Abstract:
A system and method for providing information in and on cases of bags, on the bags themselves, and for distributing cases of bags and for tracking the sales movement of products or services promoted on the bags.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a system and method for providing information in and on cases of bags, on the bags themselves, and for distributing cases of bags and for tracking the sales movement of products or services promoted on the bags. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In the past, retailers, service providers and/or associations (collectively “bag customers”) purchased or received printed or unprinted bags from a wholesaler, distributor, advertiser, and/or third party (collectively “sourcing companies”) or a bag manufacturer to give to their customers to use for purchases. A bag customer would either buy cases of bags at full price or at a promotional price from a sourcing company or a bag manufacturer, either of whom would sometimes provide cases of bags to bag customers at a subsidized cost if the bags featured product or services advertising. 
         [0003]    In some cases, retailers would purchase printed bags promoting the name of a chain, cooperative or wholesaler&#39;s private label. In some cases, service providers would purchase bags promoting the name of a government agency or hospital. In some cases, associations would purchase bags promoting the name of an association. 
         [0004]    In other cases, retailers would advertise their establishment by purchasing printed bags customized with their store logo and contact information (e.g. store name and address). 
         [0005]    In still other cases, retailers would purchase printed bags promoting both the name of a chain, cooperative or wholesaler&#39;s private label, as well as the name of the retailer&#39;s store, store logo and contact information. 
         [0006]    In still other cases, retailers would use printed bags provided to them at minimal cost or at no charge by companies advertising products or services. 
         [0007]    In all of these cases, measuring the advertising&#39;s effectiveness on sales of the product or service proved difficult. The most common way sourcing companies and bag manufacturers could measure the effectiveness of the program was by, for example, examining same store sales of the product before and after the stores used the bags that had product or service advertising. 
         [0008]    In addition, no system existed to ensure that every targeted bag customer received a case of bags within a desired date window, or that they even received the case of bags at all. Furthermore, no system existed to encourage the bag customer to keep a case of distributed bags that they may have received but may not have otherwise ordered. 
         [0009]    U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0198576 relates to a system and method for brand promotion. Embodiments include providing a game, and including a puzzle for the promotion. 
         [0010]    U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0267319 relates to a plastic bag pad comprising one or more plastic bags including detachable sections wherein the bags are connected to a plastic header. A portion of each bag may be removed from the header by ripping along a perforated line. The detachable section of each bag may include a coupon or sample, and each bag may include an advertisement or name. 
         [0011]    U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0110719 relates to educational tools and methods for teaching individuals about the enhanced performance characteristics of textile products. 
         [0012]    U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0006404 relates to a method and apparatus for promoting hand hygiene based on packaging that provides timely access to and use of hand sanitizing fluids. Distribution of the packets is encouraged by the use of lottery and gaming techniques that heighten the opportunity of using a hand sanitizing fluid. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,369 relates to equipment and methods for entering and conducting a prize drawing game of chance, some of which do not require a participant to make a purchase to enter. Entry forms are provided which depict and advertise the product that the game promotes and includes spaces for the entrant to write self-identifying information. The entry forms also include a barcode that identifies the product being promoted. The barcode facilitates automated sorting of entry forms, each promoting a different product. The hand written UPC number requirement gives consumers an incentive to seek out, view and handle the product which is the subject of the promotion. 
         [0014]    U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0049720 relates to a method for conducting marketing/advertising campaign using lunch bags. The method includes determining at least one product or service to be advertised, determining graphic matter placed on at least one face of the lunch bag, placing the graphic matter onto the face of the lunch bag, identifying targeted users of the advertised product or service and providing the lunch bag to targeted users. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present invention relates to a bag marketing program. It is an object of the present invention to print a sourcing company&#39;s private label brand logo or other pertinent information on one side of the bag and a sourcing company&#39;s product or service or other information on the other side of the bag. 
         [0016]    It is an object of the present invention to print the product or services advertising or other information on one or both sides of the bag, without the sourcing company&#39;s logo. 
         [0017]    It is an object of the present invention to print a phone number, web site URL, links to social media (e.g. hash tag) or QR code on the bag to track effectiveness of the advertisement. 
         [0018]    It is an object of the present invention to print a coupon on the bag that is related to the product or services advertising. It is an object of the present invention for the coupon to have a unique bar code that assists in specifically measuring coupon redemption tied to a specific promotion. It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to attach a coupon to each bag, such as a peel off coupon. It is an object of the present invention to print a unique bar code on each peel-off coupon that assists in specifically measuring coupon redemption tied to a specific promotion. 
         [0019]    It is an object of the present invention to place graphic matter or information on at least one side of the bag. It is an object of the present invention to identify targeted users of the advertised product or service and deliver the bags to bag customers who can provide the bags to the targeted users. 
         [0020]    It is an object of the present invention for the information that is placed on at least one side of the bag to comprise providing a game, puzzle or contest relating to the advertised product or service or company marketing the advertised product or service. 
         [0021]    It is an object of the present invention when printing on both sides of the bag, for the bag manufacturer to move the seam of the bag to a corner of the bag so that it doesn&#39;t interfere with printing on either side of the bag. 
         [0022]    It is an object of the present invention to insert marketing collateral in each case of bags that educates the bag customer about the product or service advertised on the bag. It is an object of the present invention to prepare an accompanying letter that is inserted in the case of bags. It is an object of the present invention for the sourcing company or bag manufacturer to determine the content of the collateral or letter that is inserted into the case of bags. It is an object of the present invention to obtain the sourcing company&#39;s approval for the marketing collateral and/or letter before the bag manufacturer inserts either in the case. 
         [0023]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag customer or bag manufacturer to insert a coupon in each bag. 
         [0024]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to insert coupons in each case of bags; for example, to insert 1,000 coupons in a case of 1,000 bags. It is an object of the present invention for the bag customer to distribute coupons to the targeted user by inserting a coupon in a bag before giving a bag to a targeted user. It is an object of the present invention for the bag customer to staple or otherwise attach a coupon to each bag before giving a bag to a targeted user. It is an object of the present invention for the bag customer to individually hand out coupons to the targeted user. It is an object of the present invention for the bag customer to make coupons available to the targeted user so the targeted user can take coupons (e.g. from a pile on a shelf or countertop) himself or herself. 
         [0025]    It is an object of the present invention to package the bags together in a case. 
         [0026]    It is an object of the present invention to place a sticker on the outside of each case explaining the free nature of the case of bags. The sticker might simply say “Free Case of Bags” or the sticker might explain that the case of bags comes courtesy of the sourcing company. Putting the sticker on the case of bags encourages the bag customer to keep the case of bags, even though the bag customer may or may not have ordered the bags. 
         [0027]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to place a sticker on the outside of each case explaining what else the case of bags contains other than the bags. For example, the sticker might say “Valuable Coupons Enclosed” or “Important Marketing Material enclosed”. 
         [0028]    It is an object of the present invention not to include a return address on the case label to make it more difficult for the bag customer to return a case of bags that they did not order. This technique assures maximum distribution of the cases of bags and reduces potential case returns. 
         [0029]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to affix a separate mailing label to the outside of each case of bags and to mail each case of bags directly to the bag customer. This way, the sourcing company does not have to receive the cases of bags into inventory before re-distributing the cases of bags. 
         [0030]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to affix a product description label to the outside of each case, detailing specifics such as item number, product description, case pack, bag size and case bar code. 
         [0031]    It is an object of the present invention for the sourcing company to provide a targeted mailing distribution list of bag customers to the bag manufacturer. 
         [0032]    It is an object of the present invention for the sourcing company to build a targeted mailing distribution list of bag customers, summarize that list by distribution center or destination point, and provide that list to the bag manufacturer. 
         [0033]    It is an object of the present invention for the targeted list of bag customers to be based on promotional or sales objectives established for a particular product or service. For example, if the sourcing company wants to reach diabetic patients who use glucometers to measure their blood sugar levels, the sourcing company may include on the targeted distribution list bag customers who sell or promote diabetes products. 
         [0034]    It is an object of the present invention for bag customers who do not want bags with advertising to pay a higher or different price for a case of bags than those bag customers who do accept advertising on the bags. 
         [0035]    It is an object of the present invention for the advertising to relate to what the sourcing company is focused on selling. It is an object of the present invention for the advertising to relate to where the bag customer is located. It is an object of the present invention for the advertising to change often (e.g. weekly or monthly). 
         [0036]    It is an object of the present invention to tie advertising to specific seasons or times of the year. For example, advertise cough and cold products on a bag that has a Fall design. 
         [0037]    It is an object of the present invention for the bags to be distributed to a veterinarian&#39;s office. For example, the information on the bag can pertain to prevention of cruelty to animals. 
         [0038]    It is an object of the present invention for the bags to be distributed to a physician&#39;s office. For example, the information on the bag can pertain to immunizations. 
         [0039]    It is an object of the present invention for the bags to be distributed to a hospital. For example, the information on the bag to pertain to sleep disorder, maternity wards, or cancer clinics. 
         [0040]    It is an object of the present invention to tie advertising to specific disease states. For example, advertise glucometers on a bag promoting Diabetes Awareness. 
         [0041]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer, sourcing company, or bag customer to donate a portion of the bag case sales to charitable organizations or associations. For example, the bag manufacturer could make a donation to support research to find a cure for different disease states, or to fund a home for rescue animals. It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to print messaging on the bag that states who (i.e. the sourcing company, bag customer or bag manufacturer) made such a donation. 
         [0042]    The seasonal and awareness bags and other types of bags with advertising may or may not have coupons associated with the bags. 
         [0043]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to print messaging on the bag to raise awareness levels of different causes and the charitable organizations or associations that support those causes. 
         [0044]    It is an object of the present invention to conduct a marketing/advertising campaign using a bag that is distributed to bag customers comprising: placing information and/or coupons on the bag for at least one product or service to be advertised. 
         [0045]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to ship cases of bags directly to the sourcing company so that each can then re-distribute the cases of bags directly to the bag customer. 
         [0046]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer to ship cases of bags directly to the bag customer. 
         [0047]    It is an object of the present invention for a coupon redemption clearinghouse or sourcing company to process the coupons submitted by the bag customer. 
         [0048]    The present invention relates to a system for a bag marketing program. With regards to the system of the present invention, information is input into the system with regards to a sourcing company&#39;s private label brand logo or other pertinent information which is to be later placed on and/or in the bag. The system is a computer system/cloud, or similar system and the information is stored in a database. It is an object of the present invention for the system to store the logo or other pertinent information that will be printed on either one or both sides of the bag. It is an object of the present invention for the system to direct the printing on the bag. 
         [0049]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to store information that is placed on the either side of the bag to comprise providing a game, puzzle or contest relating to the advertised product or service or company marketing the advertised product or service. 
         [0050]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to store marketing collateral from the sourcing company which can be printed out and inserted into each of the cases of bags. 
         [0051]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to receive information regarding addresses and other information so that a mailing label can be affixed to the outside of each case of bags and to mail each case of bags directly to the bag customer. It is an object of the present invention for the sourcing company to provide a targeted mailing list to the system. This way, the sourcing company does not have to receive the cases of bags into inventory before re-distributing the cases of bags. 
         [0052]    It is an object of the present invention to send the cases of bags directly to the sourcing company for the sourcing company to send the cases of bags out directly to the Bag Customer. 
         [0053]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to maintain the mailing list that confirms that the cases were delivered. 
         [0054]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to receive information regarding a product description, so that the bag manufacturer can affix a product description label to the outside of each case, detailing specifics such as item number, product description, case pack, bag size and case bar code. 
         [0055]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to receive sourcing company approval before providing any marketing collateral or letter in the cases of bags. 
         [0056]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to have input in it information regarding the free nature of each case of bags which can then be printed on a sticker and placed on the outside of each case containing the bags. 
         [0057]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to store information with regards to a sticker that is placed on the outside of each case explaining what else the case of bags contains other than the bags. For example, the sticker might say “Valuable Coupons Enclosed” or “Important Marketing Material enclosed”. 
         [0058]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to be provided or for the system to be able to search the internet or a company&#39;s database server so that it downloads a targeted distribution list based on promotional or sales objectives established for a particular product or service. 
         [0059]    It is an object of the present invention for the bag manufacturer, sourcing company, or bag customer to donate a portion of the bag case sales to charitable organizations or associations. For example, the bag manufacturer could make a donation to support research to find a cure for different disease states, or to fund a home for rescue animals. It is an object of the present invention for the system to store information for printing a message on the bag that states who (i.e. the sourcing company, bag customer or bag manufacturer) made such a donation. 
         [0060]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to store phone numbers, website addresses/URL, links to social media or QR codes which are then placed on the bags to track effectiveness of each advertisement. 
         [0061]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to provide or print coupons which are either inserted in a case that contains the bags, or inserted into the bags by the bag manufacturer or bag customer. It is an object of the present invention for the system to provide the information so that coupons are printed directly on the bag, or attach coupons to the bag so that the coupon can be removed off each bag, such as peeling a coupon off the bag. 
         [0062]    It is an object of the present invention for each coupon to have a unique barcode placed on it by the system of the present invention that assists in specifically measuring coupon redemption tied to a specific promotion. 
         [0063]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to base the advertising on where the bag customer is located, or the type of products or services that the bag customer is offering. 
         [0064]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to change the advertising printed on a bag for a specific bag customer on a weekly, monthly or seasonal period. 
         [0065]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to calculate which advertisements on the bags are the most successful and to continue presenting those advertisements on the bags in the correct time periods for that success. 
         [0066]    It is an object of the present invention for the system to store information regarding how many coupons were distributed, how many were redeemed, where the coupons were redeemed, date of redemption, and what was the total dollar amount of redemption. It is an object of the present invention to compare dollar amount of the redemption with the purchase price of the product or service. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0067]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart showing the relationships between the different parties and the bag manufacturer. 
           [0068]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart showing the types of information that can be printed on the bag by the bag manufacturer and the process for doing same. 
           [0069]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing the different objects or documents that may be inserted into a case of printed bags, along with the printed bags themselves and the process for doing same. 
           [0070]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing what can be added to the outside of a case of printed bags and the process for doing same. 
           [0071]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing a distribution model and method of the present invention. 
           [0072]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart showing how to measure an advertising campaign&#39;s effectiveness. 
           [0073]      FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of a front view of a bag of the present invention. 
           [0074]      FIG. 8  shows an embodiment of a front view of a case of the present invention. 
           [0075]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of a top view of an open box containing contents within the box of the present invention. 
           [0076]      FIG. 10  shows an embodiment of a front view of a bag of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0077]    The present invention relates to a system and method for providing advertisements or information on bags from sourcing companies. The bags are provided to bag customers. The advertisements or information relate to products or services sold by the bag customer or sold by the sourcing company who advertises on the bag. In a preferred embodiment, the advertisements in the form of coupons can be tracked by a scanner which can then assist the sourcing company in determining the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. 
         [0078]    In an embodiment, the sourcing company provides the content of the advertising to the system of the present invention, or the system provides content for the sourcing company from which to choose. 
         [0079]    The system of the present invention can divert some or all of the costs of the bags from the bag customer to the sourcing company in exchange for the bag customer&#39;s willingness to accept and use bags that feature advertising. 
         [0080]      FIG. 1  shows an Advertiser  20 , Distributor  35 , Wholesaler  40  and/or third party  30  engaged in business discussions with a Bag Manufacturer  10 . Either entity can begin discussions with any of the other entities, and have several rounds of back-and-forth discussions before agreeing on deal parameters. The entities can also talk collectively amongst themselves. For example, if the Third Party  30  comes up with an advertising idea, the Third Party  30  can contact the Advertiser  20 , who contacts the Wholesaler  40  who contacts the Bag Manufacturer  10 . Several rounds of discussions can ensue before the Bag Manufacturer  10  is asked to make the cases of bags. The discussions lead to information being provided to the Bag Manufacturer  10  so that the Bag Manufacturer can print information on the bags for distribution. 
         [0081]      FIG. 2  shows a Bag Manufacturer  10  making bags  50 , and the same or different Bag Manufacturer  10  printing on the bags  60  all kinds of information described in  FIG. 2 , resulting in Printed Bags  150 . Product or Service Information  70  may contain details about how the advertised product works or details about the provided service. Logo  80  may depict full product or service artwork or even sponsoring company artwork or bag customer artwork. Contact Information  90  may contain the name of an organization or association, along with that organization&#39;s or association&#39;s phone number, address, and/or contact person. Coupon  100  may be printed on the bag itself or attached to the bag as a peel-off coupon or by other devices. QR code  110  may provide a link to additional information about the advertised product or service. Social Media  120  may contain a unique hash tag or Facebook page, or link to any other social media web site or service. Messaging Information  130  may contain details about the supported charity or cause, or any other supporting details about the product or service. Puzzle or Contest Information  140  may contain details about a game or contest or even a sweepstakes designed to appeal to the Targeted User  300  (shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0082]      FIG. 3  shows how the Printed Bags  150  end up as an Assembled Case of Printed Bags ( 210 ). The bag manufacturer Packs Bags  160  into a case or bundle, and may insert some or all of the following into the case or bundle:
       Pre-printed Coupons  170 , preferably printed with identifying information such as a bar code   Promotional Items  180  such as pens or pads, or anything else related to the product or service being advertised   Letter  190 , that explains the nature of the promotion, and potentially directs the bag customer to distribute Coupons  170  or Promotional Items  180  to the Targeted User  300  (shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 )   Marketing Collateral  200  such as a product or service catalog or brochure.       
 
         [0087]      FIG. 4  shows the labels and/or stickers that may be applied to each Assembled Case of Printed Bags  210 , resulting in a Labelled Case of Printed Bags  250 :
       Mailing Label  220  which could be applied if the sourcing company directs the Bag Manufacturer  10  to ship the case of bags directly to the bag customer or to the sourcing company.   Case Sticker  230  that explains what else the case of bags contains other than bags. For example, the sticker might say “Valuable Coupons Enclosed” and/or “Free Case of Bags”.   Product Description Label  240  details specifics such as item number, product description, case pack, bag size and case bar code.       
 
         [0091]      FIG. 5  shows the different paths the Labelled Case of Printed Bags  250  can take to be delivered to the bag customer and ultimately the Targeted User  300 . For example, the Bag Manufacturer  10  can ship the cases of bags directly to any or all of the sourcing companies, i.e. Advertiser  20 , Wholesaler  40 , Distributor  35 , or Third Party  30 . The sourcing companies can then ship the cases of bags directly to any or all of the bag customers, i.e. Retailer  270 , Service Provider  280  or Association  290 . Alternatively, the Bag Manufacturer  10  can ship the cases of bags directly to any or all of the bag customers, bypassing the sourcing companies. 
         [0092]      FIG. 6  shows what happens after the Targeted User  300  receives a printed bag. The Targeted User  300  can Engage Social Media  310  to, for example, post opinions about the product or service, or even enter a contest or sweepstakes. The Targeted User  300  can also Redeem Coupon  320 , and use it to get a promotional discount on the advertised product or service. The Targeted User  300  would present the coupon to one of the bag customers, i.e. Retailer  270 , Service Provider  280 , or Association  290 , who would then send the coupon to a Coupon Redemption Clearinghouse  330  or sourcing company for further processing. The sourcing company, i.e. Advertiser  20 , Wholesaler  40 , Distributor  35  or Third Party  30 , would then analyze the redemption rate, and provide feedback to the Bag Manufacturer  10 . The sourcing company and bag customer could confer with one another, and with the Bag Manufacturer  10 , to determine what changes to make to the next promotional advertising campaign. 
         [0093]      FIG. 7  shows a bag  410  having a logo  412  and printed information  414  printed on a side  416  of the bag  410 . Puzzle or contest information  425  can also be printed on the bag  410 .  FIG. 7  further shows a phone number or email address  422  printed on the bag  410 , a website  424  printed on the bag  410  and/or a QR code  426  printed on the bag  410 . Each of  422 ,  424 , or  426  assists in tracking the effectiveness of the advertisement. 
         [0094]      FIG. 8  shows a case  430  which has a sticker  432  that is placed on the outside of case  430  that explains for example, the free nature of the case of bags or the valuable coupons enclosed. Label  433  is a mailing label on case  430 . Label  439  is the product description label on case  430  for the contents of the case. 
         [0095]      FIG. 9  shows a case  430  which contains bags  410  or  440 . In an embodiment, a letter  434  is inserted into the case  430 . Marketing collateral  436  and coupons  435  are placed in the case  430 . The coupons  435  can be handed out or put in bags  410  or  440  by the Bag Customer at point of purchase. Case  430  may further contain promotional items  437 . 
         [0096]      FIG. 10  shows a bag  440  having information  442  printed on the bag  440 . Bag  440  also has an opening  444 . Coupons  435  may be placed inside bag  440 . Coupons  448  may be part of bag  440  and can be ripped off. Coupon  450  may be affixed to bag  440 , and can be peeled off. Coupon  435 ,  448  and  450  may have a unique bar code  452  that assists in specifically measuring coupon redemption tied to a specific promotion.