Marketing & Events
Launches people remember
Events, launches and activations that stay on desks and in bags long after the day ends.
Free playbook · The Keepable Channel
The marketing channel your customers keep.
Email gets opened. Direct mail gets read. Branded merchandise gets kept, used and seen for months. The Keepable Channel shows why branded merch is the missing piece of your customer journey, and how to plan it with the same strategy, goals and measurement you give every other channel.
- Why physical still wins, and the items that earn the most impressions.
- The Moments Map: six customer moments where merch outperforms another email.
- How to measure what you mail, from cost per kept item to lift vs. holdout.
- The Merch Program Scorecard to see how keepable your program is today.
87%
of consumers say they regularly keep and use branded merchandise.Source: PPAI, 2026
Get your free copy
Takes 30 seconds. Instant access.
Read it right away, and we’ll send a copy to your inbox. We never sell your information.
Why merch works
Small items. Lasting impressions.
3,300
impressions a typical promotional product earns over its life
ASI, 2026$0.006
per impression, on average
ASI, 202685%
remember the advertiser that gave them a promotional product
ASI, 202676%
are more likely to do business with a brand that gives them one
ASI, 2026
1,300
One tumbler, about 1,300 impressions, at roughly a cent each. Drinkware stays in daily, personal use, which makes it a strong thank-you and loyalty piece. Watch where those impressions come from
Sources: ASI Global Advertising Impressions Study, 2026 (about 5,000 consumers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe); PPAI, 2026.
Watch the story
The life of a tumbler.
Promo emails get deleted. A great tumbler gets kept. Follow one branded tumbler through a year of commutes, coffee runs, video calls and game days, and watch the brand impressions add up.
Watch · 1:57
The Life of a Tumbler
What’s inside
Plan merch like the channel it is.
The attention problem
Why inboxes are full, people are opting out, and physical is back in the plan.
Why physical still wins
The cheapest impression you’ll ever buy, and which items earn the most.
The swag problem
Why the swag bag is over, and what turns an item into a keeper.
The Moments Map
Six customer moments where merch does what no email can, and how to play one out across every channel.
Measure what you mail
How to prove merch works, plus five numbers worth tracking.
Choosing the right partner
What to look for, and what to ask, before you choose a merch partner.
Plus: The Merch Program Scorecard, ten questions to see how keepable your program is today, and a point of view from Brett Cutler, Managing Director, Branded Merchandise.
A sneak peek
Starts with a purpose, not the product.
We don’t start with merch. We start with your business and marketing KPIs. The playbook walks through six steps so every item has a job to do.
- 1
Audience
Who will receive it, and what do they value?
- 2
Objective
What should change after they do?
- 3
Brand
How should it look, feel and represent you?
- 4
Budget
Where will spend make the biggest difference?
- 5
Idea
Which concept fits the moment and the person?
- 6
Execution
How will it get made, packed and delivered on time?
The full playbook covers each step in detail. Get your copy
Who it’s for
Built for the teams who carry your brand.
HR & People
Moments that build belonging
Onboarding kits, recognition and company stores that make every employee feel part of the team.
Loyalty & CRM
Rewards worth keeping
Member rewards and surprise moments that give your best customers another reason to come back.
One partner. Every detail managed.
Merch that matters.
Making your brand look great. And your job easier.
High-quality merchandise, decorated apparel, company stores, custom kits & fulfillment, all connected through one accountable team.
DefineStrategy & goals, audience, creative, sourcing
CreateSamples, production, quality control, packaging
Manage
& deliverCompany stores, inventory, fulfillment, distribution
& deliverCompany stores, inventory, fulfillment, distribution
No handoffs. One accountable team. No surprises.
Since 1952Family-owned, four generations
100K sq. ft.fulfillment center
80% of the U.S.reached in 2 days via ground shipping
Nobody ever frames a promotional email, but they’ll wear a great jacket for years. The brands winning with merch stopped treating it as just a giveaway and started using it as a memorable moment that connects to and supports the rest of their campaign.
FAQ
Branded merch questions, answered.
How many impressions does a promotional product make?
About 3,300 over its life, on average, according to ASI’s 2026 Global Advertising Impressions Study. Items people wear or carry travel farthest: fleece and jackets earn about 9,000 impressions, bags about 4,900 and drinkware about 1,300.
What is the cost per impression of branded merchandise?
$0.006 per impression, on average (ASI, 2026). A bag works out to about 1/10 of a cent per impression and fleece to about 4/10 of a cent. The playbook also shows how to track cost per kept item, which rewards quality over the cheapest unit price.
Do people actually keep promotional products?
Most do. 87% of consumers regularly keep and use branded merchandise, and 65% are very likely to keep an item six months or more (PPAI, 2026). Durability, good design and relevance to the person decide which items stay.
When should brands send branded merchandise?
When something happens, not when the calendar says so. The playbook’s Moments Map covers six moments: acquire, welcome, celebrate, reward, win back and inside the house, like onboarding and recognition. Pair each send with direct mail, email or SMS so the item anchors a bigger moment.
How do you measure the ROI of branded merchandise?
Plan measurement before anything ships. Put QR codes or personal URLs on the item, hold back a control group and match recipients to your CRM to compare spend and retention. The playbook lists five numbers worth tracking, from cost per impression to lift vs. holdout.
What’s in The Keepable Channel, and is it free?
Yes, it’s free. The playbook covers the attention problem, why physical still wins, the swag problem, the Moments Map, measurement and choosing the right partner, plus a 10-question scorecard. Fill out the short form for instant access and a copy in your inbox.
Can Baesman help me build a merch program?
Yes. Our Branded Merchandise team handles strategy, sourcing, decoration, company stores, custom kitting and fulfillment. Reach us at merch@baesman.com or schedule a free creative ideation session.
Let’s make merch matter.
What’s one program we can make better? Start with the playbook.
Get the playbookFree. Instant access. Takes 30 seconds.