Archive for December, 2009

A Signature Bag – Your Holiday Card?

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Every season I look forward to seeing what the best Big Box stores are using for shopping bags. And from this article posted on newsobserver.com, lots of consumers do the same. A great shopping bag, as you know, is a “walking advertisement”. Customers will keep using them if they look cool, are environmentally friendly, or are just simply a good re-useable size. And when packaging is put together nicely, it is often given with a gift – what a great compliment to your store! Anne Keating from Bloomingdale’s goes as far as comparing it to a holiday card given to her guests. It’s an interesting concept and something for you to think about all year round. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Take a plain Kraft bag and add you own distinctive ribbon or tissue paper. Add a small gift card for gift giving. At a minimum, choose something that matches your store color. Simply check out Bags & Bows for some great affordable options to get started.

So while Big Box stores give us all a run for our money, think about these easy and affordable ways to stand out and get noticed. Create a “signature” look for your store. You can’t afford not to. Your customers will love it.

Laura Walker

Sr. Product Marketing Manager & Retail Advocate

From “Bags to Riches” . . .

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

A colleague of mine gave me that opener.  It came to her in a dream one night.  My first thought?  There is no connection to retail packaging.  But then – why not?  In some ways, your packaging says a lot about your brand and image.  Your name and logo should be on most everything customer-facing, including your bags, tissue, ribbon, boxes, etc.  You’ve worked hard to create it, and you should proudly promote it.  Your brand and logo says a lot about you, the message you’re trying to communicate, and how customers and potential customers perceive you in your community.  To give you some ideas around branding, I’m attaching a brief but compelling white paper titled “developing your brand and promoting it”.  In the simplest terms, retail experts say a brand is a promise – it is a promise of what you believe and what you deliver, it is your reputation.  And leveraging your brand in the right ways leads to, well, maybe not “riches”, but it sets you on the right path to get there!

Questions you should be asking yourself . . . .

  • What do customers and potential customers think when they see my name?
  • Is it what I want them to think?
  • Am I delivering on my brand promise?
  • Am I promoting it in the right way to my target audience?

How can Bags & Bows help?  Personalizing is critical to getting your brand noticed and your message communicated.  See how you can affordably personalize your products with rich foils or colorful ink printing.   Do you need to create a new logo or refresh an old one?  Here are some easy and affordable solutions to get the logo design that will best support your brand.

Finally, our Bags & Bows exclusive collections are another great way to get your name noticed and your brand remembered, from our Holiday Wish, Joy, Peace and Believe Collection to our Wisteria Collection with elegant purple flowers.  Please take a look at our latest exclusive retail packaging products.

Laura Walker

Sr. Product Marketing Manager and Retail Advocate