36 • MAY 2026 • PPAI Branded merch is everywhere, from the United States to Europe to China to Australia to Japan and so on. Even in the most remote areas of Africa (not to mention the more booming countries there), you’ll find a distributor looking to serve clients. Maybe that won’t surprise you if you already knew the power of merch. After all, the world was bound to catch up. But now, that international ubiquity is being harnessed, and PPAI is being intentional in bringing together that global industry. In January, the Association revealed a five-year strategic plan, which included a priority lane focused on International Partnerships and Advocacy. PPAI’s strategic plan states that it has the organizational goal to “Develop partnerships to distribute a global voice and establish a more connected community.” You can’t connect the branded merch globe overnight, but fostering an international promo landscape does more than fill up a passport. It creates ripple effects for every region. It helps one continent anticipate a coming problem while potentially bringing a lucrative or savvy trend to another continent. Global Supply Chain + Regional Sales Ecosystems How global is branded merch in 2026? The answer is difficult to pin down because it’s shifting as we speak, but a common refrain from industry people who work internationally is that branded merch utilizes a global supply chain while often falling back into ecosystems of regional sales. “These ecosystems still operate somewhat independently, but within Europe, European Associations Cooperation now offers a platform for intensive exchange of knowledge and ideas,” says Ralf Uwe Schneider, CEO of GWW and EAC board member. “The industry’s trajectory could be summed up as ‘globalizing, but not fully global.’” This is where we introduce a word that is a theme in the international landscape of branded merch: collaboration. PPAI has collaborated with EAC so that it can continue that work of bridging ecosystems across Europe and extend it, primarily to North America. • Earlier this year, PPAI, EAC and ASI worked together on a global carbon impact study revealing merch’s carbon footprint is eight times smaller than digital. • PPAI is also working in conjunction with EAC to host the second annual "PPAI's strategic plan states that it has the organizational goal to Develop partnerships to distribute a global voice and establish a more connected community." –PPAI FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN DewiSari1894 / Shutterstock.com Must Read | Branding Without Borders
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