As a consumer, how often have you picked up a promotional product offered to you at an event, accepted a branded product offered from an organization you belong to or used a promotional product that supports a cause you believe in? These are just three of the ways that promotional products make their way into the fabric of consumers’ lives and become part of their day-to-day activities.
A recent PPAI (Promotional Products Association International) Research study, designed to gather data on this industry’s powerful advertising medium, looked at how consumers receive, keep, engage with and value promotional products. The survey was sent to several thousand comsumers in the United States and Canada. Similar studies have been done every few years, and will results have change in small ways, the main conclusions are pretty consistent. See here for a similar study from a decade ago.
Advertisers and marketers need to carefully consider the various options available: radio and TV ads, newspaper and magazine ads, direct mail, email, and promotional products, to name a few. As internet advertising has exploded in recent years, so has the ease in dismissing ads with pop-up blockers and other tools. In the age of streaming, a few clicks allow the consumer to skip through commercials. Who wouldn't like to have a medium with a little more permanence?
Not surprisingly, the results were intriguing and impressive, proving once again the impact that promotional products can have and the long-lasting connection they can forge between consumers and brands.
| 47.2% | have received branded products by mail from businesses (e.g. calendar magnet from realtor, sticker from retail store, etc.) |
| 45.9% | have taken branded products that were free to use or take home as a patron of an establishment |
| 32% | have received company branded products with a purchase |
| 28.2% | have received branded products being handed out to attendees or visitors of a social events or gatherings |
| 26.9% | have been given company branded products from employers or organizations |
| 25.7% | were given free products to support a cause or issue they believe in |
| 75.4% | The item is useful |
| 38.3% | Reminds me of an event or experience |
| 34.8% | The product is fun to have |
| 34.1% | I like the design |
| 32.9% | I wanted or needed the product at the time I received it |
| 27.4% | Reminds me of my accomplishments (e.g. t-shirt which displayed a race logo, plaque with award, etc.) |
| 27.4% | Supports a worthy cause |
| 94.5% | strongly or somewhat agreed they would rather receive a promotional product than a promotional email |
| 85.6% | strongly or somewhat agreed they would rather receive a promotional product than a promotional mailer |
| 81.8% | strongly or somewhat agreed they prefer to receive a promotional product than listen to a 30-second radio commercial |
| 81.2% | strongly or somewhat agreed they prefer to receive a promotional product than watch a 30-second TV commercial |
“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”
~ Mark Twain
