Impressions Study 2012

GLOBAL
ADVERTISING
SPECIALTIES
IMPRESSIONS
STUDY
V.3
A cost analysis of promotional products

versus other advertising media
Released at the 2012 ASI Power Summit
Copyright 2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved

This report may be reproduced and used in presentations by active supplier, distributor and decorator members of the
Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) to educate the public about advertising specialties. Such use must not alter the
information and must set forth the following legend: Research provided by the Advertising Specialty Institute, 2012, All
Rights Reserved. No other use is permitted without the express written consent of ASI.
GLOBAL
ADVERTISING
SPECIALTIES
IMPRESSIONS
STUDY
V.3
Table of Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Section One
Product Popularity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Product Spotlight: Writing Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Product Spotlight: Shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Product Spotlight: Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Product Spotlight: Calendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Product Spotlight: Desk Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Product Spotlight: Hats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Product Spotlight: Drinkware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Product Spotlight: USB Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Product Spotlight: Health & Safety Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Product Spotlight: Outerwear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Staying Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Not for the Garbage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

How Many Items Do People Own? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Section Two
Recipients Views on Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Swaying Opinions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Ad Specialties Generate New Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Section Three
Promotional Products Make an Impression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The Cost-Effectiveness of Ad Specialties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.
he ASI Ad Impressions Study was first launched in 2008

by ASIs research team to give its members powerful data
that proves that ad specialties are a high-impact and costeffective ad medium.
Through thousands of live and online interviews with businesspeople in key cities in the United States, Canada,
France and the U.K., the study gauges consumer perceptions of promotional products and how they influence buying
decisions; highlights the popularity of key promo product categories by demographic group (such as age, race and
gender); reveals the cost-per-impression of top advertising specialty product categories; and shows the cost-perimpression of promotional products compared to other forms of advertising media, like radio, TV and Internet
advertising. The study is conducted by ASI every two years.
How We Did It
For the 2012 study, conducted from July through September of 2012,
ASIs research team hit the streets and interviewed consumers in
12 cities: New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas,
Philadelphia, London, Paris, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
Respondents were asked questions about the promotional products
they had received, including how many they had, how they used
them, why they kept them, and their impressions of the advertisers
that gave them the items.
Further, an online panel survey was conducted among recipients
of advertising specialties in those same geographic areas to augment
the sample from the man-on-the-street interviews. All respondents
were at least 18 years old. Combined with the in-person interviews,
there were 4,468 completed surveys for this study.
How This Report is Organized
ASIs research team

polled nearly 5,000
consumers in 12
cities: New York,
Chicago, Miami, Los
Angeles, Seattle,
Dallas, Philadelphia,
London, Paris,
Toronto, Vancouver
and Montreal.
This report contains three sections:

Product Popularity (Pages 3 to 17) highlights the most popular promotional products by category, and includes
detailed demographic breakdowns by geography, gender, race, age, income and political affiliation. For example, on
the Product Spotlight: Writing Instruments section on page 4, youll note that women are significantly more likely
than men to own a logoed pen or pencil, and Republicans are much more likely to own a branded writing instrument
than Democrats or Independent voters. This section will be a helpful tool for distributors to use in guiding their
clients toward products that will be the most impactful in their marketing efforts.
Recipients Views on Advertisers (Pages 18 to 20) reveals important information showcasing how long
businesspeople hold onto logoed items; what they do with items they dont wish to keep; and how many total
promotional items they own, broken out by a variety of demographic groups. This section provides hard data to
combat objections from buyers who may think that promotional items are throwaways or afterthoughts in a
marketing campaign, and may not understand their true value.
Promo Products vs. Make an Impression (Pages 21 to 22) highlights the industry products that deliver the
best cost-per-impression and compares the cost-per-impression of ad specialties to other forms of media, like
Internet and radio advertising. This is a great tool distributors can use to convince end-buyers to allocate more of
their marketing dollars to promotional products.
While this report includes the studys highlights, ASI members can go online at asicentral.com/study for a research
tool which will allow them to gain access to the full study data.
Note: All demographic breakdowns (age, race, gender, etc.) reflect U.S. consumers only. Respondents from other countries
are respresented as a whole.
Section One
Product Popularity
For this section, respondents were asked to provide up to three promotional items they had received in the last 12
months. Promotional items were defined as items that include pens, T-shirts, mugs, calendars, or any items that have
a logo or message from an advertiser on them; they are usually given away for free to consumers in hopes of positively
influencing their purchasing preferences or their attitudes toward the advertiser.
As the chart below reveals, writing instruments were the items most commonly cited, as nearly one-half (49%)
of promotional product recipients reported getting at least one in the last 12 months. There are also significant
differences by country, as revealed on the chart.
Most Popular Products By Category
Key
48%
56%
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
GREAT BRITAIN
43%
50%
WRITING INSTRUMENTS SHIRTS

23%
SHIRTS BAGS
34%
BAGS
CALENDARS
23%
25%
CALENDARS
25%17%
DESK/OFFICE
ACCESSORIES
DESK/OFFICE ACCESSORIES
CAPS/HEADWEAR 17%10%
CAPS/HEADWEAR 10%
DRINKWARE
20%
DRINKWARE
20%
USB DRIVES/FLASH DRIVES
16%
USB DRIVES/FLASH DRIVES 5.8 16%
5.8PRODUCTS 6%
HEALTH
& SAFETY
HEALTH
& SAFETY
PRODUCTS
6%
OUTERWEAR
6%
OUTERWEAR
6%
FRANCE
CANADA
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
43%
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
SHIRTS
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
BAGS
SHIRTS
CALENDARS
BAGS
12%
CALENDARS
10%
CAPS/HEADWEAR
DESK/OFFICE
ACCESSORIES
DRINKWARE
9%
CAPS/HEADWEAR
USB DRIVES/FLASH
DRIVES
5.8
HEALTH & SAFETY PRODUCTS
8%
DRINKWARE
OUTERWEAR DRIVES11%
USB DRIVES/FLASH
FRANCE
36% 48%
WRITING INSTRUMENTS SHIRTS
25% 36%
SHIRTS BAGS
CALENDARS
25%
BAGS
25%
16%
CALENDARS
25%
CAPS/HEADWEAR
21%
DESK/OFFICE ACCESSORIESDRINKWARE 16% 13%
CAPS/HEADWEAR
21%
12%
5.8
HEALTH
& SAFETY PRODUCTS 13% 11%
DRINKWARE
OUTERWEAR12%
16%
5.8
11%
OUTERWEAR
16%
USA
USA
CANADA
50%
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
SHIRTS
WRITING
INSTRUMENTS
BAGS SHIRTS
29%
BAGS
CALENDARS
29%
21%
21%
DESK/OFFICE ACCESSORIESCALENDARS
17%
DESK/OFFICE ACCESSORIES 16%
17%
CAPS/HEADWEAR
16%
CAPS/HEADWEAR
DRINKWARE
14%
DRINKWARE
14%
USB DRIVES/FLASH
DRIVES DRIVES
9%
USB DRIVES/FLASH
9%
5.8
5.8
HEALTH & SAFETY
PRODUCTS
8%
8%
OUTERWEAR
5%
OUTERWEAR
5%
GREAT BRITAIN
Most Popular Products By Category
5.8

OUTERWEAR
24%
21%
12%
34% 56%
46%
43%
24%
21%
46%
43%
10%
19%
9%
8%
11%
19%
Takeaways
On the next 10 pages, the product categories are further broken out to show their popularity by a variety of
demographics. As an example, on the Product Spotlight: Calendar page, it is noted that calendars are most popular
among consumers over 45 years old, and more popular among women than men; on the Product Spotlight: Bags
page, there is data showing that Asian consumers have the highest incidence of bag ownership.
Distributors can use these highlighted differences to recommend the best products and ideas to their clients, keeping
in mind the targeted audience.
Product Spotlight: Writing Instruments

More Females than
Males Own Promo
Pens & Pencils
52%
45%
60%
of Caucasian
consumers own
branded writing
instruments 12
percentage points
more than any other
ethnic group.
Seeing Red
Republicans are more likely

to own a promotional
writing instrument than
Democrats or Independents.
62%
of Republicans
have them in their
homes or offices.
Sign Here
The Founding Fathers

used a fountain pen to
sign the U.S. Constitution,
and today, Philadelphians
still exhibit their love for
promo pens and pencils.
66%
55% of Independents and 53%
of Democrats make the same
claim.
of consumers in Philly
say they own a branded
writing instrument, vs.
50% in the U.S. overall.
Better With Age
Although writing instruments are favorites among every age

group, theyre most popular with older consumers.
50%
OF U.S.
CONSUMERS
OWN LOGOED
WRITING
INSTRUMENTS
47%
46%
50%
21-34
35-44
45-54
56%
55+
Income Gap
Consumers earning $100,000+ are the least likely to own

a promo pen or pencil.
$100,000+
46%
less likely to own a

promo pen or pencil
than those who make
less money
<$50,000 = 51%
$50,000-$99,999 = 53%
Product Spotlight: Shirts
43%
Everyone Loves
A Free T-Shirt!
Across all income

levels, the percentage
of consumers who
own a promotional
T-shirt remains about
the same.
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN A PROMOTIONAL SHIRT
Latino Market Magnet
46%
47%
46%
<$50,000
$50,000-$99,999
$100,000+
Have clients that want to target the fast-growing

Hispanic sector in the U.S.?
54%
of Latino
consumers own
a promotional
T-shirt, the most
of any racial
demographic.
TEXANS
Wear It Well
Of the 12 global cities

that researchers polled
consumers in, Dallas
leads the way.
50%
of consumers in
Dallas say they own
a promotional T-shirt
vs. 43% in the U.S.
The Voters Speak
While many members of each political

party say they own a promotional T-shirt,
Independents lead the way.
46%
More Males Own

Promo Shirts
Than Females
41%
GO YOUNG!
48%
Younger consumers
are more likely to own
a promotional shirt.
of Independents say they have

a logoed shirt at home. Only
44% of Republicans and 39% of
Democrats make the same claim.
46%
35-44
45-54
55+
49%
21-34
36%
34%
6
Product Spotlight: Bags

Leaning Left
31%
Hollywood
Attraction
Los Angeles leads

the way in promo
bag ownership.
37%
of consumers in LA
say they have one
the next highest is
Chicago with 36%.
Low-Income Targets
People with household incomes of less than $50k are the most
likely to own promotional bags.
<$50,000
29%
Women Rule
Nearly twice as many

women as men say they
own promotional bags.
The percentage of
Asian consumers who
own promo bags, the
most of any racial
demographic group.
Age Matters
Most likely
to own a
logoed bag
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN A PROMOTIONAL BAG
35%
The 55+ crowd is most likely

to own a logoed bag.
Democrats are
slightly more likely
than Republicans
(27%) and Independents (29%) to
have promo bags
in their homes.
37%
29%
26%
21-34
35-44
20%
31%
33%
45-54
55+
Product Spotlight: Calendars

Go Older
Have clients targeting older demographics?

Calendars could be the solution.
As consumers
age, theyre
more likely
to own a
promotional
calendar.
13%
25%
28%
28%
Its a Date
21-34
35-44
45-54
55+
23%
By a slight
margin, women
are more likely
to own a logoed
calendar.
21%
20%
Northern Exposure
Consumers in Montreal are

most likely to own a logoed
calendar.
37%
of them say
they have at
least one at
home or in the
office.
OF U.S.
CONSUMERS
OWN A PROMOTIONAL
CALENDAR
<$50,000
Flexible
Income
Calendars appeal
to consumers of all
income levels.
29%
$50,000$99,999
32%
$100,000+
30%
Quarter Mark
24%
of African-American
consumers own a
promo calendar the
most of any demographic
group by at least three
percentage points.
To the Right
23%
of Republicans own
a branded calendar,
compared to 21% of both
Democrats and Independents.
Product Spotlight: Desk Accessories

Inspector Gadget
Women are more likely to own a promo

desk accessory in their offices than men,
by a margin of
20% 14%
to
Office Toys
to the Young
Younger consumers
are more likely to
have a branded item
on their desks.
Go Low
20%
18%
15%
13%
22%
ABC
17%
21-34 35-44 45-54
The Right Target
Asian
21%
18%
55+
of consumers
making less than
$50k per year
own one.
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN A LOGOED DESK ACCESSORY
Have clients looking to attract

Asian consumers? You may want
to suggest going with a desk
accessory or office item.
Hispanic
The lowest-income
earners tend to be the
most likely group by
financial breakdown to
own a logoed desk
accessory.
My Kinda
Town
Chicago leads
the way in desk
accessory
ownership, with
21%
of consumers
there saying
they have
logoed items in
their offices.
Caucasian
17%
In the Middle
20% of Independents
own office and desk
accessories, just
trumping Democrats at
19% and Republicans
at 16%.
19% 20%
16%
African
American
19%
Product Spotlight: Hats
16%
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN A PROMOTIONAL HAT
Age Neutral
Wear it Well
While caps are popular among all ages, those 45 and older are most
likely to own one.
Caucasians are the most likely

demographic group to own logoed caps.
14%
16%
21-34
35-44
17%
22%
45-54
15%
18%
55+
14%
11%
Men at Work
Trending Red
Asian
Protection from the Cold
While 19% of Independents

and 18% of Republicans own
promotional caps, only 15%
of Democrats have a branded
hat at home.
19%
Hispanic
12%
African American
22%
Caucasian
Male consumers are nearly

twice as likely as females
to own a branded cap.
They must need to keep their heads warm up north.
25%
of people in
Toronto and
21%
of all Canadians
own promo caps.
18%
15%
Priced Right
Caps appeal to all

income groups, but
those earning between
$50k and $100k own
the most hats.
17%
<$50,000
22%
$50,000-$99,999
20%
$100,000+
10
Product Spotlight: Drinkware
17%
A Close Race
Members of the three major political parties are all similar in their
preferences for drinkware.
of Asian consumers
own logoed
drinkware, the
most of any racial
demographic.
14%
14%
14%
Mugs for
the Middle
Mid-income
consumers are
slightly more likely
to own branded
drinkware than
those at other
income levels.
of Democrats, Republicans and Independents each own

at least one item in this category.
14%
12%
12%
OF U.S.
15%
CONSUMERS
Gen-Xers and their Older

Counterparts Own More Drinkware Than Those Under 35
11%
15%
More Women
Own Logoed
Drinkware
than Men
OWN BRANDED
DRINKWARE
21-34
<$50,000
$50,000-$99,999
14%
$100,000+
35-44
17%
45-54
55+
16%
15%
Drink Up, Philly!
Of the 12 global cities surveyed,

Philadelphians love their logoed
mugs and glasses the most.
21%
of consumers
in Philly own
promotional
drinkware.
11
Product Spotlight: USB Drives
9%
12%
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN A LOGOED USB DRIVE
Independent =
Techie?
Trending Young
More Independent voters own

branded USB drives than
Democrats or Republicans.
of Asian consumers
in the U.S. own
branded USB drives,
leading the way
among all racial
demographic groups.
Younger consumers are more likely to own a

promo USB drive than their older counterparts.
11%
8%
9%
7%
55+
6%
45-54
Merci!
Parisians are far more

likely to own promotional
USB drives than
consumers in other cities:
27%
of them own them,

versus 9% of U.S.
consumers.
Men are More

Likely to Own
a Branded USB
Drive Than Women
11%
9%
35-44
11%
7%
21-34
Upscale Tech
8%
<$50,000
11%
$50,000$99,999
14%
$100,000+
Six-figure
earners are
more likely to
own a logoed
USB drive than
those in other
economic
groups.
12
Product Spotlight: Health & Safety Items

Cashing In
More Women
Own Promo
Health & Safety
Products
Than Men
+
$100,000+
10%
Safe, Healthy Cities
11%
Higher earners are the safest.
14%
6%
<$50,000 = 8%
$50,000-$99,999 = 8%
of consumers in
Dallas
Most likely
to own
branded
health and
safety
products
and Montreal
own promotional
health & safety
products,
vs. the U.S. average
of 8%.
Health Conscious
Middle-age consumers are the most likely to own a branded

health or safety product.
9%
21-34
35-44
5%
10%
45-54
55+
8%
8%
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN PROMOTIONAL
HEALTH & SAFETY
PRODUCTS
10%
of African Americans
own logoed health
and safety items, the
most of any racial
demographic.
To the Right
Republicans are the most likely to own a

promotional health or safety item.
10%
have an item
in their office
or home,
compared to 8%
of Democrats
and 7% of
Independents.
13
Product Spotlight: Outerwear

European Chill
Of the 12 global cities where researchers

interviewed consumers, Paris and
London led the way in outerwear.
8%
More Men
Own Promo
Jackets Than
Women
6%
4%
Big Bucks
of Parisians
and Londoners
own it,
vs. 5%
in the U.S.
and Canada.
Higher earners are more likely to own a promotional jacket.
6%
<$50,000
5%
5%
$50,000-$99,999
8%
$100,000+
OF U.S. CONSUMERS
OWN PROMOTIONAL OUTERWEAR
Split Votes
6%
Zip It,
Youngster!
Young consumers are

slightly more likely to
own promotional
outerwear
than older consumers.
of Democrats own promotional outerwear,

while 5% of Independents and 4% of Republicans
make the same claim.
21-34
6%
35-44
6%
4%
45-54
55+
2%
7%
of African Americans
and Hispanics own
logoed jackets.
5%
4%
of Asians and
of Caucasians keep them

in their closets.
14
Staying Power
In addition to identifying the logoed items they had kept, respondents were asked how long they had kept the
item that they received within the last 12 months. On average, ad specialty items are kept for nearly six months in
the U.S., slightly less time than in other countries. Awards are typically held the longest, for about eight months.
Writing instruments are held the shortest amount of time, at just over five months. The length of time items have
been kept has stayed about the same since the survey has been conducted.
Number of Months Promotional Items are Kept

AWARDS
7.6
OUTERWEAR / FLEECE
7.3
DRINKWARE
7.1
7.0
CALENDARS
DESK / OFFICE ACCESSORIES
6.3
6.3
BAGS
MONTHS
AVERAGE
5.8
USB DRIVES
5.7
5.7
5.6
SHIRTS
CAPS
HEALTH / SAFETY ITEMS
5.2
5.1
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
On average, respondents have an item for 5.8 months. Awards are typically held the
longest at 7.6 months, while writing instruments are the shortest at 5.1 months.
Key
Takeaway
One of the advantages promotional products have is that just one item can deliver a message for a far longer time
period than other forms of advertising. Advertisers can reinforce their brand or a call to action for an average of
nearly six months, and even longer on some products such as outerwear or mugs.
15
Not for the Garbage
Are promotional products that recipients decide not to keep destined for the trash? Not likely. In this years study,
66% of the respondents in the U.S. said that when they receive a logoed item they dont wish to keep, they give it to
someone else. This is up 15 percentage points from 2008, while those indicating they throw the item away dropped
nearly in half, to 16%. About 17% say they file the item away and never notice it again.
Fate of Promotional Products in the U.S. Not Kept

2012
2010
16% Throw it Away
22% Throw it Away
18% Put it Away & Forget it
66%
Give it to
Someone Else
62%
Give it
it to
to
Give
Someone Else
Else
Someone
2008
30% Throw it Away

51%
Give it to
Someone Else
Since 2008, fewer U.S. recipients of ad specialties are throwing them out; instead, two-thirds give them to someone else.
Key
Takeaways
Promotional products are not simply thrown away. Items are kept because theyre useful, or given to someone who
can use them. Advertisers messages often go beyond the initial target.
As awareness of recycling in the U.S. has become more prevalent, so has the desire to pass along unwanted
promotional products.
Usefulness is Key
Consumers will be much more likely to keep a promotional product that is useful, according to the survey. About
eight in 10 (81%) of product recipients indicated that an items usefulness is the primary reason to keep it. In addition, 23% of recipients said they kept an item because its attractive, and 26% say they keep a promotional product
simply because its enjoyable to have. In particular, items like writing instruments, USB drives and calendars
are more frequently kept because theyre useful. Items like awards are kept by 61% of recipients because theyre
enjoyable to have.
Key
Takeaway
The practical applications of promotional products should be stressed. If the product isnt useful then a consumer is
much less likely to keep it, with the exception of awards and items like calendars and magnets, which are often also
kept because theyre attractive and/or contain useful information, such as phone numbers or website addresses.
16
How Many Items do People Own?
In the study, respondents were asked how many logoed items they currently had in their homes and/or offices. As
indicated in the accompanying charts, people in the U.S. own an average of 10 promotional products. But the number
varies according to U.S. city, country, gender, race, income, age and political affiliation.
Residents of Los Angeles own
the most promo products.
9.3
9.9
10.0
10.1
10.4
Los Angeles
Vancouver
Toronto
Dallas
New York
Chicago
Miami
London
8.4
Seattle
Paris
Montreal
7.9
8.4
Philadelphia
8.3
9.7
People who make:
11.2
10.3
Who owns the most ad specialties?

average
number
of items
owned
9.9
Less than
$50,000
$50,000
- $99,999
$100,000
- Plus
Own 8.6
Promotional
Products
Own 10.4
Promotional
Products
Own 10.7
Promotional
Products
In the U.S. as income increases, so does the number of ad specialties owned.
9.8
9.3
9.6
9.1
8.1
8.5
7.7
8.2
African American
9.0
10.1
Hispanic
Caucasian
11.4
Asian
Typically, people have about 10 ad specialties.

Asians have more ad specialties than any other group.
8.4
35 to 44 Years Old
10.7
45 to 54 Years Old
10.5
55+
U.S. Females
8.9
10.8
10.9
10.2
U.S. Males
Those aged 45-54 own the greatest number of ad specialties .

Republican
21 to 34 Years Old
Democrat
9.7
Independent
10.2%10.6%
9.6%
Males in the U.S. have the most ad specialties,

while females in Great Britain have the fewest.
Republicans have more ad specialties than

Democrats or Independents.
Key
Takeaway
Knowing the target audience can help any

marketing initiative be more successful.
While promotional products are widely
valued, some groups have more than others,
either by interest or opportunity.
17
Section Two
Recipients Views on Advertisers
For this section, we asked respondents whether they could identify the advertisers on the promotional items they
currently owned. The result: Nearly nine in ten (87%) recipients of promotional merchandise can identify the
advertiser on the item. This has been consistent since 2008. As the chart below reveals, of all major product categories,
outerwear has the highest recognition of all promotional items: 97% of respondents who have logoed outerwear can
name the advertiser on the items. Wearables as a whole maintain a very high advertiser awareness rate.
On Average
#1
87%
Remember
the Advertiser
Owners of ad
specialties recall
the advertiser
87% of the time
in the U.S., the
highest of any
country.
Key
Among traditional ad specialties, 97% of outerwear recipients remember

the advertiser.
Takeaways
Distributors who have clients looking to get their company or brands name in the marketplace have a
compelling reason to suggest advertising specialties as a marketing solution: Promotional product recipients
clearly remember the advertisers on the items they receive.
Part of the reason why outerwear has a commanding advertiser recall is that consumers receive fewer jackets
and other outerwear items than they do other popular promotional items. And in interviews with our on-thestreet researchers, it was obvious that businesspeople consider jackets to be expensive, which helps ensure
that theyll keep them and wear them repeatedly. Distributors looking to present clients with an item of high
perceived value that has high advertiser recognition might consider outerwear as an option.
18
Swaying Opinions
In this section, we also asked consumers their opinions of advertisers who gave them a logoed item. Over one-half
(52%) of the time, ad specialties leave a more favorable impression of the advertiser. This trend was seen across all
countries.
How Recipients Feel About the Advertiser

OUTERWEAR
73%
SHIRTS
58%
56%
56%
55%
55%
53%
RECOGNITION ITEMS
CAPS / HEADWEAR
USB DRIVES
HEALTH / SAFETY ITEMS
DESK / OFFICE ACCESSORIES
BAGS
52%
52%
52%
50%
47%
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
AVERAGE
CALENDARS
FOOD / BEVERAGE
DRINKWARE
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
0%
10%
20%
42%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
52% of recipients feel more favorable about the advertiser after receiving an item.
Outerwear leaves the most positive impression of the advertiser, as nearly three-quarters (73%) of branded
outerwear recipients had a more favorable impression of the advertiser. Drinkware and writing instruments
deliver the lowest percentage of positive impressions (47% and 42%, respectively).
Key
Takeaway
All categories of promotional products generate favorable impressions of the advertisers as a whole, combating
some buyers objections that promotional products do not sway consumers minds. However, some of the
most popular items in the industry, such as writing instruments, generate the lowest percentage of positive
impressions. This is likely because of the commodity nature of the items. Products that stand out even in the most
common categories (such as a multifunctional pen or a mug that changes colors when liquid is poured into it) are
the ones most likely to generate goodwill toward the advertiser.
19
Ad Specialties Generate New Business
When consumers were asked how likely they were to do business with an advertiser they hadnt previously done
business with after receiving an item, about 31 percent said they were more likely to
do business with them in the future.
The likelihood for more business
1/3
U.S.
CONSUMERS
OF
Nearly 31% of those in the U.S. are more likely to do business with advertisers
after receiving a promotional item from them.
Some items generate even more goodwill from consumers: For example, about 53 percent of recipients of logoed
outerwear said theyd be more likely to do business with an advertiser; recipients of USB drives were 43 percent more
likely to do business with an advertiser; and bag recipients were 42 percent more likely.
Key
Takeaway
The uniqueness of outerwear and USB Drives likely contributes to their ability to generate future business. Items like
consumables and health and safety products need to be closely tied with the advertiser in order to be as effective as
other promotional products.
20
Section Three
Promotional Products Make an Impression

For this section, we attempted
to determine the average
number of impressions each
promotional product receives.
The number of impressions
a product makes was derived
from multiplying how long a
recipient has the product to
how many people he comes
into contact with each month
while using it. In the U.S., we
again saw that bags generated
the most impressions 5,732
of any item in the study. Thats
because bags are frequently
used, often in public places
where they can be seen by
many people. Other items
that deliver extremely high
numbers of impressions in
the U.S. include caps, writing
instruments, outerwear and
shirts.
The following charts
illustrate the top products, by
country, that deliver the most
impressions:
Key
The Most Impressions in the U.S.
5,732
Impressions
3,153
Impressions
2,730
2,090
1,990
2,943
2,805
2,253
Impressions
Impressions
In the U.S., bags generate by far the most impressions.
The Most Impressions in Canada
4,724
Impressions
3,634
Impressions
Impressions
Impressions
Impressions
In Canada, bags also generate the most impressions.
The Most Impressions in Great Britain
Takeaway:
Items that create the fewest

impressions tend to be those
intended mostly for one
person, such as health and
safety items, USB drives
and consumables. The value
of these items is more in
the connection they make
with the user than the total
number of impressions
generated.
Distributors should work
with clients to determine the
goals of their campaigns and
the connection they want to
establish with the intended
recipient before selecting the
right vehicle to deliver the
message.
Impressions
November
5,125
Impressions
4,066
Impressions
3,449
Impressions
2,307
Impressions
1,852
Impressions
Though the incidence of owning promotional outerwear items is low, they generate the most impressions.
The Most Impressions in France
November
3,473
Impressions
2,665
Impressions
2,372
Impressions
1,700
Impressions
1,204
Impressions
Similar to Great Britain, the incidence of owning promotional outerwear is low, but a high number of impressions are generated.
21
The Cost-Effectiveness of Ad Specialties
According to the study, advertising specialties are less expensive per impression than most other forms of media.
The investment in advertising specialties is modest, more targeted and more achievable for smaller businesses than
other forms of advertising.
As the following chart illustrates, promotional products have a lower cost-per-impression in the United States
than prime-time television advertising, national magazine advertising and newspaper ads, and a similar CPI to spot
radio and Internet advertising.
Key
Takeaway
Promotional products deliver the same or a

better ROI than other forms of media. But
when one considers the prohibitive cost of
producing radio or television commercials
or the cash outlay to buy sufficient Internet
advertising, promotional products offer the
best value. Promotional products can also
be used to more closely target the intended
message recipient than mass media.
Further, even smaller companies can
achieve as high an ROI as major corporations
by using advertising specialties because
even a modest investment delivers superior
results.
Ad specialties are highly cost-effective
1.8
Prime-Time TV
1.8
National Magazines
NEWS
Conclusion
Advertising specialties occupy a unique

space in the advertising and marketing
world. Unlike other forms of media,
where the advertisers message is seen as
an interruption in what the consumer is
trying to do (i.e. watch a TV program or
surf the Internet), ad specialties are used
by consumers to achieve a goal, like drink
coffee, write or wear a shirt. And because the
products are kept and used repeatedly, the
advertisers are remembered, as is illustrated
by the extremely high advertiser recall of
most types of items.
In addition, the cost-per-impression is
comparable or better than the cost of other
forms of media, and even the smallest
marketing budgets can achieve big-budget
results using advertising specialties.
For More Information
To gain access to the full study data, plus

downloadable PDFs of the charts in this
study, visit asicentral.com.
0.7
Newspaper
0.6
Ad Specialties
0.5
Spot Radio
0.3
Internet
The cost per impression of an ad specialty is better

than that of TV, magazines and newspapers.
22
Demographics
The following is a breakdown of the demographics of all survey respondents who indicated they currently
owned promotional products.
Gender
Count
Male
44.9%
830
Female
55.1%
1,017
Total
1,847
Age
21 to 34 years
45.9%
852
35 to 44 years
22.4%
416
45 to 54 years
18.9%
351
55 to 64 years
10.4%
193
65 years and over
2.4%
44
Total
1,856
Race
American Indian or Alaska Native
0.7%
13
Asian
11.5%
214
Black or African American
8.7%
162
Hispanic or Latino
7.8%
145
White/Caucasian
67.6%
1,254
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0.3%
Other
3.4%
63
Total
1,856
Country
United States
60.0%
1,113
Canada
24.7%
459
Great Britain
8.4%
155
France
7.0%
129
1,856
Total
23
Demographics continued
Political Party
Count
Democrat
43.8%
482
Republican
21.3%
235
Independent
18.0%
198
Other
3.2%
35
Not registered
13.7%
151
1,101
Chicago
6.6%
116
Dallas
8.1%
142
London
8.6%
150
Los Angeles
8.0%
141
Miami
8.8%
155
Montreal
8.6%
151
New York
8.7%
153
Paris
7.7%
135
Philadelphia
7.5%
131
Seattle
9.8%
171
Toronto
8.4%
147
Vancouver
9.1%
160
1,752
Total
Cities
Total
24

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GLOBAL

A cost analysis of promotional products

Copyright 2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved

How Many Items Do People Own? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Recipients Views on Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Promotional Products Make an Impression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

he ASI Ad Impressions Study was first launched in 2008

How This Report is Organized

ASIs research team

This report contains three sections:

Most Popular Products By Category

WRITING INSTRUMENTS SHIRTS

Most Popular Products By Category

HEALTH & SAFETY PRODUCTS

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Product Spotlight: Writing Instruments

Republicans are more likely

The Founding Fathers

Better With Age

Although writing instruments are favorites among every age

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Consumers earning $100,000+ are the least likely to own

less likely to own a

Product Spotlight: Shirts

Across all income

Have clients that want to target the fast-growing

Of the 12 global cities

The Voters Speak

While many members of each political

More Males Own

of Independents say they have

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Product Spotlight: Bags

Los Angeles leads

Nearly twice as many

The 55+ crowd is most likely

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Product Spotlight: Calendars

Have clients targeting older demographics?

Consumers in Montreal are

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Product Spotlight: Desk Accessories

Women are more likely to own a promo

21-34 35-44 45-54

The Right Target

Have clients looking to attract

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Product Spotlight: Hats

Caucasians are the most likely

Protection from the Cold

While 19% of Independents

Male consumers are nearly

They must need to keep their heads warm up north.

Caps appeal to all

2012 Advertising Specialty Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Product Spotlight: Drinkware

of Democrats, Republicans and Independents each own

Gen-Xers and their Older