Advertising Specialty Institute®, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, revealed this month in a groundbreaking new study that advertising specialties beat out all forms of TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available. The average cost-per-impression of an advertising specialty item is $0.004, making it less expensive per impression than nearly any other media. (According to Nielsen Media data, the CPI for a national magazine ad is $0.033; a newspaper ad is $0.0129; a prime time TV ad is $0.019; a cable TV ad is $0.007; a syndicated TV ad is $0.006; and a spot radio ad is $0.005)

These statistics conclude that marketers get a more favorable return on investment from advertising specialties than almost any other popular media, with a very low cost-per-impression, high recall among those who receive ad specialty items, and increased intent among recipients to make purchases from the advertiser. Advertising specialties, or promotional products, are items branded with a corporate logo or message that are used as an incentive, a gift or as part of an advertising campaign; and the industry comprises a 13% share of the overall advertising marketplace, with $19.6 billion in sales for 2007.

“During a time when we’re facing turbulent economic conditions, this research advises marketers and business owners to invest in advertising specialties now more than ever,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of the Advertising Specialty Institute. “Advertising specialties provide measurable results for a very reasonable investment.” Here are some key findings of the study:

• Instant recall: More than 8 out of 10 (84%) respondents remembered the advertisers of the promotional products they’re received.
• Very impressionable: 42% of respondents had a MORE favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving the item. And nearly a quarter (24%) said they are MORE likely to do business with the advertiser on the items they receive.
• It’s all business: Most respondents (62%) have done business with the advertiser on a promotional product after receiving the item.
• User-friendly: The majority (81%) of promotional products were kept because they were considered useful.