The most obvious form of advertising isn’t necessarily the most effective. A billboard or TV commercial might be the first thing that comes to mind, because you know for a fact that they are trying to sell you something. But Marketing 101 will tell you that great advertising is at least a little bit subliminal. Branded merchandise certainly isn’t trying to obfuscate its marketing purposes, but the best promotional products can distract from the effect they’re having by offering the consumer a utility. That’s the basis behind PPAI’s latest consumer research study, based on more than 3,400 participating U.S. consumers, which aimed to provide a look at how branded merch performs once it has reached the consumer. These responses – taken as a whole and interpreted as data – give a better sense of both merch’s initial impact and what’s required to make that impact continue well past the point of entering the consumer’s hands. The dataset purports that the initial reaction to receiving branded merch is positive, so the medium works from a tremendous starting point – more than 80% of consumers express some level of excitement, and 33% categorize that as “very excited.” (See Figure 1.) The starting point, though, is not where branded merch holds the biggest advantage over other advertising mediums. It’s in the relationship with the product where merch can keep adding brand value with the consumer. Exposure & Expectations The data show that branded merch is becoming more ubiquitous, just by the sheer number of sources where consumers are receiving it. Workplaces, conferences and festivals, retail gifts with purchase and gifts are all leading sources where consumers claim to receive branded merch. They are a common and welcome part of culture, work and commerce. See Figure 2. That growing range in sources creates a subtle shift in how merch is considered: Consumers are no longer evaluating merch in isolation. They are comparing it with products they already use and often purchase themselves. This changes the standard – merch is no longer judged as a free item. Figure 1: When you receive branded merchandise, what is your initial reaction most of the time? Not interested at all, 0.2% Slightly uninterested, 2.2% Neutral, 15.9% Pleasantly surprised, 48.3% Very excited, 33.4% Figure 2: Where did you receive it from? Workplace, 33.9% Events, 32.1% Retail brand purchase, 28.4% Gift from a friend or family, 26.7% With a purchase, 22.9% Online/influencer/creator, 14.6% School or university activities, 9.6% Other, 8.9% PPAI • JUNE 2026 • 33 Consumer Study | Must Read
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