Promotional Products Work (23 fun facts)

  • May 22, 2018

23 fun facts about effective advertising

Microfiber cloths, Post-It notes, and pens can be effective branding tools.

Last week, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) held a national awareness campaign called Promotional Products Work Week. Activities and messages were aimed at businesses and those who regulate them (i.e., government). While advertising takes many forms, promo products lead the way in terms of exposure and effectiveness. Here are some interesting (and sometimes surprising) stats.

  1. Eight in 10 consumers own between one and 10 promotional products.
  2. 53% of these people use a promotional product at least once a week.
  3. Six in 10 of them keep promotional products for up to two years.
  4. Only one in five people will trash an unwanted promotional product.
  5. Before receiving a promotional product, 55% of people had done business with the advertiser.  After receiving a promotional product, 85% of people did business with the advertiser.
  6. With nearly six thousand impressions, bags generate more impressions than any other promotional product in the U.S.
  7. 31% of U.S. consumers own a promotional bag.
  8. At one-tenth of a cent, bags tie with writing instruments for the lowest cost per impression of any promotional product in the U.S.
  9. The first known promotional products – commemorative buttons – trace back to 1789 when George Washington was elected president.
  10. 53% of the time, promotional products create a more favorable impression of the advertiser.
  11. 48% of consumers would like to receive promotional products more often.
  12. Consumers hang on to promotional products for an average of 6.6 months.
  13. 69% of consumers would pick up a promotional product if they thought it useful.
  14. 63% of consumers pass along the promotional products they no longer wish to keep.
  15. 89% of consumers can recall the advertiser of a promotional product they’d received in the last two years.
  16. 91% of consumers have at least one promotional product in their kitchen, 74 percent have at least one in their workspace, 55 percent have at least one in their bedroom.
  17. 77% of consumers say a promotional product’s usefulness is the number-one reason to keep it, with health and safety products, computer products and writing instruments ranked as the most useful.
  18. Apparel is the top product category, followed by writing instruments, bags, calendars and drinkware.
  19. The first promotional product tradeshow was held in 1914 – there were 32 exhibitors.
  20. Women are more likely to have bags, writing instruments and calendars, whereas men are more likely to own shirts and caps.
  21. Logoed mugs in particular are more effective advertising than radio and television spots; 57% of people were able to recall the advertiser on a mug, versus 32% of radio and 28% of TV.
  22. Adding a promotional product to the media mix increases the effectiveness of other media by up to 44%.
  23. Promotional products draw as many as 5 times more referrals from satisfied customers than an appeal letter alone.

Are you taking advantage of these facts? APTCO can help.

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