Jul 15, 2014

The Impact of The Promotional Tote Bag

Tote bags garner more impressions than any other form of promotional advertising.Promotional tote bags have exploded in popularity in the last few years. Not only at trade shows, where they have become a ubiquitous item for brands trying to gain potential business, but everyday consumers who find a bag useful for carrying groceries, or storing books in a closet. Our infographic takes a look a look at the impact of promotional tote bags and how brands can take advantage.

One of the main reasons that tote bags are popular is that consumers find them to be actually useful. They can be used to carry everything from groceries, to lunch, to storing Christmas decorations. Hardly anyone passes up a free bag.

• 83% of consumers find bags useful
• 39% of grocery shoppers own them
• 31% of consumers own a promotional bag
• 28% find them attractive
• 23% find them enjoyable to have
• Consumers keep promotional bags an average of 4 years
• 37% of African-Americans own a promotional bag. The highest number of any demographic
• Women are more likely to have branded bags than men: 36% v. 24%

Promotional tote bags have grown in popularity partially due to the green movement. Many cities have passed laws that ban the use of one-time use plastic bags, and many states are considering similar laws to reduce plastic bags littering the landscapes, and clogging sewers and streams. Major Cities With single-use plastic bag bans or fees: San Francisco, Washington, Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, Seattle

• More than 20 million Americans live in communities with plastic bag bans or have to pay a fee to use a plastic bag
• 1/3 of California residents live in an area that either has a ban on plastic bags or charges a fee to use

Sources: 
Earth Policy Institute
2013 Advertising Specialty Institute Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study