(21%) by that the merch is of high quality, which of course is not mutually exclusive to being useful and may in fact be related. These numbers line up as you would expect with the primary reasons why consumers would discard branded merch – the leading reason (38%) being that it is not useful, followed by poor quality (27%). See Figures 5 and 6. These results position usefulness not as a competitive advantage, but as a baseline requirement. Without relevance to daily life, products rarely move forward to create any impact. “A product that sits in a drawer never builds a brand. Usefulness is the entry point for everything else,” Bhat says. Kept Merch Leads To Measurable Outcomes Past PPAI Research has indicated that suppliers and distributors sense that end buyers are wary of branded merch’s lack of clear ROI, at least in comparison to digital. On one hand, digital ads are often fleeting, so measuring that ROI might be helpful, but only so much as knowing something. The potential for branded merch to do more than that is still there, and this consumer study suggests that it is in fact measurable. About 48% of respondents said merch led them to look up a brand, 42% said they visited a website, 39% said they made a purchase, and 38% said they talked about the brand with others. Only 13% reported taking no action. See Figure 7. Usefulness was again the most likely reason (40%) consumers claimed a product would trigger them to take action, showing a pattern that usefulness drives consumer behavior and desire. “A billboard disappears when the campaign ends,” Bhat says. “A well-made bag or jacket keeps showing up on the commute, at the gym, workplace, etc. That’s earned, tangible media in action.” Quality Works For The Brand Out In The World Usefulness keeps branded merch out of the trash, but quality of the product does wonders for the brand when people see it out in the world. That’s why the two factors work in tandem: 68% of consumers claim usefulness makes merch Figure 6: What is the main reason you discard or give away an item? Don’t like the brand, 1.5% Not useful, 37.9% Doesn’t match my style, 10.1% Too many similar items, 23.9% Poor quality, 26.6% Looked up brand, 47.6% Visited website, 41.8% Purchased product/service, 38.5% Talked about brand, 38.0% Followed on social media, 22.3% None, 13.2% “A product that sits in a drawer never builds a brand. Usefulness is the entry point for everything else.” —ALOK BHAT, PPAI RESEARCH PPAI • JUNE 2026 • 35 Consumer Study | Must Read Figure 7: Have you ever taken action because of branded merchandise?
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