Merchandise figures come from the ASI 2026 Global Advertising Impressions Study
Willwerth Promotions builds branded merchandise programs for enterprise marketing teams across Canada and into the US
Branded merchandise versus digital advertising is not a case of one replacing the other. Branded merchandise wins on cost per impression, brand recall, and how long a single buy keeps working, because a useful item is kept and used for months.
Digital advertising wins on speed and precise targeting, delivering impressions in days to an exact audience. Most brands get the best return by running both: digital to create the moment, merch to make it last.
The scorecard, point by point
Seven measures a marketer actually uses to compare channels. Branded merchandise and digital advertising split them almost evenly, which is the real answer: they do different jobs.
Branded merchandise figures are from the ASI 2026 study. Digital advertising figures are commonly cited industry ranges that vary by format, targeting, and market; treat them as reference points, not quotes.
To run your own program against these benchmarks, use the promotional products ROI calculator.
Where branded merchandise wins
Recall that sticks
A useful item is chosen and kept, so the attention is willing rather than interrupted. That is why 85% of recipients recall the brand, a number digital display rarely reaches.
One buy, months of reach
You pay once and the item keeps earning views every time it is worn or used. Digital stops the day the budget does; a branded jacket is still working a year later.
It cannot be blocked
Ad blockers, mute, and skip strip out paid impressions you already bought. A physical item in someone's hands is immune to all of it.
Where digital advertising wins
Speed
A digital campaign is live in days and starts delivering impressions right away. When you have a launch date or a deadline, that speed is hard to beat.
Precise targeting
Digital lets you aim at a specific audience, interest, or location and adjust in real time. Merch reaches whoever carries and sees the item.
Instant measurement
Clicks and conversions land on a dashboard the same day. Merch is measured on cost per impression, recall, and reorders, which take longer to read.
"Branded merchandise is one of the most powerful marketing mediums on the planet."
Drew Holmgreen, President and CEO, PPAI, on the 2026 to 2030 Strategic Plan
PPAI, the governing body of the promotional products industry, is repositioning branded merchandise at the centre of brand strategy in its five-year plan, a core marketing medium that belongs on the media plan next to digital rather than beneath it, and one that keeps working long after a paid impression is gone.
Read PPAI on the next leap for branded merchandise »The verdict: run both, on purpose
The point of comparing branded merchandise and digital advertising is not to pick a winner and drop the other. They do different jobs. Digital buys reach fast and lets you target it tightly, which is what a launch or a promotion needs.
Branded gift boxes being kitted in the warehouse before they ship.
Merch buys memory, at a low cost per impression, in a form that keeps working for months and cannot be blocked.
Use digital to create the moment. Use branded merchandise to make it last. Put both on the same media plan, measure both on cost per impression, and let each do the part it is best at.
The full case for treating merch as its own channel is laid out in merch is media, and you can size your own program with the ROI calculator.
Put merch to work beside your digital spend
Tell us your audience, quantities, and budget. We will build a branded program with a clear cost per impression you can set beside your digital numbers and defend to finance.
Frequently asked questions
Not seeing your situation? Tell us how yours runs today and we will answer against it.
Not seeing your situation? Tell us how yours runs today and we will answer against it.
Is branded merchandise better than digital advertising?
Neither is simply better; they do different jobs. Branded merchandise wins on cost per impression, recall, and longevity, while digital wins on speed and precise targeting.
The best return usually comes from running both, with digital creating the moment and merch making it last.
Is promotional merchandise cheaper than digital ads?
On cost per impression, branded merchandise is at the low end of the media mix, about $0.004 per impression in the ASI 2026 study, which is competitive with digital display and well below social and LinkedIn advertising.
Merch also keeps earning impressions for months after the spend, which lowers its effective cost further.
Does branded merchandise have better ROI than digital advertising?
On a cost-per-impression basis, branded merchandise often comes out ahead because one item earns thousands of views over its life while carrying high recall. Digital can show a faster, more direct return on clicks and conversions.
Measuring both the same way, on cost per impression, is the fairest comparison, and the ROI calculator on this site does it for you.
Should I choose merch or digital for my campaign?
Choose by the job. If you need reach fast for a launch or a promotion, digital is the right tool. If you want brand memory and loyalty that lasts past the campaign, branded merchandise delivers it at a low cost per impression.
Many programs use digital to drive the moment and merch to hold the attention afterward.
How do you compare merch and digital on the same terms?
Use cost per impression for both. For merch, multiply the quantity by how many times each item is seen over its life, then divide the landed cost by that number. For digital, use the CPM your platforms report.
Putting both on a cost-per-impression basis lets you weigh them side by side instead of guessing.
The full branded range: cap, tote, tumbler, hoodie, notebook, socks.
Keep reading
Merch is media, the full channel case »
Run the numbers, the promotional products ROI calculator »