Sometimes it pays to think out of the box when you’re considering ways to boost your brand visibility. Custom printed tote bags could be the type of merchandise that gives your business a whole new level of exposure.
Here at Fifth Column we print (and embroider) lots and lots of clothing. Personalised apparel – t shirts, hoodies, beanies and plenty more besides – is incredibly popular. It’s understandable, garments adorned with your logo or design are obviously great adverts. Whether you’re a band or a brewery, customised clothing is perfect for your fans. But if you want to explore ways of adding to what you already have, tote bags are also a great promotional tool.
Let’s take a quick look at custom printed tote bags, their growing appeal, and the sort of marketing opportunities they represent.
Need advice on the best printed merchandise for your enterprise. Get in touch with our friendly team for some expert help.
Here are four examples of tote bags that are specifically designed for customisation. Literally a blank canvas sitting on the shelf, waiting for your artwork to be printed so they can get to work spreading the word for your brand.
1. Earth Positive Fashion Tote Bag EP75
The EP75 is an excellent quality bag that features a long strap and comes in 11 colourways. The fabric is plain weave (5.01 oz / 170 g) and perfect for printing. Kind to the environment, made from 100% combed organic cotton, part of Continental Clothing’s Earth Positive range of eco-friendly products.
2. Stanley Stella AOP Woven Shopping Bag
With it’s all over camo base print, the Stanley Stella AOP tote bag is a great alternative if you need something different to plain coloured bags. Get the right design on this and it’s a stand out statement. Sturdy and stylish canvas, and all recycled, 80% recycled cotton and 20% recycled polyester.
3. Earth Positive Classic Shopper Tote Bag EP70
Another beauty from the Earth Positive range, the EP70 is made from 100% combed organic cotton and very competitively priced. The plain weave loves printing and we have a lot of love for this classic shoulder bag. 5 colours and all of them produced to the highest ethical standards.
4. Stanley Stella Woven Tote Bag
The Stanley Stella woven tote is another bag made from a mix of recycled cotton and polyester. With long, cross stitch reinforced handles, this bag also features a shaping seam at the bottom to create volume. It comes in 6 colours – plenty of scope to get the right match for your design requirements.
We picked four of our favourites above, but nowadays there are a lot of fantastic blank tote bags from which to choose. The bags themselves have been around in different forms for quite a while.
The word ‘tote’ originates in the 17th century and, not surprisingly, means to carry. A tote bag is defined as a large open bag, usually made of cloth, with two handles. The 50s and 60s saw this simply styled holdall go from being a household workhorse to fashion item and these days it combines both function and fashion.
It’s in recent times that we see their rise as a popular and clearly recognisable item and one that is superbly suited to printing and customisation. In terms of custom merchandise, the potential is tremendous. The relatively low cost and common usage are great starting points.
Tote bags are inexpensive and the sort of product that everyone needs. We all have to carry things. The shape itself, a good-sized rectangle, is an ideal surface on which to display your design.
Just as custom clothing is a walking advert for your business, custom printed tote bags are a mobile sandwich board. And while you wear a bespoke printed t-shirt once and need to wash it, imagine how many people you might walk past in a day or a week, and if you were using your custom printed tote bag… that’s a lot of people that would see it! Think about the possibilities. The humble tote bag is fabulous. Put your logo on it and you have another product to sell, a great giveaway with purchase or a handy perk for staff. Print artwork or a concept design and you have a retail item that could be a goldmine.