What Makes A Good Goody Bag?

As it’s almost Christmas (had you noticed?), I thought it might be nice to consider goody bags.

Are they a good idea? While I’m not sure if any journalists ever go to events specifically because of a goody bag — as opposed to going specifically for the free food or booze, which some definitely do — I do think they are a nice, luxurious touch that is generally appreciated. Personally, being given one always gives me a nice little nostalgia hit for the birthday parties I used to attend in my pre-teen years!

They can occasionally be a pain to carry home, if heavy or cumbersome. They are certainly a pain for the unlucky account executive who has to meticulously prepare them, including, inevitably, at least 20 too many bags.

Do they have long-lasting promotional power for your client(s) (or sponsors), though? Rarely, I reckon. Most branded stuff, like pens or Moleskines, goes in the bin or to the charity shop for me, because I’ve got enough pens and Moleskines, and rarely use either. Flash drives are straight-to-garbage; I don’t even have a USB port on my Macbook these days. Brochures? Come on; it’s not 2015 anymore. I’m up for getting a one-page newsletter, but anything beyond that and the paper wastage feels wrong.

That being said, some events do have notoriously good goody bags — ones renowned among us journalists. While I’m not sure that directly translates into editorial preference for the clients involved because providing decent goody bags doesn’t ensure the provision of great holidays, this does at least guarantee a great turn-out at said events.

The best gift I ever got was an incredible umbrella from the tourism team for Milford Haven in Wales (one which I lost recently, so, if you’re reading, can I have a new one?): lightweight, but powerful and wind-resistant. As a gift it was good because it was high-quality, and decent-looking, and bloody useful. For that pay-off, I will happily advertise your client on multiple days of the year.

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That’s it from me this year: thank you for reading, and happy Christmas. I hope you have a lovely, rejuvenating, client-free break. If there’s any topic you’d like me to focus on next year, don’t hesitate to write.