Branded merchandise has always had a simple promise: Put a brand in someone’s hands and it’s more likely to stay in their life. However, in recent years, expectations for branded merch have shifted. PPAI Research surveyed more than 500 firms and business professionals across two targeted audiences: 257 end buyer respondents and 250 agency respondents. • The end buyer group represented senior decision-makers and influencers at sizable organizations involved in marketing, branding, events, employee engagement, customer retention, procurement and branded merchandise decisions. • The agency group represented marketing, advertising, media, PR, event, experiential, creative, digital, research and brand strategy firms whose professionals lead or influence client campaign recommendations. Together, these two audiences provide a practical view of the market: how organizations use branded merch inside their own programs and how agencies evaluate it when advising clients on broader campaign strategy. “The market isn’t asking for less branded merchandise,” says Alok Bhat, market economist and research and public affairs lead at PPAI. “It’s asking for better branded merchandise – better strategy, better quality, better execution and better proof.” For distributors and suppliers, that creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that buyers and agencies are raising their expectations. The opportunity is that the industry has a clear path to move from product fulfillment to campaign value. Better Merch Is Better Marketing | Must Read • OCTOBER 2026 • 45
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==