With over 25,000 members and 75+ years of history, the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) serves as the promotional product industry’s leading professional organization. Their annual survey shares results from real consumers on what they like, what they don’t notice, and what is most likely to make them positively remember your brand.
would be more likely to do business with a brand after receiving a promotional item.
1. Promotional products improve brand opinion.
It’s not surprising, but it’s nice to hear! The report found that a significant majority of customers – 76% – would be more likely to do business with a brand after receiving a promotional item, and 78% have a more favorable view of the brand overall. It’s a high-impact option, too, with the average product generating around 3,300 total impressions and costing just 6/10 of a cent per impression.
2. Promotional products are Americans’ favorite form of advertising.
It turns out most consumers still prefer a tactile, tangible approach to branding. 75% of surveyed consumers say they have a positive opinion of promotional products, outstripping other common channels like TV advertising, digital ads, social media, and mobile ads.
That enthusiasm does vary by category. When asked which category of product they’d be most excited to receive, 55% of respondents said T-shirts, 52% said fleeces or jackets, and 51% said food gifts. “Tchotchke” items tended to perform on the lower end of the spectrum: just 11% would be most excited about buttons or stickers, and just 20% chose magnets.
3. For maximum impressions, choose apparel.
Branded apparel and accessories came out on top in terms of making a bigger impression. By far, the category with the most impressions per lifetime is fleeces/jackets, with 9,000 impressions for a single item. Bags and hats also made a major mark, at 4,900 and 4,000 impressions, respectively, while T-shirts earn 3,500 and polos get around 2,900.
Unsurprisingly, smaller items that are used more personally get the least impressions. USB drives got the lowest number, at 400 impressions, while notebooks only earned 500, calendars 550, and magnets 750.
4. Consumers prioritize utility and quality above all.
Not all promotional items are created equal – and consumers notice. 78% say they would keep a promotional item if it’s useful. In contrast, 43% say they’d keep items that are enjoyable, 42% would keep them because they’re attractive, and just 19% would keep an item as a reference point for contact information.
Today’s customers are also sticklers for quality, especially if their own dollars are at stake. When asked which factors would influence their willingness to purchase a promotional item, the highest-ranked factor was quality, with 55% saying quality mattered. That’s followed by design (50%) and coming from a company they love (42%).
The takeaway? Think of promotional products like any other product: people want something they can use and depend on, and they’ll prefer the brands they associate with those attributes. Achieve that, and you’re well on your way to success.
Source: Advertising Specialty Institute. Global Advertising Impressions Study, 2026/2027 Edition.
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