I have been in discussion with our local chapter product show planning group. I brought up the idea of the chapter purchasing nice cloth swag bags with our logo and a sponsor logo. Surprisingly, I received pushback from them, saying that 90% of the bags end up in the landfill, and we could spend that money better elsewhere.
How do you feel about swag bags?
The best “swag bags” I’ve received at conferences et al., are the ones I can reuse. I’ve got two that are lined for carrying cold stuff home from shopping, and a lot of others for all the other stuff. Until they shred themselves, I’ll keep using them. Granted, I do have quite a few by now, probably more than I’ll ever use. Maybe I should give them away to others at the stores?
Anyway, unless they have additional usability, don’t do it. They need to be grocery bag sized.
@David, I’m not sure if landfill is the resting place, at least not immediately. Hopefully the cloth is organic and compostable. Most conferences do offer bags. When given a choice, I decline. Like Lynn, I have plenty for all my shopping needs. If the bag is stuffed, then the advertisers are missing an opportunity.
One of the most used schwag items in our house is a LED flashlight that looks like a miniature work light - think orange basket around a linear lamp.
I don’t like the plastic “garbage bag” type. The plastic cloth-type bags are a little better. I really like the cotton cloth bags. I love the bag from James Hardie that looks like it is made from military-grade canvas.
What I really hate is trying to balance a bunch of brochures, samples, and give-aways without a bag. Even a cheap plastic bag is better than that! When I get to a product show, the first booth I stop at is the one with bags.
I am a fan of the cheap textile bags with the drawstrings that can ostensibly be used as “back packs.” I use those for packing my shoes and dirty laundry when traveling.
The push back is not unwarranted. We recently donated a dozen or so to Goodwill, where they probably will just be thrown out. Still, we have at least a dozen more. There have been some studies showing that they are not necessarily that great ecologically because most of them are not really used. So, if you can think of another thing to give away, that’s probably good. If you need it to hand out swag to go inside, how about a paper bag with handles? They at least are recyclable.
I have a collection of the cheap fabric totes that have a flat rectangular bottom with a plastic insert for rigidity. Those are my favorite because I can load them up with heavy things while grocery shopping. I always grab one if I see them at a conference. My kids have used the drawstring types to carry their stuff to the beach or on field trips, etc.