7 Truths about Promotional Products in the New Normal

The pandemic has completely changed the face of promotional marketing. Since there has been a complete change in habits and behaviours of consumers, brands can’t rely on their old formula anymore. Innovation and keen consumer listening are required to formulate a new strategy that will work with consumers. To guide you, here are key findings from the 2020 Global Ad Impressions Study by the Advertising Specialty Institute.

1. It’s the golden age for face masks

Before the pandemic, face masks can only be seen in hospitals and clinics. Since it has become a necessity in curbing the spread of the virus, wearing face masks is part of our new normal. According to Sharon Lewin, director of the Doherty Institute, 99.9% of people are wearing masks in Melbourne. So it comes as no surprise that face masks present a huge marketing opportunity for brands. Here are the latest branded face mask statistics:

2. People are now keeping promotional products for more than a year

2019’s Global Ad Impressions Study reported that consumers keep their promotional products for an average of one year. This year, promo items are kept longer with 57% keeping theirs for over 5 years and 40% for more than a decade. The longer promotional products are kept, the more that people will be exposed to your brand, therefore improving brand recall and the likelihood of doing business with your brand.

3. Baby boomers & millennials are pack rats

Baby boomers and millennials tend to hang on to their promotional products longer than other generations. 65% of Baby boomers tend to keep their branded merchandise for more than 5 years, while 45% of them use the items for well over a decade.

The most powerful consumers, over half of the millennials surveyed have reported that the promo items they receive remain in their possession for over five years.

4. Environmentally friendly promo items still impress consumers

Consumers tend to have a better opinion of the brand if they use environmental products for their promotions. Forty-six percent reported being more impressed with the brand upon receiving eco-friendly promo products.

5. USB drives are still preferred by consumers

Don’t write off promo USB drives just yet. Survey respondents stated that they prefer USB flash drives more to power banks, which makes sense especially in this time where we won’t have a lot of use for the latter since we’re mostly staying at home.

6. Wearables generate the most impressions

Clothing generates the highest impression out of all promotional products categories. Outerwear is the top 1 impression generator as a single piece of outerwear generates 6,100 impressions over its lifetime. t-shirts, headwear, and bags rank in second as each piece generates 3,300 impressions.

7. Memorable brands that use promotional products for their campaigns

There’s one ultimate truth about promotional products: brands that incorporate promotional products into their campaigns are unforgettable. Eighty-five percent of consumers from all parts of the world remember the brand decorated on the promotional products they received.

Do promotional products marketing the right way in the new normal!

For successful promotional products campaigns, make sure to tailor your strategy according to the current climate and needs. If you want a custom promo products recommendation tailored to your campaign, book a call through this link. You can also call or email us for inquiries.