Are men dumber, or just less secure?

Published on October 27, 2005 By Rajiv Badlani In Business

Clean Up Australia says men are the weaker sex when it comes to saying "no" to plastic bags. A national Newspoll conducted by the environmental organisation shows 50 per cent of women are likely to refuse a plastic bag, but just one-in-three men say 'no'. A third of men surveyed say they prefer to use plastic bags over reusable bags, compared to just one-in-five women. Everyone’s been telling me this for years. That we’re the dumber sex.

But could it be that we are just more insecure? No woman’s feminine identity is threatened by being seen carrying a cloth bag for her groceries. Are men concerned that they’d look like wimps carrying a cloth bag? Most cloth shopping bags are designed to look like the kind of totes women carry. A corporate client (a male) who regularly orders giveaway bags for the trade shows he attends on behalf of his company gave me some insight into this. Most totes, he mentioned, look too feminine, and male visitors to trade shows feel awkward carrying them. We worked with him to design a jute + cotton tote with longer handles that men could sling over their shoulders without getting this feeling. He wrote in after the show telling us that the design was a big hit, and preferred by everyone (males particularly, but women included) to the bags other exhibitors were handing out. It was particularly gratifying, he added, that most folks catching flights out after the show, had his bags slung over their shoulders at the airport also. At Norquest, we work hard to find the most appropriate solution to our clients’ needs and enjoy putting in the effort to customize solutions for their needs. See the vast selection we have on show at www.badlani.com/bags/and if you don’t see something that appeals, brief us and we’ll work towards creating a bag for your specific needs. Sensitivity to such issues can go a long way in encouraging everyone to reduce plastic bag usage. Younger people would prefer backpacks. We have a great line of very economical backpacks too. Who said all shopping bags need to be cut from the same cloth?

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