Branded merchandise has been effective for over 200 years in building brand awareness and customer loyalty, and a strategic approach to product selection, guided by data such as ASI's 2023 Ad Impressions Study, is essential for maximizing their impact.
You know them, your customers love them, and your brand’s image is impacted by them – branded merchandise and promotional products. Branded items have been utilized by businesses around the world for more than 200 years as a cost-effective way to build brand awareness, boost customer loyalty and more, but to get the most from your branded merchandise programs, a strategic effort must go into your product selection. As we look to consider our audience and determine what products will resonate with them, it’s important to understand how various product types statistically perform amongst consumers. How long is the product’s lifetime? And in that lifetime, how many brand impressions does it garner at what cost? In this blog post we will review ASI’s 2023 Ad Impressions Study, which found promotional products to be the number one ad type of consumers. Check out each of the stats below highlighting the effectiveness of each product type, so you can confidently make the best selections for your next merch run.
OUTERWEAR/FLEECE
7,856 impressions over its lifetime
61% of consumers would keep and wear for at least two years
More influential in the Northeast than any other region
41% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them logoed outerwear or fleece
Cost per impression for a $30 half-zip fleece: less than 1/2 of a cent
T-SHIRTS
5,053 impressions over its lifetime
47% of consumers would keep and wear for at least two years
More influential in the Southeast than any other region
37% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed T-shirt
Cost per impression for a super-soft $10 T-shirt: 1/5 of a cent
HEADWEAR
3,380 impressions over its lifetime
56% of consumers would keep and wear for at least one year
More influential in the Northeast than any other region
20% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them logoed headwear
Cost per impression for an $8 baseball cap: less than 1/4 of a cent
DRINKWARE
3,162 impressions over its lifetime
63% of consumers would keep and use for at least one year
More influential in the Southeast, Midwest and Pacific than any other region
30% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them logoed drinkware
Cost per impression for a $10 insulated travel mug: 1/3 of a cent
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
2,436 impressions over its lifetime
52% of consumers would keep and use for at least one year
More influential in the Southeast than any other region
30% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed writing instrument
Cost per impression for a $1 metal pen: less than 1/10 of a cent
PERFORMANCE WEAR
2,336 impressions over its lifetime
59% of consumers would keep and wear for at least one year
More influential in the Southwest than any other region
41% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them logoed performance wear
Cost per impression for a $20 moisture-wicking performance polo: less than 1 cent
DESKTOP ACCESSORIES
2,314 impressions over its lifetime
58% of consumers would keep and use for at least one year
More influential in the Southeast than any other region
24% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed desk accessory
Cost per impression for a $10 desk accessory: less than ½ of a cent
POLO SHIRTS
2,106 impressions over its lifetime
62% of consumers would keep and wear for at least one year
More influential in the Southeast and Southwest than any other region
29% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed polo shirt
Cost per impression for a $15 cotton polo: under 1 cent
BAGS
1,940 impressions over its lifetime
43% of consumers would keep and use for at least two years
More influential in the Southeast than any other region
26% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed bag
Cost per impression for a $2 non-woven tote bag: only 1/10 of a cent
UMBRELLAS
1,760 impressions over its lifetime
54% of consumers would keep and use for at least two years
More influential in the Northeast than any other region
36% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed umbrella
Cost per impression for a $10 travel umbrella: about 1/2 of a cent
POWER BANKS
870 impressions over its lifetime
51% of consumers would keep and use for at least two years
More influential in the Southeast than any other region
40% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed power bank
Cost per impression for an $8 power bank: just under 1 cent
USB DRIVES
851 impressions over its lifetime
44% of consumers would keep and use for at least one year
More influential in the Northeast than any other region
31% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed USB drive
Cost per impression for a 1GB USB flash drive: near ½ of a cent
CALENDARS
673 impressions over its lifetime
62% of consumers would keep and use for at least one year
More influential in the Northeast than any other region
25% of consumers would be more likely to do business with an advertiser that gave them a logoed calendar
Cost per impression for a 12-month wall calendar that costs $10: 1.5 cents
HEALTH PRODUCTS
640 impressions over its lifetime
36% of consumers would keep and use for at least one year
More influential in the Northeast than any other region
26% of consumers would be more likely to do businesswith an advertiser that gave them a logoed health product
Cost per impression for a $5 travel health and safety kit: 1 cent
It is proven that all types of promotional products will drive brand impressions and influence your audience in their next purchasing decision, but what items fit best for your business' needs will be unique. Now, when making product decisions you can make strategic decisions that align with your goals and objectives.
