The trick to a good promotion is to connect your company details to something useful. Now, there is "private useful" like the promotional toothbrush you use in the privacy of your own bathroom, and there is "public useful" that you use out there where everybody sees you inadvertently parading the promotion.

This is where promotional bags come in. Few of us can get people to wear sandwich boards for us without paying them, but easily placed promotional bags act in much the same way.

Picture the happy recipient of your promotional gift arriving at a jazz concert in the park toting your promotional wine bag. People can notice this, particularly those juggling single wine bottles and sundry picnic equipment. There it sits on the blanket, sophisticated, serene and discreetly advertising your sophisticated and serene company. What a delight.

Here's another promotional bag scenario: extremely cool young thing rollerblades past, wearing a backpack with your details on it. All eyes follow the dexterous performer and no-one misses your logo on the bag with the contact details just large enough to distinguish and remember.

These are just some of the hundreds of scenarios involving well-chosen promotional bags. The vast selection of these promotional gifts can make it overwhelming to choose one particular design; there are countless kinds of bags to choose from.

On the disposable side of the spectrum there is any number of paper and plastic promotional bags for specific purposes that can bring attention to your product. These would be your "quantity not quality" alternative with a price tag that would fit most company budgets.

For those who want to make a deeper, more intense impact there are many more options. Most companies offer specials on promotional bags that last but are relatively inexpensive to purchase.

Publishing companies and trade show participants make liberal use of this option. Their promotional bags are often stylish and constructed out of a tough, durable fabric to hold the growing bulk of tradeshow give-aways. Here is your choice: would you rather be the give away IN the bag or the message ON the bag. There's no real choice if being in the spotlight is your goal.

Other choices that won't break the budget are coolers and lunch bags. Prices in this category are still easily affordable and the items themselves get around on a daily basis.

When deciding on the kind of promotional bag, choose one that is thematically related to your business e.g. sports bags for sporting goods companies, wine coolers for the beverage industry, computer bags for the computer industry, overnight and weekender promotional bags for the travel industry.

Think carefully about the positioning of the logo on the bag and consider paying a little more to tailor a design that works well with the style of bag you have chosen. You want the logo to be both subtle and readable.

Promotional bags are offered across a range of pricing starting around $1 a bag (tradeshow bags in tough durable material) to the more costly $30 a piece (messenger bags and golf accessory totes).