Health promo products up 525%. Drinkware down 59%. ASI's 2026 Global Ad Impressions Study tracked 18 categories over three years and found a genuine inflection — not incremental drift. For buyers planning 2026 campaigns, the category mix that worked in 2023 is no longer the right starting point.
Which branded merchandise categories are growing in consumer value in 2026?
Bags and health-and-safety products saw the largest impression gains of any tracked category. Branded bags grew from 1,940 to 4,900 lifetime impressions between 2023 and 2026 — a 153% increase and the largest absolute jump in ASI's 2026 study. Health products went further: from 640 to 4,000 impressions, a 525% gain in a single measurement cycle. These aren't marginal shifts. They reflect a real change in what recipients integrate into daily life versus what ends up in a drawer.
Power banks and tech accessories also gained ground. Items that live in a bag or on a desk and get used multiple times daily compound impressions in ways that static branded pieces can't match.
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Why is utility outranking logo size as a purchase driver now?
When ASI asked consumers why they keep a branded item, 78% said usefulness — the #1 retention driver by a wide margin over attractiveness (42%) and enjoyment (43%). That pattern holds across age groups and genders in ASI's 2026 U.S. survey.
The implication is straightforward: a branded item that earns a permanent spot in someone's bag or desk generates impressions every day it's used. One that looks good at an event but serves no daily function gets discarded within weeks. Buyers allocating budget to items with strong utility profiles are buying impressions, not just merchandise. Those who buy for logo visibility alone are paying for one moment of attention.
Of the 16,000+ products in the Promolistic catalog, bag and tote SKUs account for 14% of all enabled products but represent nearly 28% of quote requests received in Q1 2026 — consistent with ASI's finding that bags now lead all categories in lifetime impressions.
What does the data say about drinkware, the longtime category leader?
Branded drinkware recorded 1,300 lifetime impressions in ASI's 2026 study, down from 3,162 in 2023 — a 59% decline and the steepest drop of any tracked category. But 77% of recipients still use branded drinkware weekly, and 80% retain it for at least a year. The numbers aren't contradictory; they reveal saturation. Recipients use and keep drinkware, but they already own multiple branded pieces. A new tumbler barely registers.
Premium insulated bottles outperform in this environment. A well-made 32 oz insulated tumbler still generates daily use and genuine visibility. A commodity 20 oz tumbler with a basic print doesn't stand out from the three other branded tumblers already on the recipient's desk.
ASI's 2026 data found the U.S. average cost-per-impression across all branded merchandise categories is 0.6¢ — compared to 2.6¢ for online display and 5–6¢ for television. Fleece jackets top the efficiency chart at roughly 9,000 lifetime impressions. Bags follow at 4,900. Even drinkware at 1,300 impressions still costs less per brand contact than most digital alternatives — the category's problem is differentiation at the point of receipt, not lifetime value once it's in use.
Category impressions and retention — 2023 vs 2026
| Category | 2023 impressions | 2026 impressions | Change | Weekly use rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bags and totes | 1,940 | 4,900 | +153% | 54% |
| Fleece jackets | 8,120 | 9,000 | +11% | 61% |
| Health and safety | 640 | 4,000 | +525% | 48% |
| Branded drinkware | 3,162 | 1,300 | -59% | 77% |
| Tech accessories | 2,100 | 3,450 | +64% | 62% |
| Branded pens | 1,780 | 1,900 | +7% | 40% |
Source: ASI 2026 Global Ad Impressions Study. Lifetime impressions reported per item; weekly use rate from same survey.
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What do 2026 trend data mean for campaign planning?
PPAI Research's May 2025 distributor survey found 56% of end buyers want more personalization from branded merchandise orders — ranking above faster turnaround (44%) and origin transparency (36%) as a stated priority. The era of bulk, identical merch drops for an entire event audience is slowing.
Personalization here doesn't only mean custom names. It includes product selection matched to recipient role, packaging that feels individual, and imprint placement that integrates with the product's design rather than stamping a logo onto an afterthought location. Buyers who segment by audience and match product utility to daily function outperform those who place a single SKU order for 500 mixed recipients.
The data also points to a faster-turnaround preference: 44% of end buyers in the same PPAI survey said they want quicker order fulfillment. The combination of more personalization at shorter lead times is a real constraint — it favors buyers who plan campaign orders earlier in the cycle rather than making last-minute bulk decisions. Distributors who can offer category consultation alongside ordering speed are positioned better than those competing on price alone.
Tech accessories trending with daily-use recipients
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When does generic branded merch still outperform trend-driven picks?
The case for trend-driven merch: Higher retention, more daily impressions, stronger brand recall per dollar spent. A $12 branded bag generating 4,900 lifetime impressions works out to a cost-per-impression well below 0.3¢. That's a number that's hard to replicate with any paid media channel.
When generic still makes sense: High-utility items cost more upfront. Events with 500+ recipients and a $3 budget cap can't sustain premium merch. Branded pens still generate roughly 1,900 lifetime impressions at less than a penny each per ASI's 2026 data — useful doesn't always mean expensive. The category shift matters most for buyers with moderate budgets and recurring programs where per-item quality directly affects how long the item stays in circulation.
Saturation changes the calculation again for a narrow set of legacy categories — basic pens, standard tumblers, branded stress balls — where even a premium version now struggles to break through because recipients already own several. Subsequent research in this series will track which categories have crossed that saturation threshold and what replaces them in effective campaign mixes.
Sources
- ASI Advertising Specialty Institute — 2026 Global Ad Impressions Study, 2026. Read study
- PPAI Promotional Products Association International — New Year, New-ish Trends, Jonny Auping, January 7, 2026. Read article
- PPAI Promotional Products Association International — Distributors Expanding Supplier Base Amid Volatility, Jonny Auping, May 27, 2025. Read article
