3 Reasons PR Pros Should Rethink Branded Merchandise

Today’s communicators are expected to advise leadership teams on reputation, stakeholder engagement, employee communications, brand loyalty and business outcomes. 

As a result, PR professionals need to understand the full range of tools available to influence perceptions and drive action.

One often-overlooked tool is branded merchandise. Having spent 17 years working for a variety of advertising agencies and partnering with some outstanding PR agencies, I was among those who consistently overlooked this remarkable medium.

Too often, branded merchandise enters the conversation after campaign plans are finalized and tactics are already being executed. Raise your hand if you’ve placed a last-minute order for t-shirts or coffee mugs to arrive just in time for an event. 

When incorporated into a communications strategy from the outset, branded merchandise can help organizations reinforce messages, build relationships and create lasting impressions that support broader business goals.

As communicators take on a more strategic advisory role, there are three reasons to view branded merchandise differently.

1. Branded merchandise is strategic

Communicators are increasingly expected to counsel leadership teams on how to engage stakeholders, strengthen culture and build trust.

Branded merchandise can do more than support each of those objectives. When approached strategically, it can excel at accomplishing them.

Unlike many communications channels that are consumed and forgotten, branded merchandise creates a physical interaction with a brand. A thoughtfully selected product can reinforce a campaign message, strengthen a corporate purpose initiative, support employee engagement or help bring a brand story to life.

For example, consider a nonprofit promoting environmental stewardship. Rather than ordering branded water bottles after an Earth Day event is planned, communicators could build a reusable sustainability kit into the campaign from the beginning, giving volunteers tangible tools that reinforce the organization’s mission long after the event ends. 

Or a healthcare organization launching a wellness initiative might pair educational content with branded fitness journals or hydration bottles that encourage healthy daily habits.

In each case, branded merchandise can become a tangible expression of the organization’s mission and values. When integrated into broader communications planning, merchandise transcends beyond a simple giveaway and into a strategic communications asset. It serves as a vehicle to complement and reinforce the strategy from the outset, while providing a longer lifespan for further reinforcement.

2. Branded merchandise can influence behavior

At its core, public relations is about influencing perceptions and motivating action. Better than most other media, branded merchandise can help communicators do both.

This aligns with broader consumer research on tactile engagement. Allison Worldwide found that 76% of Americans report feeling a deeper connection with brands through in-person retail experiences. In comparison, 66% say touching and physically interacting with products is the most enjoyable part of shopping. 

While those findings focus on retail, they reinforce a broader communications principle: Physical interactions create memorable brand experiences that digital messages, which often leave only fleeting impressions, cannot.

Thoughtfully selected merchandise creates repeated interactions with a brand over time. A water bottle used every day, a notebook carried into meetings or a quality piece of apparel worn regularly can reinforce messages long after a campaign launches.

Research shows that promotional products increase brand awareness, improve recall and strengthen positive sentiment. According to Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) research, 82% of recipients report feeling more positive about a brand after receiving promotional products, while 87% keep and use branded merchandise regularly. Additionally, 47% report researching a company after receiving branded merchandise.

For communicators looking to change perceptions and encourage action, branded merchandise can reinforce a brand’s story, create tangible experiences audiences remember, and build a lasting connection. 

3. Branded merchandise is more sustainable than many realize

Sustainability has become a business imperative. The branded merchandise industry has evolved significantly in recent years to meet those expectations, shifting away from one-time-use giveaways and toward higher-quality, retail-style merchandise.

Research commissioned by PPAI found that branded merchandise is among the most carbon-efficient advertising channels when measured by memorized impressions. Because products continue generating impressions through repeated use, they can deliver ongoing exposure without creating additional carbon impact.

According to this research, branded merchandise generates up to eight times less carbon impact per impression than digital advertising. It also produces lower emissions than television, radio and print on a per-campaign basis.

Branded merchandise can deliver both sustainability and performance, delivering marketing results with a smaller environmental impact. Brands also have an opportunity to tell that story, taking advantage of this largely unknown benefit. 

A different way to think about branded merchandise

For years, branded merchandise was often viewed as a last-minute promotional add-on. Today, it deserves a different conversation.

Communicators are increasingly responsible for helping organizations build trust, create loyalty and strengthen stakeholder relationships. Branded merchandise can support those objectives when used intentionally and aligned with broader communications goals.

For PR professionals, the takeaway is simple: Branded merchandise is strategic; it can influence behavior and support sustainability goals.

That’s why branded merchandise should be part of the communications mix at the beginning of the planning process.