TSA-friendly
As one of the most popular modes of business travel, it makes sense that end-users would opt for airline-friendly bags—more specifically, those that can help them get through security check-ins as quickly and smoothly as possible.
To assist and appease the frequent flyer, offer TSA-friendly bags, Spellman explained. “It’s a great time-saving feature,” he said in reference to bags that allow end-users to leave their laptops inside as they go through security.
These types of bags not only make the end-user happier and less stressed, they also tend to sell themselves. “Every bag carried through an airport is seen by thousands of eyes, and is a great way to reinforce branding,” BrownKorbel said. “Bags are great conversation starters for frequent travelers. We often get requests for orders based on casual conversations that started with, ‘Hey! That’s a great bag. Where did you get it?’”
Lightweight
Between getting things organized at the office before they leave and making sure they have everything they’ll need on the road, travelers have enough to think about without having to worry about sore shoulders. “Having a bag that is lightweight is still extremely important to most consumers,” Spellman said. With laptops, tablets, smartphones, cords and whatever hard-copy files they may need, travelers already bring plenty of weight, without the addition of a heavier bag. Lightweight bags help keep travelers comfortable and able to focus on the work task at hand.
Tech-enabled
It’s a digital world, and for business travelers that often means they need to be attached to their phone, laptop or tablet at all times, and they need a bag that makes this constant access easy. “In today’s culture, many consumers carry multiple devices, which means they have multiple chargers and sometimes portable chargers that they now need to be able to transport,” Spellman said.
“Anything that’s built for tech is a hot commodity,” BrownKorbel agreed. “The more feature-rich a bag is, the more demand we get. End-buyers are looking for bags that will not only house their tech (i.e., bags with lots of compartments), but also charge their tech (i.e., include a power bank),” she said, citing additional retail-style touches—including cord and adapter compartments, separated laptop and lined tablet sleeves, and pass-through ports for headphones—as other popular features.
“Pairing [a] power bank with the bag allows us to offer an additional space for branding while upping the perceived value significantly,” said BrownKorbel. “Rethinking what we can do with bags, in this case adding a power bank, allows us to respond to the desire for tech-forward products within a very analog category.”
