Custom Product Success: Perfectly Planned Details on Bags Make Education Promotions a Tote-al Smash Hit

An education publisher’s promotions were lacking in originality. Branded Merchandise Group took their original idea and turned it into a unique project.

The Opportunity
McGraw-Hill Education wanted 25,000 of the same simple tote bag it had done before (with a different vendor) for their warehouse inventory, but Branded Merchandise Group helped them to envision more.

The Challenge
BMG identified that because of the desired quantity and long lead time, the tote bags didn’t have to be just the same-old catalog style bag—a custom version could be delivered for only a small increase in cost.

The Solution
Steve worked with his supplier partners and the client’s artwork to present images and actual speculative samples of a fully customized fabric featuring a proprietary “cube” graphic pattern (used across the MHE spectrum), a custom zipper pull and a woven label that contained their tagline in full color for less than a $0.50 cost increase per bag. Company executives loved the samples and approved the minimal cost increase.

The Result
The brand loved the look so much that they decided to order 40,000 instead of 25,000 totes. The inventory was depleted at rates faster than ever before. The brand was so satisfied with the bags that they plan to use the same design next year.