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ByLeo Victor

ASI study points to most remembered promo items

The ASI Study on promotional products impressions was released last month. Among other things, the study asks what are the top 3 promotional items you received last year. Obviously as a promotional product distributor we are interested in what people receive, or at least remember receiving. Keeping in mind that this is a recall study, it hits on a very important aspect of promotional product marketing… what do people remember?

It varies by country and the individual country details are interesting (for another post), but zooming into the United States, we find a few things that help inform our promotional product purchasing decisions.

Over the past few years, custom power banks, or branded portable chargers, have become a very popular item. With 26% of the people stating that they have at least one branded charger, we see this product has made significant inroads in the few years that it has been in the product mix. As the options expanded beyond the simple cylinder charger, companies have found a wider array of applications to connect the power bank with their customer base. We have no doubt that portable chargers will hold and even higher place in the rankings next year.

The top items, promotional t-shirts at 58%, custom drinkware (53%) and outerwear, bags and writing instruments (all three at 50%) have been fairly steady in the US. But the numbers can vary quite a bit based on demographics / geography.

Bags, while 50% across the whole were mentioned 57% by women vs 42% by men. So, depending on the audience, you will consider bags more if it is female skewed.

Promotional T-Shirts tend to have the highest recall within the midwest, though all regions are over 80%. Here is the thing, while 58% of respondents reported owning a branded t-shirt, 95% of those in the midwest, and over 90% in the West and Pacific regions recall an advertiser on a t-shirt; aaw or owned. That is a really powerful impression driver. T-shirts work.

Custom Drinkware is a great consumer product. 53% of consumers own branded drinkware. What is really cool is that over half of them use that drinkware 2-3 times a week. When you give logo drinkware, keep in mind that if it is high quality and connects with your audience, you will be in front of half of them 2-3 times a week from then on. Now that is a lasting impression.

Branded Outerwear is one of the most impactful promotional items. It has an appeal that crosses age groups and gender, making a great choice for brands with a broader market, or a brand that wants to be as sure as possible that the item will appeal to the recipient. Of course that means you need to provide quality and class, but we can help you with that.

We’ve always known promotional products connect. By understanding your target, you can help promo items that are already appreciated to stick around even longer. Match the product to the audience and reap the impressions for weeks, months and even years to come.