Advertising specialty sales hit new record in 2006

Spending on ad specialties, such as promotional products, was nearly twice as large as Internet display advertising, nearly five times greater than outdoor advertising, and more than cable TV advertising for the same period, according to the latest annual advertising specialty industry sales analysis conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute.

Growth in 2006 was driven by a healthy economy in North America and by increased interest from businesses in using promotional products as an alternative to other forms of advertising.

“Distributors and suppliers continue to tell me that items imprinted with a logo – embroidered shirts and caps, writing instruments, USB drives, drink ware, even flip-flops – leave a lasting impact in the minds of recipients,” ASI President Timothy Andrews said in a news release. “They have very reasonable costs-per-impression and provide a positive return on investment for marketers.”

Promotional product distributors also have an optimistic outlook for 2007, though they continue to watch several factors that impact the advertising specialty industry.

Those factors include:

• volatility of prices for natural resources used in manufacturing, such as oil for plastics;

• availability of competitive information accessible via the Internet, and

• the continued emergence of both India and China as more stable manufacturers of high-quality products.

Advertising Specialty Institute is media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, with a membership of more than 23,000 distributors and suppliers.