How To Market Your Brand With Eco-Friendly Promotional Shopper Bags and Totes

In today’s world, where sustainability is becoming increasingly important, eco-friendly marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to connect with their target audience. By embracing eco-friendly practices, businesses not only reduce their carbon footprint — but also enhance their brand image and attract environmentally-conscious consumers. 

One effective (and cost-savvy) way to incorporate sustainability into your marketing strategy is by introducing eco-friendly promotional shopper bags and totes. These reusable and sustainable alternatives to traditional single use plastic bags can impactfully promote your brand — and at the same time, showcase your commitment to the environment.

In this article, we will look at:-

• Tips: How to make your shopping bags and grocery totes promotional
  

• Key benefits: Why go green with reusable promotional bags

• Example designs of eco-friendly reusable shopper bag ideas to explore with DTC World

As the Singapore government gears up to implement the “five-cent for each plastic bag“ charge at major supermarket chains commencing July 3 — this is a timely opportunity for brands to introduce promotional grocery or shopper bags. One, you get to echo your brand’s sustainability message by being part of this nation-wide green initiative. Secondly, this is a good business opportunity to offer the “ultimate” grocery bag for your customers — a reusable grocery tote that is perfect for any occasion — so befitting, stylish and convenient that your customers want to carry with them all the time! (Now, won’t you say such walking billboards are effective marketing for any brand?)

How to: Get creative and design promotional bags that speaks to your customers

Are your shopping bags keepers?

Do you encourage fashionable reusable shopper bags?

How to make your reusable shopper bags promotional — and stand out of the crowd?

As the saying goes, a long-term customer is of more value than a single-deal customer — and it’s a lot less expensive to keep a current customer than to acquire a new one.

So, where do custom promotional shopping tote bags enter the equation? Think about it this way, establishing a connection with customers you already have is more important than constantly trying to collect newer ones. Loyal customers who love your branding are more likely to carry a high-quality custom tote bag with them, helping to spotlight your brand in the big wide world. As compared to more transient products like compostable tissue paper might disappear after one use, reusable shopping tote bags last longer.

The next question that’s buzzing at the back of your head would be, “how do I deliver maximum branding impact while ensuring this is something my customers want to carry around?” 

While some companies opt for a simpler approach — ie. by branding their bags with their generic logo — styling your promotional bags creatively and making them pieces your customers want to carry helps place you above the rest of the crowd.

Designing eco-friendly promotional shopper bags and totes requires careful consideration to ensure they effectively represent your brand and resonate with your target audience. Here are some key tips you can consider to extend the life of your promotional shopping bags:

1. Make your bag into a keeper

“Keep them for as long as it gets.” That’s right! You want to offer your loyal patrons a good, durable shopping tote that stands the test of time — a keeper they simply can’t bear to part with. Among our favourites are reusable lightweight promotional totes that can be effortlessly folded and tossed into a computer bag or backpack.

Convenient, eco-friendly, easy to store and carry — simply brilliant! 

(TL – DR) These bright coloured shopping totes are practically the best of both worlds. The best part? These foldable shopping totes come in various sizes: small to large. Large enough to fit large everyday objects, yet small enough to zip up and toss into your pocket or purse. Easily customisable in the way you want it — a great choice as a GWP promotional gift or corporate swag. Image credit: DTC World

2. Incorporate compelling designs — make it stand out in a crowd

Combine eye-catching aesthetics with high functionality when designing your promotional fashion totes. Make it a functional statement piece. Go for bold graphics, vibrant colour choices or unique materials to make your shopping bags stand out when your customers use them again and again.

(That said, always ensure to keep the design in line with your brand.)

(TL – DR) Talk about bold. Having eye-catching designs on top of durable materials for your promotional shopping totes is a sure-win. Customers would surely fall in love with attractive and stylish grocery shopping totes like this. Whether it’s a regular drawstring canvas tote, or a thermal insulated bag — not only do they make a loud fashion statement, they are spacious and sturdy, too. Multifunctional, perfect for any occasion. Image credit: DTC World

3. Give your shopping bag another life

This is the time to think outside of the bag. How to turn your grocery shopping bag into something more than just a grocery bag? How about turning them into travel bags, picnic bags, or level it up to a ‘clip-on’ grocery tote on your shopping trolley cart.

 

(L – R) From classy jute tote bags, to chic leather-handle market bags, they are multi-purpose bags that you can carry everywhere. Nice to look at, awesome to use for practically any occasion. And you’ll love the large branding space, too! Image credit: DTC World

Get your shopping done in the most convenient — and stylish — way with this clip-to-trolley foldable grocery bag (bottom) or foldable shopping cart (top). Easily portable, with large storage space it also offers ample printing surface for branding and customising alternatives for your campaigns. Waterproof, easy to clean and durable. Image credit: DTC World

(L – R) Other examples of convenient shopping bags which you can easily clip on to trolley carts. We know just how much your customers will be showing off these ‘tote-ful’ shopping grocery bags to their family and friends. Image credit: Today.com, Pinterest

4. Encourage and educate

Ask yourself what can you do to encourage your customers to keep using your shopping bag.

You may want to suggest that (or remind) shoppers recycle your shopping bags. It doesn’t cost a lot to incorporate some reuse (recycle) tips — and print the recyclable logo on your bags. 

(TL – DR) Examples of educational recycle prints and logos you can incorporate into the designs of your promotional shopping bags. Image credit: Etsy, Walmart, Freepik, A Place for Everything