Bagster enters peak season with new
ad campaign
Employees can receive a discount on Bagster service
HOUSTON – With the arrival of spring comes the busy season for Waste Management’s
Bagster “dumpster in a bag” service. It’s a time of year when warmer temperatures, and in
particular less snow, translates to more home renovations, backyard remodels and other
smaller-scale projects that don’t require a full-sized dumpster — projects perfect for the
Bagster bag.
It’s also a time to gauge how far the product line has come since launching in 2009, when it was
the first consumer product launched by Waste Management. On its first official day of
business — June 18, 2009 — the company collected just 31 bags. Last year, on the same day,
WM collected 1,787 bags, which was just a small percentage of the more than 283,000 Bagster
bags collected in 2013.
This year, the goal is to do even better. And with the help of a new ad campaign currently being
implemented across North America, the Bagster bag is sure to be on the minds of builders and
home improvement enthusiasts alike.
“Every year, we’re seeing greater familiarity and greater usage of our Bagster bag,” said Dave
Friedman, product line director for Waste Management. “This year, we’re expecting that trend to
continue. In fact, we’re currently looking to collect more than 310,000 bags in 2014.”
When it comes to promoting the Bagster bag, WM has identified cable advertising as the biggest
driver of familiarity for the product. According to market research, 82 percent of viewers who
see the Bagster ad attribute the service to Waste Management, which is an incredibly high retention rate.
This year’s campaign, which began March 31, and will run for 17 weeks during the summer and fall months,
aims to maintain that familiarity with a slightly different key message. At the end of this year’s ad, the
voiceover says, “Rely on Waste Management for all your waste removal and recycling needs,” further
linking the product’s image — and its loyalty — to the WM brand.
“Our mission is to improve familiarity, favorability, and trust of WM, and ultimately generate more sales
across the company,” said Friedman. “We’re not just selling Bagster bags, we’re selling Waste Management.”
The Bagster bag is available across 43 states in the U.S. and 9 Canadian provinces. More than 4,400 retail
locations carry the product, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menard’s, Rona, True Value, Ace, Do-It-Best,
and others. Waste Management employees are eligible for a 20 percent discount on the collection of a Bagster
bag by calling 1-877-789-BAGS (2247) to schedule collection and then using the following coupon code:
100-EMPLY-[employee ID#].