Hi everyone, it's Leïla with a new article, this time I'm going to talk to you about the Tote bag - the goodie par excellence that all companies have already printed with their effigy.
But is it always the best business gift?
That's exactly what we're going to explore here: why a tote bag doesn't (always) make an impression, and what alternatives offer a better experience.
Key Takeaways
- Tote bags are overused and rarely create a lasting impression.
- A gift should be more than a product — it should spark emotion and build brand connection.
- Timing is everything: the right object at the right moment creates real impact.
- Choose gifts that are useful, durable, and aligned with your brand values.
- A single well-chosen item is more powerful than a dozen forgettable ones.
- Great merch becomes part of your client’s daily life — without feeling like advertising.
- A meaningful brand experience isn’t printed. It’s felt.
The Tote Bag: a basic object
The tote bag is a great classic, but unfortunately it's increasingly perceived as banal, repetitive - you see them everywhere - and not very differentiating from the competition (because everyone makes them).
If you're looking for good ideas for a quality welcome pack, here are 23 to improve yours.
Well, when you think about it, a totebag isn't bad - we take it everywhere with us to carry our little everyday things and if it's branded, it does its job well as a billboard.
If its function as an advertising medium is fulfilled, its impact is no longer very memorable, as we are inundated with information (and above all advertising) on a daily basis.
Remembering the brand is therefore a little more complicated, and so companies need to find objects that are more impactful, more surprising or more emotional in order to leave a lasting impression and create an authentic link.
So perhaps now is the time to rethink the tote bag for your business, to offer a medium that is more in line with your values.
Creating a Customer Journey: Welcome, Customer Gift, Onboarding...
The customer experience is one of the most important details in marketing - it needs to be well thought through and as seamless as possible. With the internet, we've almost completely lost our attention - on average, we have 3 seconds to grab someone's attention.
In the age of scrolling and multitasking. If you don't grab your customer's attention in the first few seconds, you've already lost them.
So, you might be asking yourself, ‘How do I create a memorable customer experience?’
Every point of contact - from the welcome to the gift - needs to be thought of as an experience in its own right. The customer gift must fit perfectly into this journey, which must remain coherent, with personalised elements to leave a lasting impression.
And if you're wondering how to give a gift that will make people happy without compromising your values, we share some best practices with you in this article on responsible corporate gifts.
Another detail to pay attention to is the timing of the gift: the right object at the right time can make all the difference between a ‘wow’ effect and a gift that's quickly forgotten.
Giving something at an onboarding event, a symbolic date or even after a contract has been signed can create an emotional memory and mark an important stage in your relationship with your customer.
A small, well-placed gesture can become a personalised customer surprise - and create a strong emotional memory, much more lasting than a simple goodie.
The basic idea is to strengthen the customer's relationship with the brand: the stronger the relationship, the more likely the customer will be to call you if they need your services or products.
The goal of marketing is not to sell just anything to just anyone, but to ensure that your brand comes first in the mind of someone looking for what you do.
Being on top of his mind, after all.
Incidentally, if you're wondering why certain objects make more of an impression than others - and how a simple goodie can reinforce the perception of your brand - we'll talk about it here: What's the real ROI on your promotional goodies?
More than just objects, quality gifts help to create an immersive brand experience.
Choosing goodies: useful, attractive and durable
To have the best possible impact and make a lasting impression, you need to select your goodies carefully: they must be useful, attractive and durable.
Poor-quality gifts or objects that are a little too gimmicky could damage your brand image. If they break quickly or are useless, they can give an impression of neglect towards the customer. So it's better to do less but better.
Good quality, useful items include, for example, a top-quality card holder, beautiful notebooks or a reusable thermos flask (which keeps you warm and cold if you need to - dual use throughout the year).
I've included some of our most beautiful sustainable goodies right below.
Eco-friendly corporate goodies:
Links to the products: titan lunchbox, sushi making set, moleskine notebook.
These objects are a tool, they can convey the right values of your company, show a positive image of your brand (even at the environmental level with us yihaa). If the gifts you give are of good quality and stand the test of time, they can also reinforce your brand image. So the longer they last, the more likely they are to transmit your values in the long term.
Their impact can be all the greater if the eco-designed promotional item in question fits in perfectly with the customer's routine. For example, a good quality thermos will be used from morning to night, a beautiful notebook will be opened at every meeting, and a pretty tote bag will be used every day for shopping, for example. It's thanks to this kind of object that you can really become part of your customer's daily routine, reminding them of your brand - without having to push it.
But it's important to choose them carefully - and avoid greenwashing. If you're looking to boost your image without falling into cliché, we've got more information in this article on eco-responsible goodies.
The Importance of Emotions and Memories
We've already mentioned it, but emotions are crucial in advertising and branding. Just think of all the nutella, coca-cola and nivea ads that have been on TV for decades, they all have one thing in common: emotions.
For a customer to stay with you, you absolutely have to be able to touch them in some way. As consumers, we like to be recognised as individuals and not just as ordinary consumers. We like to feel valued and above all to exist in the eyes of the brand.
Emotions are essential to creating a real relationship with customers, so how do we go about it?
When it comes to customer gifts, the advantage is that they can often be personalised, and this is where customer experience and personalised objects come together. Not only can you put your brand logo on them to stay in the customer's top of mind, but they can also be personalised to suit each individual - personalised gestures and pleasant surprises strengthen that emotional bond.
Memories are more important than goodies, and by creating a memorable experience that exceeds the customer's expectations, they will have a great memory of your brand and your emotional bond with the customer will be strengthened like never before.
As a result, a useful and emotional customer gift will have far more impact than a simple tote bag.
Conclusion: Don't just give them a tote bag. Make them feel something.
Giving a gift isn't about ticking a box. It's about creating a moment, an emotion, a memory.
It's not the size of the tote bag that counts, but what you put in it... or what it evokes.
Experience isn't just printed on a fabric. It's built, nurtured and felt.
And that's what your customers will remember. Much more than the number of goodies.
When you give a gift to a customer, you have to think above all about the emotion they are going to feel, not the quantity or the price of the gift.
Because what your clients remember isn’t just a tote bag — it’s the story, the care, the connection behind it.
