When it comes to selling bags, Lands’ End has had one competitor in mind for years.
In 1977, the Wisconsin-based retailer debuted a canvas tote that bore a striking resemblance to L.L.Bean’s Boat and Tote, released in 1944. The difference was, at the time, it had pockets.
“Our long running proposition is we create solutions,” Matt Trainor, SVP of brand and creative marketing at Lands’ End, told Marketing Brew. “Our solution when the tote came out 50 years ago was a reaction to the Boat and Tote by saying, ‘We can make this just a little bit better.’”
After seeing the Boat and Tote’s recent cultural resurgence and the fervent demand for Trader Joe’s tote bags, Lands’ End wanted to get a piece of the action. The brand’s canvas tote was its No. 1 one top-selling product last month following a marketing push, Trainor said.
To keep momentum going, Lands’ End is now offering to send people two tote bags in exchange for $1 and an unwanted tote bag—preferably, Trainor said, a Boat and Tote.
Total recall
When it comes to giving away totes to people (almost) for free, Trainor said “it’s not about margin” and “it’s not about profit.” The dollar fee, he said, is to help mitigate shipping costs.
In addition to the appeal of free products, one of the ideas behind the campaign was to appeal to people who maybe want to cut down on the number of tote bags they’ve accumulated over the years at stores, events, etc.
“People talk about the sustainable angle of these totes, but they end up just wrapped up balls in a corner,” he said.
By getting Lands’ End totes in hand, Trainor hopes people will see the difference between its product and competitors’. “I think it got lost in the sauce over the years that our tote is a little bit more special than the other ones because it has those pockets,” he said. (Worth noting: L.L.Bean currently sells a pocket-clad version of its Boat and Tote).
Get marketing news you'll actually want to read
Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.
According to Trainor, the tote giveaway is part of a “deep refresh” for Lands’ End, following the introduction of a new CEO last January and a new product team to boot.
“Over the last five, 10, maybe even 15 years, we’ve gotten a little conservative in our approach with the belief that our customer doesn’t want fresh, new ideas,” he said. As the brand has invested more in new products and “trend-relevant” campaign ideas in the last year and half, he said customers new and old have been “responding really well.”
Similar to L.L.Bean, Trainor said Lands’ End has been investing more in influencer marketing as a way to get the word out about its tote bags. That investment, he said, in addition to product seeding and performance marketing strategies, has helped drive sales of the bags. He said the plan is to continue building out a three-tiered influencer marketing strategy consisting of content photographers, brand ambassadors, and traditional creator partners, as well as invest in other product franchises like swim- and outerwear.
Moving forward, Trainor said, Lands’ End plans to be a bit louder about what it has to offer to expand beyond its repeat customers.
“We’re not going to be shy about comparing ourselves to other brands in the market and saying our product is better,” he said.