Welcome to the world PLENTY magazine

Here’s a completely new genre of magazines. Not restricting itself to the folks who give ecological living a dowdy image, these guys are telling you that a sustainable lifestyle needn’t be boring or lacking pizzazz. In fact, it’s a whole new aesthetic. Their website is http://www.plentymag.com/ In a well written story about the launch of this magazine, James Gorman of the New York Times says “Her name is Abigail. She comes from Ford Models in New York. And her outfit is accessorized with a hose from a gasoline pump that she has covered with her hand as if it were a tempting, but forbidden, pleasure.” I love it. Good sense going stylish, ecological concerns being taken mainstream. Hats off to the guys who thought this concept up. I hope they are a huge success and lots of folks follow their lead. I completely agree. I suspect if the world just saw how attractive and economical our cotton and jute bags are many would swear off plastic and carry them for the sheer pleasure of using a great looking product. http://www.badlani.com/bags/

EcoLogical behaviour makes good business sense...

Cherri Gann, associate editor at PPAI wrote an article in December 2004 where she concluded that bags are a wonderful promo choice. “One great thing about bags is that everybody uses them,” says Andrew Spellman, vice president of corporate markets for TRG Group in St. Louis, Missouri. “Since everyone has stuff to hold, there’s not one person who doesn’t have a bag of some sort. Promotionally speaking, there’s an inherent use value for the recipient, and this means, for the advertiser, there’s the frequent opportunity for seeing the company logo.” Carol Goebelt, in LaPuente, California, adds they go beyond function: “Besides suiting the need for function, people buy bags for style. They are an extension of the person, and different styles may fit one person but not another. I completely agree. In today’s world one-size-fits-all just doesn’t cut it. That’s why, at Norquest, we encourage our customers to customize what they are ordering. No fixed notions, no minimums, we don’t put any limits on our customers’ imaginations. It’s our job to make whatever they dream up and we enjoy it. What goes into choosing a great bag? “Find out exactly who the audience is,” says Mary Jo Welch. “Men are not tote bag people and will use them only when necessary whereas women love them. If kids are involved, a drawstring backpack might do the best job of covering all the bases.” Ahh, that I disagree with. When we're told the audience is male, we design totes that appeal to males. But that, as they say, is another blog. Coming soon... Bags do work. Everyone loves receiving an attractive bag. And we’ve got plenty. See the variety at http://www.badlani.com/bags/ And then do remember to see the product pages and see how economically they are priced. Good looking, economical, and something that everybody wants. Isn’t that how you’d like your next promotion to be?

Coles bay shows the way!

Some people are succeeding in doing completely without plastic bags. The Mercury, an Australian daily tells of how the tourist town of Coles Bay celebrated their first plastic bag free anniversary! Here's what the story said: President of Coles Bay/Freycinet Tourism Association and bakery owner Ben Kearney said an estimated 350,000 plastic bags had been saved from the environment or landfill. You've got to hand it to these guys. The Australians are achieving a lot even without the tax. On a voluntary basis they seem to be moving people towards using cloth bags instead. Sadly most of the world still thinks cloth bags are expensive. They aren't. See how affordable they are in my bags section http://www.badlani.com/bags/ , and then take a moment to do some calculations. Imagine if a savvy company sponsored the reusable cotton bags that got used instead. One of these is used instead of almost 500 plastic bags. So, sponsoring 7000 cotton bags would have made them the hero of this story. 7000 cotton bags would have cost less than $ 5000. Try and equate the goodwill earned with spending $ 5000 on advertising. The two just don't match. This is a huge branding opportunity.

You too can be admired like Patagonia and Body Shop are

Patagonia and Body Shop are just two of the New Age brands that have built their appeal on EcoLogic; meaning a deep and sincere respect for the environment. You don’t need mega bucks to earn that kind of respect. As long as you are sincere and act on your beliefs. Saying so across a million ugly hoardings will achieve less than one customer walking out of your store carrying a reusable cloth bag with your logo on it. Every consumer who looks ate it will know that you act on what you believe. This is what Patagonia says: Our company mission statement: "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis", gives us purpose and urgency. You can make the same statement when you hand out cloth bags. And for less than you think. See what we have to offer at http://www.badlani.com/bags/ and then write to me if you’d like to plan a strategy based on good sense. I respect folks who want to achieve miracles on tight budgets, and I enjoy working with them rajiv@badlani.com