In January of 2013, many counties across the U.S. will begin ordinances regarding single use shopping bags. Stores will be required to charge consumers a fee anytime a single use bag is used at checkout. How is this a marketing opportunity? People LOVE their reusable bags and feel good about using them. One woman I met recently told me that she made sure to collect reusable bags at every opportunity she could, especially at trade shows, they were her favorite marketing give away.
Reusable woven shopping bags are inexpensive, are becoming the “new normal” and are seen by many every-time someone goes shopping. Imagine having a really unique shopping bag, that people wanted to get their hands on to carry around while shopping. For retail stores…perfect! I was recently in a boutique downtown and they had the most beautiful orange shopping bags. The perfect color of orange (like sherbet), stuffed with tissue paper and ready for whatever a customer purchased. They had three sizes, they were so pretty, I wanted to buy something just because I thought the bag was so cool. It was about a month ago and I still remember that bag, and I’ve also heard I’m not the only one in town crazy about those bags.
For people in real estate, mortgage, insurance, direct sales, chiropractic, stylists or any other relationship business, sending a reusable shopping bag in the mail with a note about new ordinances; HUGE marketing opportunity, low cost, high visibility and the theory of reciprocity. It’s brilliant! The large shopping bags fit perfectly in a large mailing envelope and it’s sure to be opened just because of the size of the package.
Start early, be the first one to get them out and encourage people contact you to request more! Encourage and remind people to contact you when they loose one, give one away or simply need additional shopping bags. Add something to your email signature about being environmentally conscious and want to give “shopping bags” away to anyone of your clients or prospects who wants one. It is a huge emotional deposit and it puts reciprocity in motion.
Give shopping bags away with purchases on select items, with this becoming the new normal, consumers will appreciate the bag. Handing out the small woven bags are perfect for lunch or about a million other little things people need to carry around. Click here if you’d like for me to send you a shopping bag in the mail.
Consider how these bags can be the perfect marketing opportunity for you. Laws and ordinances like this don’t come along often and it’s important that to be “the one”….”the first one” to educate your customers and prospects. It will come back to you ten fold…that’s the reciprocity part!
P.S. PrinterBees does sell all types of recyclable and woven bags and can help you with a marketing plan to exploit this opportunity. It may be still be 2012, but people are already talking about it and it’s in the news repeatedly. Contact PrinterBees for more information on woven shopping bags.