Research CANADIAN NEWS April 24, 2026
ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study: 3 Key Findings From Canada
The newest edition of ASI’s definitive end-user study highlights the effectiveness and impact of promotional products, with this second drop focused on the Canadian market.
Key Takeaways
• According to the Canadian report from ASI’s 2026 Global Ad Impressions Study, Canadian consumers overwhelmingly view advertisers more favourably after receiving promo items, and a large majority are more likely to do business with those brands – especially when products are useful and high quality.
• Domestic manufacturing is the most valued product attribute, reflecting a sustained consumer preference for supporting Canadian businesses.
• Consumers respond best to thoughtful, practical products tailored to their needs and local tastes, reinforcing that long-lasting, well-chosen items create stronger brand impact than generic giveaways.
Canadian end-users are very likely to do business with the advertisers on the promotional products they receive.
That’s clear from the Canadian version of ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study, which includes data from hundreds of consumers across 10 provinces – Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic Provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
As part of ASI Research’s three-part 2026 Global Ad Impressions series, the U.S. study was released in late March, while data for Mexico and Europe is slated to be available in May. The findings demonstrate the global power of promo, particularly when it comes to lower cost-per-impression and overall consumer preference compared to other forms of advertising.
Here are a few noteworthy findings from the Canadian iteration of the global survey. The full report is available here.
1. Canadians have a highly favourable view of advertisers on promo products.
Across the country, nearly 9 in 10 Canadians have a more favourable view of an advertiser after receiving their branded merchandise, and almost the same number (87%) report being more likely to do business with them.
“The Canadian consumer’s relationship with promo is less about the item and more about the intent behind it,” says Nigel Harris, CEO of PowerStick.com (asi/51566). “A well-chosen product signals that a brand paid attention. That’s relatively rare in modern marketing, and people notice. Now whether those positive impressions convert to purchasing decisions is where the real work happens, for advertisers and for us as product developers.”
87%
of consumers are more likely to do business with the advertiser on a promo product they receive.
(ASI Research)
“People are inherently wired to respond positively to receiving something thoughtful and useful,” says Paul Wieleba, owner of multi-line agency {WE} Promotional Advertising. “It creates a sense of reciprocity and goodwill that traditional interruption-based channels simply can’t replicate. Digital fatigue is real, while a thoughtful, high-quality product earns attention instead of stealing it.”
For example, Canadians overwhelmingly will choose to keep a promo item they receive because of its utility, cited by 85% of respondents. Similarly, 73% said their purchase of a branded item is influenced by the quality of the product.
There’s a bar that has to remain high to be effective, adds Harris. “The challenge for the industry is holding that standard,” he says. “A cheap item in someone’s junk drawer doesn’t build a brand; it quietly damages it. The era of the disposable giveaway isn’t over, but its returns are diminishing.”
2. Demand for “Made in Canada” is here to stay.
Requests for Canadian-made promo products soared last spring in the wake of trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. Since then, Canadian consumers have demonstrated that they continue to prioritize supporting domestic businesses with their purchasing decisions when possible.
The Ad Impressions Study in Canada reflects this movement – 91% of respondents reported that receiving a “Made in Canada” product would make them view an advertiser more favourably than a standard product – more than other product attributes like personalization or even sustainability. That percentage was especially high (95% of respondents) in British Columbia and the four Atlantic Provinces.
95%
of consumers in both British Columbia and the Atlantic Provinces have a more favourable view of an advertiser on a Canadian-made promo product, the highest across the 10 provinces surveyed.
(ASI Research)
“Made in Canada is always my first go-to,” says Mel Sibbitt, president and CEO of Two Crazy Ladies (asi/347888) in Toronto and Victoria, BC. “Next is suppliers based in Canada, then it’s suppliers in the U.S. and finally I look at overseas companies.” She adds that distributors continue to ask for details on suppliers’ giveback programs and sustainability practices. “I’ve always been a proponent of offering our clients good-quality, useable merchandise that will stay out of landfills,” she says.
3. Keep provincial product preferences in mind.
Among the top five items that consumers look forward to receiving in each area of the country, T-shirts, caps/hats and drinkware (the top three categories in Canada in 2025, according to State of the Industry data) are all popular. And yet, food gifts cracked the top five across the board (hitting number-one in Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan), while fleece/jackets and blankets were a top choice in several provinces.
In addition, polos were ranked in the top five only in Quebec, while mobile power banks and housewares/tools hit third and fifth, respectively, in British Columbia.
“People want products that align with their personal style and that they’re proud to use,” says Wieleba. “The opportunity isn’t just to give something away, but to give something worth keeping that creates joy. It’s not just impressions – we have to create meaningful, thoughtful and purposeful brand interactions that last.”
Harris says this aligns with his company’s philosophy that low-hanging fruit is usually not the best choice. “Our customers are investing in products that consumers use for years,” says Harris of his company’s mobile chargers. “It makes sense if you want a promo product to do real brand work.”
