Study lists the MVPs, or Most Valued Promos
Here at Gorilla Marketing, we're always thinking about our customers. The thing is, that also means we have to think about their customers - the people who will actually receive the nifty swag we're making.
So we were super excited to see this new study from the Advertising Specialty Institute, a promo product trade organization that does research on industry trends. The study was chock full of valuable information about what kinds of swag people like and how they use that swag as they go about their daily lives. Some highlights include:
- 84% said canvas is their favorite material for tote bags.
- End-users prefer embroidery (33%) over screen printing (18%).
- Black, blue, and white are the most popular apparel colors among adults, while kids and teens prefer brighter shades.
- End-users will jump through hoops to get coveted swag: Over 80% said they'd fill out a survey to get it, about 70% said they'd visit a trade show booth, and 42% would engage on a social network.
- Three-fourths of people wear promotional t-shirts while running errands outside the home, increasing the number of eyeballs on the logo.
- When people receive a promotional item from a high-end brand, they expect that the swag will be high-quality.
- Women are more likely to keep and use a promotional tote bag than men, and 70% of women use promo totes when shopping.
- 5% of male end-users have ever thrown a promotional mug or glass. We recommend choosing sturdy items.
- Half of those surveyed never play with squeezable stress toys or other executive doodads.
Some of this pleasantly surprised us, and we'll be keeping it in mind when suggesting products to our clients.
After all, with promotional products, it's all about the end-user's reaction. You get the maximum return on investment when the items you give are appreciated, kept, and frequently used.