Busting Seven of the Biggest Myths About Selling Promo

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend my first PRINTING United Expo, and I was blown away by the size and scope of the printing industry. There was so much creativity and ingenuity on display. What was also readily apparent on the show floor is just how much the worlds of print, promo, signage and apparel are converging.

Still, despite that ongoing convergence, many misconceptions about selling promo products remain. During an interactive education session at the show, I was able to address and debunk seven of the biggest myths about the promotional products industry, but it’s worth sharing those myths and their rebuttals again.

Myth 1: “My clients don’t buy promo.”

Think again. The North American promo industry hit $26.6 billion in sales in 2024, a record figure. Just-released sales figures from Q3 show the highest industry sales growth in two years. The top markets in promo – education, healthcare, construction, manufacturing/distribution and finance/insurance – are also industries that have heavy print needs. In fact, 61% of distributors are already selling promo services, according to ASI Research.

Myth 2: “Promo is just cheap swag with a low ROI.”

Promotional products consistently rank as consumers’ favorite form of advertising, outperforming radio, TV, magazines, mobile and online ads. Each item generates thousands of impressions over its lifetime, with a cost per impression often below a penny, according to the most recent ASI Ad Impressions Study. Suppliers have also been partnering with a slew of retail brands and releasing high-end drinkware, apparel, tech accessories and more.

Myth 3: “Promo is terrible for the environment.”

Sustainability has become a core focus in the promo space, though as with most industries, we still have a long way to go. About one-third of Counselor Top 40 suppliers and distributors now publish annual sustainability reports, and a growing swath of the industry is working with sustainability platforms like EcoVadis to measure and mitigate their impact. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our Promo for the Planet educational resource, along with the Do-Gooders Directory that spotlights the giveback programs, charitable initiatives and sustainability certifications suppliers and distributors hold.

Myth 4: “The margins in promo are too thin to bother.”

Not true. The average distributor profit margin was 37.8% in 2024, while suppliers averaged 32.2%, according to the 2025 Counselor State of the Industry report. The numbers make promo a lucrative, scalable complement to print.

Myth 5: “Breaking into promo requires a pricey investment.”

Though printers often think they need to make a big capital expenditure (along with costly labor additions) to add a new service to their arsenal, that’s simply not the case with promo. Most distributors focus their efforts on relationship building and consultative sales, while suppliers or contract decorators handle the imprinting. That translates to low overhead and high scalability.

Myth 6: “I can’t trust a promo supplier to decorate as well as my team can.”

In reality, you can build a reliable network of trusted supplier partners to ensure your promo orders are in good hands. Among the best ways to do this are to attend trade shows, reach out to suppliers directly and look at supplier ratings on platforms like ASI’s ESP+. Suppliers are eager to collaborate and will work with distributors to help find the best solutions for end-buyers.

Myth 7: “Promo is too complicated and time-consuming.”

The reality for printers is that they already know more about promo than they may think, compared to a complete newbie entering the industry. Knowledge of areas like color management and digital printing put printers ahead of the curve. Plus, there’s a wealth of free education available, including the recently launched ASI Learning Network, which has a dedicated “New to Promo” section to help demystify the industry.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.