Do Promo Products Work? ASI Data and What It Means for Australia

Last Updated: 13 April 2026 

Key Points:

• ASI found custom products deliver better reach, recall, and ROI than other marketing channels.
• Items like pens, drink bottles, and bags perform best due to daily use and long-term retention.
• Focus on useful, well-designed items to maximise impressions and long-term brand visibility.

Each year, the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) surveys thousands of people in the United States to find out what really works in promotional marketing. In Australia, we can take valuable lessons from this research, whether it’s about branded pens, apparel, drinkware, or tech accessories.

In 2023, ASI conducted an Ad Impressions Study. The results back up what many in the industry already believe: branded products still outperform most other marketing channels for reach, recall, and return on investment.

Although these statistics come from the U.S., they closely reflect what we observe at Cubic Promote in Australia. Let’s look at the main findings and see what they mean for Australian businesses.

What the ASI 2023 Report Found?

The ASI study examined how long people retain promotional products, how frequently they are used, and the impressions those items create. 

Here’s a quick summary of the big takeaways: 

What stands out most is the incredible cost-effectiveness. ASI found they generate thousands of impressions for just a few cents per view, outperforming digital ads, radio, and TV in both reach and retention.

How This Relates to Australia 

While the ASI study was conducted in the United States, the same behavioural patterns also appear across Australian audiences. 

In our own Sydney-based survey at Cubic Promote, we found that 79% of people still had their last promotional item, and 65% had kept it for over a year. These numbers match ASI’s findings.

That tells us something important.

Across English-speaking markets, the reasons people keep and value promotional products are similar. It mainly depends on how useful the item is, its design quality, and the emotional connection it creates.

Top Performers: U.S. vs Australia 

We’ve compared the ASI data with our own customer feedback to show how these items perform in each region: 

No matter the country, practicality wins. 

Items people use daily, such as bottles, pens, and bags, quietly keep your logo in front of them for months or even years. 

Why Promotional Products Still Outperform Digital Ads 

The ASI report found that the average cost per impression (CPI) for promotional products is less than one-tenth of a cent, which is much lower than the cost of digital advertising. Here is a table of results from the ASI study.

And here’s the kicker. While an ad disappears in seconds, a promotional product sticks around. Every pen, bottle, or tote bag delivers repeat exposure to your brand for months, sometimes years. In other words, the longer the product lasts, the cheaper every impression becomes. 

What We Think

At Cubic Promote, we think digital ads are easy to scroll past and forget, especially with today’s “doomscrolling” (endlessly scrolling through content) habits and content overload. People swipe through reels, skip ads, and move on in seconds. Physical products work differently. They stay on desks, in bags, and get used throughout the day. That steady presence helps your brand stay top of mind without fighting for attention online.

What Australian Marketers Can Learn?

If you’re a marketing or procurement manager in Australia, there are a few clear takeaways from the ASI study — and from what we see here at Cubic Promote every day: 

1. Focus on everyday usefulness.
   Products that make life easier, like pens, mugs, bottles, and totes, are used often and kept for longer.
2. Lean into eco-conscious options.
   Australians value sustainability even more than people in the U.S. Products like RPET bottles and bamboo stationery are more appreciated and used for longer.
3. Design for emotion, not just function. 
   A clever slogan, a premium feel, or creative packaging can help people remember and keep your product.
4. Calculate value beyond cost.
   It’s not just about the price per unit; what really matters is the number of impressions each item creates. For example, a $2 pen used 1,000 times is more effective than a $5 mug used only twice.
5. Keep it personal.
   Local branding, cause-based designs, and event-specific giveaways have a bigger impact. This is especially important in Australia’s community-focused business culture.

The Bottom Line 

The ASI Ad Impressions Study proves what Cubic Promote has seen for years: tangible, useful products drive long-term brand engagement. 

Whether you’re handing out branded pens at a Sydney expo, drink bottles on the Gold Coast, or custom tote bags for a Melbourne charity, the key is the same: give people something they will actually use.

And while the ASI data comes from the U.S., the trends are universal. 

In Australia, people value functional, high-quality, and eco-friendly branded items just as much, if not more.

So yes, promotional products still work, and their popularity is not fading anytime soon.