New Research Reveals Branded Merchandise Among the Most Carbon-Efficient Ways to Advertise
There is a widely held assumption in marketing that digital advertising is the greener choice. It lives on screens, requires no physical production, no packaging, no delivery. On the surface, that logic feels sound.
New independent research published in February 2026 tells a more complicated story. And for businesses that care about both marketing performance and environmental responsibility, it is well worth reading.
What the Research Found
The study was conducted by UK-based climate platform 51toCarbonZero and commissioned by leading industry bodies, including the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) as part of the European Associations Cooperation (EAC), alongside US partners ASI and PPAI.
It compared branded merchandise against five other major advertising channels: TV, digital, radio, out of home and print.
The headline finding is significant. Branded merchandise generates up to eight times less carbon per memorised impression than digital advertising, including social media and online display ads.
Across both European and US markets, the data consistently placed branded merchandise among the most carbon-efficient advertising options available.
Understanding the Key Metric: Carbon Per Memorised Impression
The measure at the centre of this research is carbon per memorised impression. This is not simply about the carbon cost of producing an item or running a campaign. It is about the carbon cost relative to an impression that is actually remembered.
Digital advertising requires continuous energy from data centres and servers to serve each ad, often many times over, to generate a single recalled impression.
Branded merchandise, by contrast, is produced once. A well-chosen item can sit on a desk, travel in a bag or be used daily for months or years, generating brand impressions repeatedly without any additional energy input.
When you divide the carbon cost of production across that lifespan of impressions, the picture shifts considerably.
This is the insight that makes the research so useful for brands thinking carefully about where their marketing budgets go.
A Nuanced Finding, Not a Simple One
It is important to be clear about what the research does and does not claim. The study does not suggest that branded merchandise has no environmental impact. Every physical item has a footprint, and the industry is clear-eyed about that.
What the research provides is context. It gives brands a consistent framework for comparing advertising channels against each other, using the same metrics, so that decisions can be made on the basis of evidence rather than assumption.
For businesses working to balance marketing effectiveness with environmental accountability, that kind of clarity is genuinely valuable.
Why This Matters for the Brands We Work With
For us, sustainability has always been part of how we think about the products and solutions we offer. We are BPMA TPM trained, which means we approach branded merchandise with the product knowledge, strategic thinking and responsibility that our clients expect.
This research reinforces something we have long believed: that a well-chosen, high-quality item, given to the right person, used regularly and made to last, is not in conflict with a brand's sustainability goals. It can actively support them.
When a branded item is designed to be kept and used rather than discarded, it works harder for your brand and sits more lightly on the environment than many of the alternatives.
"This is a great example of what we can achieve internationally when Associations collaborate for the good of the global industry. The findings reinforce the immense power of branded merchandise from both a sustainability and effectiveness perspective, and will be a useful tool for Distributors to open new conversations with their clients and prospects."
Phil Goodman, CEO, British Promotional Merchandise Association
Read the Full Report
The full research report is available to read via the BPMA. It sets out the methodology in detail, explains how carbon impact was calculated across each channel, and provides the data behind the conclusions.
If you would like to talk through what these findings mean for your own branded merchandise strategy, our team is here to help. We can guide you through sustainable product options, help you think about longevity and use, and make sure every item you invest in is working as hard as it can for your brand.