For decades, our industry has been known as the promotional products industry. Pens, stress balls, trade show giveaways, and logoed apparel all fell under that umbrella.
Today, that language is changing.
Why the Promotional Products Industry is Becoming the Branded Merchandise Industry
Across the industry, including within Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), there is a deliberate shift toward referring to our space as the branded merchandise industry.
While it may seem like a simple terminology update, it reflects something much larger: how companies are using branded products, how consumers perceive them, and the strategic role merchandise now plays in building brands.
More Than a Giveaway
The phrase promotional products naturally suggests items that are used for short-term promotions. While branded products certainly still support events, trade shows, and marketing campaigns, their role has expanded dramatically. Today's branded merchandise is designed to create experiences, strengthen company culture, reward employees, welcome new hires, thank customers, and build long-term brand affinity.
Think about some of the most recognizable brands today. Companies like Nike, YETI, Stanley, and Lululemon have demonstrated that merchandise people genuinely want to own creates an emotional connection with a brand. Organizations of every size are embracing the same philosophy by investing in higher quality, retail-inspired merchandise that recipients choose to use every day.
The language of branded merchandise better reflects this evolution.
Why PPAI is Leading the Change
As the industry's largest nonprofit trade association, PPAI has increasingly embraced the term branded merchandise throughout its research, strategic initiatives, and industry publications. Its recently unveiled strategic plan centers around the message:
"Branded Merchandise is the premier marketing channel that Powers Lasting Connections."
This positioning intentionally elevates merchandise beyond being viewed as simply another advertising tactic. Instead, it recognizes branded merchandise as a marketing channel capable of creating emotional engagement, lasting brand recall, and measurable business results.
Even PPAI's flagship PPAI 100 rankings now describe leading suppliers as companies shaping the future of the branded merchandise industry, further signaling the direction the industry is heading.
Language Shapes Perception
Words matter. Promotional Products can unintentionally imply inexpensive giveaways that are quickly forgotten.
Branded merchandise communicates something different. It suggests thoughtfully selected products that represent a company's identity and are designed to be used, appreciated, and remembered.
That distinction is important because buyer expectations have changed.
Today's recipients expect products that are useful, well-designed, sustainable, and comparable to retail brands. PPAI's recent consumer research shows that nearly 90% of consumers keep branded merchandise at least occasionally, demonstrating that quality products continue delivering impressions long after they're received.
What This Means for Our Clients
At College Hill, this shift validates the direction we've been moving for years.
Our conversations have become less about selecting promotional items and more about building merchandise programs that support business objectives. Whether we're creating employee onboarding kits, developing online company stores, producing premium client gifts, or outfitting entire teams with branded apparel, the goal is always the same: Create merchandise people actually want to keep.
The most successful branded merchandise programs aren't built around the lowest-priced item. They're built around understanding your audience, your brand, and the experience you want to create.
The Future of Branded Merchandise
The industry isn't abandoning its roots. Promotional products will always have an important place in marketing. But the future is bigger than giveaways.
It's about merchandise that employees proudly wear, customers use every day, and brands become known for. It's about creating lasting impressions through products that have real value.
At College Hill, we believe the terminology matters because it reflects the work we're passionate about doing every day: helping organizations build stronger brands through thoughtfully curated branded merchandise.
Ready to build a stronger brand?
The College Hill team is here to help create thoughtful and strategic branded merchandise that accomplishes your goals! Contact us today to get a free consult.