unsurprising. Emotional value is not necessarily something you always seek out, but something you appreciate upon receiving. Nonetheless, 38% said an emotional connection strongly increases their connection to a brand, while 46% said it somewhat increases that connection. See Figures 11 and 12. This indicates that when a product is both useful and meaningful, it moves beyond utility. It becomes familiar, and in some cases, personal. Usefulness, Quality, Resistiveness Influence Selectivity What comes inherently with giving consumers branded merch for free is that they simply have every right to discard it. If they are traveling, they may have limited room in their carry-on. If they live in the city, they may have limited space in their apartment. The point is that consumers are increasingly being selective, even with free products. According to the study, the reasons for rejecting merch are consistent. The three primary reasons are that the products aren’t useful, are of poor quality or the consumer already has too many similar items. See Figure 6. Figure 11: Which matters more to you overall? Figure 12: Have you ever felt more connected or loyal to a brand because of the merch you received? Functional value, 73.2% Emotional value, 26.8% Yes, strongly, 38.0% No, 16.2% Yes, somewhat, 45.9% Figure 13: Which would you prefer? Fewer, higherquality items, 66.2% No preference, 14.1% More, lowercost items, 19.7% When a product is both useful and meaningful, it moves beyond utility. It becomes familiar. PPAI • JUNE 2026 • 37 Consumer Study | Must Read
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==