About the Industry

An advertising specialty, also known as a promotional product, is any item imprinted with a logo or slogan and given out to promote a company, organization, product, service, special achievement or event. T-shirts, mugs, pens and key tags are popular examples, and just about anything can be imprinted. In fact, our database includes more than 750,000 ad specialties.

The advantage advertising specialties have over other media is that they often have a practical use, in addition to being effective advertising and branding tools. Recipients often keep them and the advertiser benefits from repeat exposures.

How big an industry is this?

Advertisers spent a record $19.8 billion on advertising specialties in 2008, according to the Annual Industry Sales Analysis from ASI. That is up 1.2 percent versus 2007 and is 3% greater than radio advertising*, $12.8 billion greater than outdoor ads**, and more than Internet display ads*** for the same period. Industry increases also outpaced the 1.1 percent growth rate for the United States GDP.

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