Why Buy Promotional Products? An In-Depth Study

Why should I give away branded freebies?

A recent study by the Advertising Specialty Institute finds that promotional products are the most high-impact, cost-effective advertising medium around for their clients. The findings in this study are based on thousands of in-person and online surveys taken by consumers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe. This survey answers questions about promotional products’ reach, consumers’ perceptions of them and how branded products influence buying decisions and products’ impact on consumer opinions of the advertiser.



U.S. consumers were asked which promo products they currently owned. Promotional items are defined as items that have an advertiser’s logo and/or message on them, that are usually given away for free by companies to consumers.



Promotional pens and drinkware are widely owned by consumers across the United States, nearly 9 in 10 consumers report owning each. In fact, most categories of promotional products are owned by more than half of consumers!

The study also reveals some interesting information about impressions made by each product. The number of impressions a product makes was derived from multiplying how long a recipient has the product by how many people they come in contact when using it by the frequency of its usage. In the U.S., outerwear generates the most impressions (6,100) of any item measured in the study. This is because outerwear is often worn in public places where it can be seen by many people. Other items that deliver a large number of impressions are headwear, T-shirts, bags and writing instruments.



Promo products are the most highly regarded form of advertising, beating out traditional standbys like newspaper, magazine, internet, radio & television advertising. Consumers are about 2.5x more likely to favor promo products over internet advertising. Surveyers also asked respondents how many promotional products they owned. The results indicate the average household in the United States owns 30 promo items! Talk about reach! You can read the full study here.

Let us help you make an impression that lasts on your customers! Call (918) 252-4110 today, or visit us at sundancepromos.com

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