t have to give tote bags out willy nilly. Rather, make it strategic and pair it with other marketing avenues. Here are a few ideas:
- QR Codes
Place a QR code on the bag so you can track how well the totes do in terms of marketing.
- Contests
Create contests around the bag and tell customers about it when you distribute the totes. They can have a bag, participate in the contest, and your marketing goes even further.
- Email Incentive
As you hand out the tote, give the bag to those who are willing to write down their email address so you can keep in contact with them through email marketing.
Track Impact and Optimize Your Strategy
There are a variety of ways to track the impact your bags are having so you can optimize your strategies. QR codes or website hits are a great way to go about tracking. You can also market through contests, pictures, and other avenues. When customers come in, simply ask if they have a tote and use it. The tracking will help you to refine any strategy you have for the future.
In conclusion
Any brand awareness strategy has to be multi-layered so it can attack the goals from many different angles. Save Your Ink can help you to design logo totes that give off the right message so customers will appreciate the brand as they use the bag. The design of your tote makes a big difference in the way your company comes off. Pay attention to detail then, use the totes to brand strategically and allow them to advertise in various locations for you.
