Traditional promotional merchandise underperforms at industry events, with attendees retaining minimal brand recall from low-cost novelties. Businesses are shifting to larger-format, high-impact branded materials to address this ROI challenge and extend engagement beyond the event.

Research Supports Larger-Format Materials

One study in the Journal of Retailing confirms that merchandise that is unique, bespoke, sustainable, and artistic rather than just commercial, enables brands to establish an identity and build stronger relationships with target audiences. A study from The Journal of Vision proved that visual salience (size, contrast, and surface area) directly dictates automated attention capture.

Brands are learning that tiny, disposable event novelties generate minimal brand recall, so strategies are shifting toward larger visual real estate, such as custom tote bags emblazoned with logos and slogans. When these marketing materials are disseminated at trade shows or consumer expos, other attendees pay attention to them in the same way they would a static billboard.

Benefits of Branded Merchandise

Physical items like branded shoulder bags, reused over extended periods, double susceptibility to future brand interactions compared to media-based marketing alone. A BMJ Open paper found that branded merchandise from alcohol brands increased susceptibility to alcohol use among young people.

ASI Research revealed the influence of promotional product ownership on brand recall: 75% of respondents said they view branded merch positively, while 85% said they remember which specific advertiser supplied them with any logo-bearing item they have in their possession. A single $6 branded tote bag generates an average of 4,900 impressions during its usable lifespan.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.