Schools with a consistent spiritwear program often see high attendance numbers at their events and stronger community engagement.

Data from the new 2026 School Spirit Gap Survey, conducted by Counselor Top 40 distributor Custom Ink (asi/173232), shows that 33% of schools’ community event organizers with recurring branded product offerings reported higher-than-expected turnout at their most recent event. Among those with no program at all, that number dropped to 14%.

Among those surveyed, more than 60% of schools with a regular merch program strongly agree that spiritwear is key to community engagement and school pride. Meanwhile, 43% of organizers say their programs are inconsistent year-to-year, even though nearly half (48%) say merchandise is a primary fundraiser that’s often more effective than candy sales and coupon books.

Custom Ink, which surveyed 447 K-12 PTA coordinators, booster club leads, athletic directors, teachers and administrators across the country for the study, calls that gap “The Turnout Tax,” explaining that schools without consistent swag programs are leaving money and community pride on the table.

“The Turnout Tax is real, but the good news is, it’s also actionable,” says Custom Ink Chief Marketing Officer Phil Auerbach. “It tells organizers something concrete: building a recurring spiritwear program – same process, same timeline, every year – is one of the biggest levers they have for improving community outcomes. And as a PTA parent myself, I’ve seen this firsthand. It’s not just about which shirt or tumbler you pick. It’s about showing up consistently, and our job is to make that as easy as possible.”

According to Counselor State of the Industry data, Education is consistently the promo industry’s top market – in 2024, it accounted for over $3.5 billion in spend. Meanwhile, products popular with students, families and faculty – such as T-shirts, drinkware, Polos, headwear and bags – rounded out the top five categories that year.

With estimated 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $650 million, Custom Ink ranks fifth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry.

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