Put your client on shopping bags What's new: Distribution in hot places like SoHo By Kathy Prentice Until recently branded bags used to package retail purchases have been tied largely to specific outlets like pharmacies. Or they have been distributed directly by advertisers at events like trade shows.   Now mass distribution of these miniature traveling billboards is available in urban shopping districts across major markets. To find out how to get your client’s message on bag billboards in upscale shopping districts, read on. This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly. Fast Facts What Ads printed on retail shopping bags. Who For this article Media Life spoke with Alt Terrain, headquartered in Boston. The company recently started a national shopping bag program that uses multiple retailers for distribution. Several media vendors provide branded bags specific to outlets like delis and pharmacies. How it works Advertising messages and logos can be printed on a variety of bag sizes, either paper or plastic.    Branded bags are distributed to consumers making purchases in independent retail businesses, including clothing, music and sports shops.    "We target shopping districts, like SoHo in New York, Newberry in Boston and Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, and not malls," says president Adam Salacuse.    Logos and messages can be placed on both sides and the bottom of the bag. Bags range from 10 inches wide by 10 inches high to 24 inches wide by 20 inches high and 6 inches deep. Four-color-process printing, as well as two-color, is available on both paper and plastic bags. Bags can be coated and ordered with different types of handles. Creative is provided by the advertiser.    Ideal creative is bright, interesting, fun and includes a web site address or other call to action, Salacuse says.    "It’s best to tie an advertising concept, idea or theme into the bags’ design. For example, AT&T used 300,000 bags in California and New Jersey to kick off its new local telephone service in those markets. The idea was to advertise the new local service locally, via street-level media that interacts with consumers on a daily basis." There is typically one advertiser per bag. Advertisers are primarily brands with a national presence that are looking for additional media support for a local initiative, Salacuse says.    "Most alternative media and marketing is in context of a larger campaign. It enhances the effectiveness of a total campaign. It draws attention to all the elements. It ties it together." Campaigns encompass a single market or multiple markets depending on the product, Salacuse says. "A movie release would go national while a local telephone service like AT&T would tie into its service markets."    Shopping bags are primarily used for branding, though advertisers can also tie in promotions or direct response mechanisms. "In-store coupons, website addresses and mail-in rebates are all good mechanisms to involve the customer and measure response," Salacuse says. Coupons can be a stick-on, peel-off, enclosure or be printed on the top portion of a branded paper bag, where the consumer can easily cut it out for redemption. Season can be a factor in cold-weather climates, Salacuse says.     "One of the benefits of retail shop bag advertising is the billboard exposure effect as people travel with the bags in busy metro shopping districts. This effect is lessened when it is very cold outside. Obviously, southern and west coast metro markets are the exception." Markets Shopping bag campaigns through Alt Terrain are available in the top 25 metro markets, as well as in 44 college markets. Suburbs are more difficult to penetrate than city markets, but not impossible, Salacuse says. How measure ? "Measurement is based on the number of bags distributed and the exposure of that particular type of bag," Salacuse says.  "Typically each bag is seen by at least three consumers in addition to the purchaser. In more densely populated markets that have more foot traffic and mass transit like New York and San Francisco the number of impressions rises to 10 to 15." Coupon redemption, mail-in rebates and web site hits can be used to measure direct response programs. Digital photos and placement reports are available for campaign documentation. What product categories do well? Consumer products and services, especially launches and releases, are well suited to bag ads. Specifics include CDs, clothing, new magazines, food items, drugstore items, television shows, movie releases, telephone and other local services. "Any product, but in particular consumer products in which the branded bag could serve as a reminder to buy or check out while consumers are in popular shopping areas," Salacuse says. Demographics Demographic groups can be reached by targeting shopping districts. "Young adults, young urban professionals, teenagers and college students are the type of consumer we target," Salacuse says. Making the buy    Lead-time is 60 days from approval of creative to distribution.    Factors that affect pricing are number and type of bag, markets and quality of bags.    For example, two-color plastic bags can cost in the range of 15 cents each to produce and distribute while four-color, high-end, full-size shopping bags can run $1.25 each.    Bottom line includes planning, production, distribution and reporting. A minimum order is 300,000 units. Campaign length is determined by number of bags but they generally should last three to four weeks for noticeable exposure, Salacuse says. Who’s already on shopping bags?    AT&T. Web site info    Alt Terrain at http://www.altterrain.com/ February 24, 2003© 2003 Media Life -Kathy Prentice writes about out-of-home advertising  for Media Life, penning her stories from the resort town of Traverse City, in the upper reaches of Michigan.