Company gifts come in a wide range of choices, from small items such as biro pens to T-shirts and caps. Nowadays, however, brands opt to provide their customers with something that’s fun, stylish, but more than anything — practical and useful. And few items can be as useful as a branded duffel bag.
So, as a brand CEO, it’s high time you consider selling customised duffel bags to prospective clients. And if you have no experience in bag customisation, fret not. This article is here to help you figure that part out.
Why the Need to Customise Them?
Nobody wants a bland promotional product. One thing that will always sell, no matter who your customer may be, is originality and creativity. Furthermore, the market for duffel bags is huge. In fact, here are a few potential venues, events, industries, and places where a duffel bag might find a good home.
Travel Agencies
As a travel agency, you will want your client to go on that flight without having to bother with baggage fees. So, the perfect gift you can offer them is a duffel bag such as our Vancouver Printed Travel Bag. Not only is it an excellent way to avoid paying extra, but it’s a great carry-on item for any flight. After all, it’s spacious enough to hold all of their belongings, but small enough to fit under the plane seat.
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Airports
Airport owners, just like travel agencies, can benefit from offering duffel bags as promotional items. If a traveller needs an extra piece of luggage to stash all of those souvenirs, such a bag would be more than useful. Furthermore, it will have the logo of your airline, meaning that the buyer can advertise you overseas completely free of charge just by carrying it.
Hotels and Resorts
What happens when a hotel guest doesn’t have a beach bag, or a place to put their gym clothes for the day, or just a bag to stash souvenirs, as mentioned earlier? Well, a hotel-branded duffel bag might just do the trick. It’s right there, it’s useful, and to top it all off, it comes as a token of appreciation from the hotel staff. In fact, you can sell them at a discount for any return customers and establish a long-term relationship.
Sports Teams
There’s no better way to reward your athlete than with a duffel bag containing the logo of their club. What’s more, you can go a step further and customise each bag according to individual players. They will appreciate the gift, considering how many hours they spend training and getting in shape. They will need a place to store all of those sweaty clothes and water bottles, after all.
Dance Classes
A neat duffel bag like our Washington Sailor Duffel Sports Bag can be used by people other than athletes. For instance, there are plenty of dancers out there who carry extra sets of clothes and water bottles to practice, plus they need a space to fit all of their knick-knacks, curios, and trinkets while they dance. So, a decent dance school can provide duffel bags as promo gifts to all of its students.
Fitness Centres and Gyms
Obviously, a gym or a fitness centre will make this list. Working out will make a person break a sweat, and a change of clothes is necessary. And if you run a fitness centre and want to promote how much you care for sport and athletes, nothing beats duffel bags such as our Spirit Duffel Gym Bags as promotional items.
Theme Parks
Let’s say that you’ve visited a theme park, a zoo, an aquarium, a planetarium, or any other similar venue. You will want a souvenir to remember the moment, of course. But why settle for something as mundane as a snow globe or a little flag? Duffel bags will be an excellent example of brand loyalty, plus they will be an item you can reuse over and over again with pride.
Summer Camps
Kids that come to a summer camp once or twice might get their parents to buy them branded T-shirts or customised caps, and that’s fine enough. But if you want to keep those kids coming back, offer them something more substantive, like a duffel bag. Not only will it be a cool gift to show off in the playground, but it will also be an excellent item to pack all of the camp-related clothes, tools, and food the next time they come over.
Pools
Being in a pool works up a sweat, plus it leaves a person wet. So, a quick change of clothes and footwear is in order, and a duffel bag is just big enough to fit everything, from an extra pair of shorts to an additional towel and even a pair of shoes.
Military
Soldiers need a bag to carry all of their necessary items, from clothing to weaponry. And since duffel bags used to be a staple of the army back in the day, they are the perfect solution for any strapping man of action.
Colleges
As a college dean, you want your students to live and breathe the campus life, even when going back home. Therefore, providing them with a duffel bag such as our Hampton Cotton Duffel Bags with college insignia on it is a slam-dunk gift. Anything can fit in a single bag, from college books and materials to a change of clothes (and a bottle of liquor or two).
Holiday Gifts
Instead of a card or a knick-knack with St. Nick and a bag on his back, why not provide an actual duffel bag as a gift? It will definitely surprise the person you’re giving it to, and it’ll be an item they’ll use over and over again. A gift that keeps on giving, really.
Tips on How to Customise Duffel Bags
Now that you’ve seen the potential of a duffel bag, it’s time to get creative. Listed below are five useful tips for anyone eager to give duffel bags as presents.
Picking Large Bags with Lots of Pockets
Broadly speaking, a typical duffel bag is 17 inches wide and 10 inches deep. That’s perfectly fine for any commercial airliner and spacious enough to fit quite a few items. But even then, try to pick a bag with the most space inside like our Detroit Extra Large Sports Duffel Bag. That means a few compartments on the inside and lots of pockets and compartments on the outside, on each side.
Picking the Handles and/or Straps
Proper handles and straps are crucial to any duffel bag. After all, the buyer will not always be carrying it in their hands. Sometimes, they will want to put it over their shoulder, and in order to make the carrying comfortable, the handles and straps must come with soft, durable padding like our Calgary Sports Holdalls. Furthermore, see if you can provide them with a bag that combines handles and straps.
These are some of the duffel bag options when it comes to straps and handles:
- Crossbody straps
- Shoulder straps
- Grab handles
- Backpack straps
- Pull handles
- Velcro handles
- Rounded handles
Going for a Stylish Look
Some bags are stylish and have a vintage, almost debonair look to them like our Milan Executive Travel Duffel Bags. Others are more sporty and geared towards physical activity like our Madison Stripe Gym Duffel Bags. There are models that are suited for travelling more than others, with room to spare. And then there are those that look professional, like an item you would take to the office.
In order to pick the best style, go with the vibe that you want your brand to promote. Furthermore, keep your industry of choice in mind and provide business-adequate gifts.
Colour Choices
Regarding the colorus, always consider that the colour of the bag itself ought to be different from the colour of the ink. With that in mind, you can customise your duffel bags using one of the following methods:
- Screen Printing (a single ink shade and the bag that’s already in company colours)
- Dye Sublimation (multiple ink shades for a full-colour experience)
- Embroidery (threads and stitching instead of ink)
- Debossing (an indented logo right into the material of the bag).
Print a Design That’s Memorable
This tip is possibly the most important, as your design will be what leaves an impression on the buyer. So, what can be part of the duffel bag design? Well, consider one of the following:
- An individual’s name
- Monograms
- The name of your company or organization
- Company logo
- A combo of text and company logo
- Company mascot
- Company slogan
- An inspirational message combined with the company name or logo
Other Useful Considerations When Customising Duffel Bags
Mesh Pockets
Mesh pockets are useful for carrying drinks, wallets, and other small items. They are transparent, so you can always tell what you’ve stashed there. Plus, they are stretchy and flexible enough for large items to fit without issues.
Cooler Bags
Custom cooler bags are perfect for people who like to go hiking, organise picnics, or go to the beach often. They can keep food and drinks cool, but also function as regular duffel bags for storing various items.
Zippers or Buckles
Duffel bags open and close using different systems. Some utilise zippers, while others have buckles. Oftentimes, you’ll find a combination of both. In terms of what works for your own promotional duffel bags, it really comes down to the industry you’re a part of and your clients’ needs.
Material
Nylon and polyester work if you want to save money and still offer your buyers something serviceable. However, anything more professional than that will require some quality materials. Always opt for canvas and leather; they are durable, stylish, and far more appealing than nylon and polyester.
Water Resistance
Neoprene and vinyl are two additional materials you might want to consider, since they are water-resistant. And water-resistant duffel bags are important if your clients hike frequently or go to areas with lots of humidity (e.g., pools, fishing ponds, rivers, ocean resorts, etc.).
Eco-Friendly Options
Clients love a brand that’s eco-conscious, so you will want to add two more materials to your duffel bag arsenal — organic cotton and linen. If you can order bags from recycled materials like our Acorn Natural Jute Duffel Bag, that’s an added bonus.
Branded Bags
Many brands on the market offer duffel bags, so all brand-loyal customers can match their outfits to their luggage items. Therefore, if you enjoy wearing Nike shorts and Nike sneakers, don’t be afraid to carry them in a Nike bag.
Low Minimum
Low minimum refers to a small batch of promotional items you can get for a reasonable price. In other words, you don’t need to order 2,000 duffel bags if you intend to give them as holiday gifts to your employees. A small batch of 100 or even less will do just fine. It saves you money AND lets you give a token of appreciation to your workers.
Customising Duffel Bags: Final Thoughts
Duffel bags are incredibly useful mainly because they provide the strength of a printed trolley bag and the light weight of a custom backpack. As such, they make perfect company gifts and promotional items. And if you design them right, they will get you plenty of future clients and just as many returning ones.
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Make Trips Memorable with Branded Luggage & Travel Bags
Check out our full collection of custom printed bags which includes branded cotton totes, personalised travel bags, custom business bags, logo sports bags, and printed drawstring backpacks. If you require further information or have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to give a member of our experienced team a call on 0800 0148 970 or simply email us today.
