urvey Proves Global Power Of Ad Specialties

Showing the cost-effectiveness of promotional product as an advertising medium, the cost-per-impression (CPI) of an ad specialty item is currently $.005 (half of a penny), according to a new exclusive survey from ASI. During the ASI Power Summit, the 2010 Global Ad Specialty Impressions Study compares the CPI of ad specialties to other advertising and marketing channels – and it shows that promotional products have a better return-on-investment than most other media. The first version of this survey was conducted two years ago, and the newly-released edition has gone global, with reports on the impact of ad specialties in the U.S., as well as in Canada, England and Australia. Also included in the 2010 version are data breakdowns by demographic information such as age, race, gender, income levels and political affiliations. The survey was conducted by speaking to consumers and recipients of promotional products in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, London, Sydney, Toronto and Montreal. Not only do ad specialties make impressions on everyone who sees them, messaging is reinforced every time the item is used. No other form of media can allow the advertiser to so closely tie a benefit to the recipient."
Other findings in the survey include:

• The most commonly-owned promotional products among U.S. recipients are writing instruments, T-shirts and calendars.
• 41% of U.S respondents said their opinion of the advertiser was more favorable after receiving a promotional product.
• 83% of respondents in the U.S. said they could identify the advertiser on a promotional item they owned.
• Males are more likely than females to own shirts and caps, while females are more likely to own bags, writing instruments, calendars and health and safety products.

Check out the whole 2010 Ad Specialty Impressions Study(.pdf) and Charts(.pdf)

To complete its research, ASI conducted a total of 3,332 online and in-person surveys, including interviews with businesspeople in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, London, Sydney, Toronto and Montreal metro areas.
The 2.0 study, a follow-up to the definitive 2008 survey, includes new demographic information on politics, ethnicity, gender and age, since knowing the likely recipient of products is paramount for an advertiser. This year, the comprehensive report also adds global markets and includes more products, such as automotive accessories and food.

• Cost per Impression. In the U.S., the cost per impression of a promotional product stayed virtually the same from 2008 to 2010, at .005 cents.
• Product Usage. Bags have the highest number of impressions in a month, over 1,000, and over one-third (36%) of those with incomes under $50,000 own bags.
• Gender Preferences. Males are more likely than females to own shirts and caps, while females are more likely to have bags, writing instruments, calendars and health and safety products.
• Ethnic Preferences. African Americans have more promotional products on average (11.3) than any other group.
• Positive Reinforcement. Seventy-five percent of independent voters prefer consumer-branded products; nearly 1.5 times more than Democrats or Republicans.
• Identifying the Advertiser. Eighty-three percent in the U.S. say they can identify the advertiser on a promotional item they own.
• Influencing User Opinions. Forty-one percent of U.S. respondents say their opinion of the advertiser is more favorable after receiving a promotional product.
• Global Reach. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents from Great Britain have received and kept a pen in the last 12 months. In the U.S., writing instruments are used the most often, an average of 18.2 times per month.
• Popular Products. The most commonly owned promotional products among U.S. respondents are writing instruments (46%), followed by shirts (38%) and calendars (24%).
• Promo Product Capital. Los Angeles has the highest average number of items owned, at 12.7.

The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry.