As president of a leading company in communication through objects, I’ve witnessed firsthand how simple branded items can achieve what many costly campaigns often fail to do: create a lasting bond with customers and drive sales.
In today’s digital era — where ads appear and disappear within seconds — promotional products literally place the brand in the consumer’s hands, becoming part of their everyday life.
My intention with this article is to convey the positive impact that merchandising has on brand recall and customer loyalty, positioning it as one of the most effective communication and sales promotion tools in modern marketing.
The power of merchandising versus other media
In a market saturated with advertising, promotional products stand out for their tangible and visible effectiveness.
A study by the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) revealed that the return on investment (ROI) from promotional items surpasses that of traditional media such as outdoor, print, or radio — and even rivals television — all at a significantly lower cost compared to those mass channels.
The reason is simple: while a TV ad lasts just seconds on air, a promotional item can be used for months, generating thousands of brand impressions at an extremely low cost per contact.
In fact, products like tote bags or plastic promotional pens have some of the lowest cost-per-impression rates in the advertising industry, making them highly efficient allies for conveying brand messages day after day across countless promotional actions and market segments.
A brand in people’s hands… and in their hearts
We’ve used this slogan for years because we truly believe that promotional items not only provide repetition but also foster an emotional connection.
Most consumers keep a corporate gift for an extended period — on average around seven months — meaning the advertiser’s brand remains visible and present in the customer’s daily routine.
Thanks to this persistence, the brand recall achieved through merchandising is remarkable: up to 89% of people can still remember the advertiser of a promotional item they received even two years later.
To put this into perspective, a study found that 76% of consumers remember the brand behind a promotional gift they received, compared to only 53% who recall brands from recent print or TV ads.
In other words, the impression left by a useful and well-designed gift is deeper and longer-lasting than that of a fleeting commercial or banner ad.
Furthermore, receiving a corporate gift generates goodwill: in 53% of cases, that promotional detail creates a more favorable impression of the advertiser.
A customer who feels appreciated is far more likely to buy again and remain loyal to the brand that offered them something of added value.
From gift to sale: direct impact on results
Merchandising doesn’t just build brand image — it drives concrete purchasing actions.
More than half of consumers (52%) report having eventually bought from the company that gave them a promotional gift.
In fact, receiving a branded product can serve as the final push to close a deal: before receiving a corporate gift, only 55% of respondents had done business with the advertiser — after receiving it, that number rose to 85%.
Few marketing actions deliver such a direct and measurable impact on sales results as well-executed promotional merchandising.
Conclusion: a smart investment with high returns
My message to entrepreneurs and marketing professionals across all industries and company sizes is clear:
never underestimate the power of merchandising.
Investing in promotional products — at the right time, with the right creativity — means putting your brand directly into people’s lives.
Merchandising is, without a doubt, an essential ally of modern marketing that no company should overlook, and no educator should ignore when shaping the next generation of marketing professionals.
