What Promotional Products Do People Actually Want? What the Data Says About Smarter Merch Choices

Most branded merch budgets do not fail because of how much was spent. They fail because of what got ordered. The wrong product — even at a reasonable price — ends up in a drawer, at a donation pile, or in the trash. And every one of those outcomes takes your brand with it.

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the cost-per-impression data that makes a strong case for branded merchandise as a legitimate budget line item. But cost per impression only matters if someone actually keeps and uses the item. That is where product selection becomes a strategic decision, not just a shopping one.

The 2026 Global Ad Impressions Study from the Advertising Specialty Institute surveyed thousands of U.S. consumers about which promotional products they want to receive, why they keep them, and what drives them to use them. The data is clear. What you choose matters more than how much you spend. Here is what it shows.

Which Promotional Products Do People Most Want to Receive?

Consumer preference is one of the most useful inputs a merch buyer can have, and it is one of the most consistently ignored. The ASI study asked consumers directly which promotional products they would be most excited to receive. The results should be guiding your product decisions.

The top three categories — t-shirts, fleece and jackets, and food gifts — each crossed the 50% threshold. More than half of consumers said they would be genuinely excited to receive items in those categories. That is a high bar in consumer research, and it tells you something important: apparel and food are not safe, boring choices. They are the choices most likely to land well.

What is equally telling is what sits lower on the list. Buttons, lanyards, and stickers came in at 11%. Magnets at 20%. These are among the most commonly ordered promotional items in the industry, and they are among the least wanted by the people receiving them. If your branded merchandise strategy defaults to whatever is cheapest or easiest to order in bulk, the data suggests you are likely spending money on things that do not move the needle.

Why Do People Keep Promotional Products?

Preference tells you what people want. But what actually determines whether a promotional product sticks around and keeps working for your brand long after the event or campaign that distributed it?

The ASI study asked consumers exactly that. Across every product category, the single most consistent reason people keep a promotional item is that it is useful. That one word should inform every product decision you make.

Usefulness consistently outpaces every other reason by a wide margin. Enjoyment and design follow. The contact information reason — which is essentially the traditional rationale for giving out branded pens and magnets — ranks last across nearly every category.

This has a direct implication for how merch should be selected. An item that solves a small problem or fits naturally into someone's daily routine will outperform a cheaper item with better logo placement every single time. The true cost of merch that ends up in the trash is not just the price of the item. It is the brand impression that never happened.

Which Products Are Most Likely to Drive Business?

Consumer preference and retention are important, but what most marketing directors actually need to justify merch spend is a connection to business outcomes. The ASI study measured this directly, asking consumers how likely they would be to do business with an advertiser based on the specific promotional product they received.

Food gifts lead the category at 92%, meaning nearly every consumer who receives a quality branded food item says they would be more likely to do business with that advertiser.

Desk accessories, health and safety products, and power banks all came in above 80% as well. The categories that consumers say they want are largely the same ones that drive business outcomes. That alignment is useful because it means you do not have to choose between what resonates emotionally and what produces results.

For comparison, t-shirts — one of the most popular items to receive — came in at 69% for likelihood to drive business. That is still a strong number. But it highlights that the most wanted item is not necessarily the most persuasive one. Category matters, and so does context. A well-chosen corporate gift sent to a client at the right moment will outperform a tradeshow giveaway every time, regardless of product category.

What Does This Mean for How You Order Merch?

The data points to a straightforward shift in how branded merchandise decisions should be made. Instead of starting with budget and asking what you can get for it, start with the recipient and ask what they would actually use and value. Then find the best version of that thing your budget can support.

That sounds simple. In practice, it requires knowing your audience well enough to make a confident call, having access to products that go beyond the standard catalog, and working with someone who can edit the options down to the ones most likely to land. That is exactly how we work at The Branded Things. Our process does not start with a spreadsheet of SKUs. It starts with who is receiving this, what they care about, and what would actually make them feel something.

If you want to see what that looks like in practice, the post-tradeshow engagement project and the e-commerce extras project in our project spotlights are good examples of product selection done with intention. So is our piece on staying true to your brand when buying merch, which covers the guardrails that keep product choices on strategy.

Research referenced: 2026 Global Ad Impressions Study, Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). Research provided by the Advertising Specialty Institute, ©2026, All Rights Reserved.