Bagvertising: Handling your Targeted Marketing Campaign

Proliferation of Media channels has entailed a decline in the effectiveness of existing traditional channels. Measurement of the efficacy of the traditional media is no longer treated with enthusiasm by the industry professionals and new requirements and expectations are emerging for innovation, insight, experimentation, and measurable returns.

According to a report by Boston Consulting Group, titled “Darwin Pays a Visit to Advertising” – Opportunities for Action in Consumer Markets

Marketers have moved beyond the “Mass Marketing” era, and there is a need for much more precision in targeting consumers. The traditional value chain has been disintegrated and has led to an evolved framework in the advertising industry with “targeted marketing” as their measurable goal. A concerted effort is being made towards an integrated, holistic campaign across alternative channels.


Thus, New and unconventional methods of marketing are being looked at and experimented with. There is greater focus on PR, guerilla marketing and the Internet, with the advent in technology wonderfully complementing this shift.


Therefore, customers need greater attention, much more personal communication, and tangible returns. Innovation is the key to reach the consumers.
Innovation in communication is passé. A couple of years back, the communication was the idea. Today, the media vehicle is the idea itself. New and innovative packaging, guerilla campaigns and aggressive marketing tactics are considered to be “effective” vehicles for Advertising.

One such advertising vehicle is the Carry Bag. Advertising on the carry bags, jargonized as “Bagvertising”, has experienced brilliant levels of innovation lately. Various Brands, spread across all categories, have leveraged the carry bags for their communication and positioning and are using it on a regular basis for their marketing campaigns.


Since Bagvertising is more precise in nature, there are specific advantages linked to such form of advertising –

- Greater visibility of the brand, leading to enhanced brand awareness
- More sampling opportunities
- A billboard effect without prohibitive production costs
- Effective targeted marketing
- More measurable media



Incidentally, most of the creatives on the bags are built around the “handle”, keeping in mind the grip of the bag, where the customer holds it. Others (like Blush) focus on how the bags are carried by the customer or in some cases (like Alinna) the threads holding the bag are modified. In most of the cases, however, Innovation is applied around the tags only.





Looking ahead, this channel will be exploited further by the Marketers. Considering the visibility it entails, and “perceived” returns from an innovative bag-vertising campaign, this advertising vehicle stands out of the media clutter and therefore, has been given greater preference over other channels. In certain aspects, however, there is scope for further innovation.


Possible areas which can be worked upon –
(a) Discount coupons can be attached to the specific bags, which would directly map to repeat purchase and loyalty programs.
(b) Reusable bags can be made, which can be used by customers for other purposes as well, keeping in mind the shopping pattern of a typical Indian woman customer
(c) Apart from the retail outlets, where they would be mostly used, other touch points such as Bus Terminus, Railway Stations and Airports should be exploited as well
(d) Similar innovation can/should be extended to backpacks also
(e) Linking the Bags with the customer profile and integrating it with CRM and targeted in-store advertising. However, as per my limited understanding and knowledge, this might be slightly difficult to execute and get pertinent data, since the same carry bag might be used by various family members. Nonetheless, this option can be explored further.

Am sure there would be more options and avenues for Marketers to exercise their grey cells. But for now, innovation is being “handled” fantastically on these carry bags…

Have you been bagvertised lately?



Comments

Excellent write up.....

Bagvertising I feel would be more appropriate for some niche products craved by the upwardly conscious junta. And that too in the TIER I cities. It is more of a style statement.

When it comes to bags, we can either have a creative positioning attached to it or we can have a bag that BULLWORKS. I have not come across a bag that is creatively crafted and can also carry load. Given primarily the Indian women, both cannot merge.

Thirdly, the style statement attached to it make it more appealing to young class i.e. upto 30 years. My understanding of Indian men is that we loose taste with age or become overtly somber. (Of course we cannot generalise it and there are exceptions to it)

In the light of all this i find that product positioning through bagvertising can be restrictive, But it would be an excellent proposition for books, mobile phones, music etc.

Dunnno, well may be !!

My 2 cents
Unknown said…
Man these were awesome. ... i saw first time such kinds of blogs. are they available in india... i surely want to get them.
Unknown said…
These bags are amazing!!! Do you know what the company is called that does them?

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