ver the last decade a new gifting option has become very popular. It is called an "In the bag" promotion. Under this structure brands pay a lower fee to have their products included as part of a package which is mailed to each of the celebrities at a certain awards show like the Oscars or Grammys. Inexperienced brand managers often try this once only to realize it fails for many reasons:

If your goal is to build a brand, "In the bag" promotions are a failure no matter how you measure the results

1. Many (possibly the majority) of celebrities never receive the bag.
2. The celebrities didn't request the products and may not know anything about these products or even like them. There is no celebrity association if the celebrity doesn't like the product.
3. There is no placement without proof. There are no pictures of the celebrities with the product or even on the red carpet. Without placement there is no celebrity association and therefore no value.
4. Even if a brand manager creates a press release to say the brand was "in the bag" it doesn't build any association as the general public assumes (and rightly so) this product was sent to a celebrity who didn't request it. Once again there is no celebrity association and no value.

In summary, if your goal is to build a brand, "In the bag" promotions are a failure no matter how you measure the results. ♦

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