UK consumers rate promotional merchandise above every other form of advertising

Research · ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study

ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study surveyed consumers in 21 European countries about the promotional items they receive, keep and value. Michele Bell, ASI’s Senior Vice President of Editorial, Education and Global Alliances, took delegates through the international results at GXN, on a panel that included Sourcing City Strategy Director Alistair Mylchreest.

The case for the channel

Across the international sample, 95 per cent of consumers said a promotional item would improve their view of the advertiser, and 92 per cent said it would make them more likely to do business with them. Both figures are higher than ASI recorded in the United States, at 78 and 76 per cent.

Promotional products also came out ahead when consumers compared channels. Across the study, 79 per cent held a positive view of promotional products, a higher share than for internet, TV, social media or mobile advertising, and ASI found promotional products ahead of TV, social media, radio and internet advertising in every country surveyed.

The UK sits at the top of that picture. In the UK, 97 per cent of consumers said a promotional item would leave them with a more favourable impression of the advertiser, level with Spain and Portugal at the top of the twelve country breakdowns ASI presented. UK consumers also rated promotional products more positively than other forms of advertising, at 78 per cent.

For a distributor sitting opposite a marketing team weighing up next year’s budget, that is the argument that matters. These figures do not compare one supplier with another. They compare promotional merchandise with the screen, the feed and the banner ad, and promotional merchandise comes out ahead.

How the UK compares

Source: ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study, country breakdowns presented at the GXN Annual Conference 2026.

What makes a good impression better

ASI also asked whether particular qualities would improve consumers’ view of an advertiser further still. In the UK, more than eight in ten said each of four would.

Share of UK consumers who would view an advertiser more favourably when the promotional item has each quality. Source: ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study.

Elsewhere in Europe, a locally made item tends to lead the list. Made in Portugal scored 97 per cent with Portuguese consumers, made in Spain 96 per cent and made in Poland 94 per cent. UK consumers rated all four qualities near identically, in ASI’s words, so any of them is a genuine addition to a UK brief.

What decides it: quality and usefulness

Asked what would influence their willingness to buy a promotional item, consumers across the study put quality first by a wide margin.

Factors that would influence consumers’ willingness to buy a promotional item, international sample. Source: ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study.

Usefulness decides what happens next. Asked why they keep a promotional item, consumers put usefulness first in every country surveyed. Across the sample, 74 per cent said they keep items because they are useful to have, against 50 per cent for enjoyable, 40 per cent for attractive and 10 per cent for having the advertiser’s contact details to hand.

What people want to receive

Promotional products consumers would be most excited to receive, international sample. Source: ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study.

The UK breaks the pattern. In the UK results, fleece and outerwear overtook the T-shirt as the item consumers most want to receive. It is a sensible answer from a country that knows its own weather, and a timely one with the winter ordering season under way.

Three takeaways