DKK 10,000 on digital marketing vs. DKK 10,000 on merch: What has the most impact?

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If you are in charge of marketing, you want to have an effect (preferably yesterday).

If you are in charge of purchasing profile clothing/merchandise, you want fewer mistakes, less waste – and something people actually use.

And then the question always comes up: What works better – digital marketing or merch?

The short (and annoying) answer: It depends on the goal.

The useful answer: Here you get a concrete way to choose – with numbers and a plan that you can explain to both management and colleagues without sounding like you “feel anything”.

Digital marketing typically wins on speed and measurement

Digital is the big engine when you want to create traffic, leads and conversions quickly – and preferably be able to measure it down to the last click.

It is no coincidence that digital advertising is so important: IAB (with PwC) reports that internet/digital ad revenue in the US will reach approximately 258.6 billion USD in 2024 (up approximately 14.9% year-on-year).

It doesn't say "digital is best for everything", but it does say: companies use it because it scales and can be optimized.

A concrete example of "measurability":
Mailchimp writes that you should aim for an average email open rate of around 34.23% (but that it varies by industry), and that an "optimal" email CTR in their data is around 2.66% (also industry-dependent).

They also mention that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection can affect open rate measurements, so you should interpret open rates with care.

When is digital marketing typically “better”?

When you need results fast (campaigns, sign-ups, demo bookings).

When you have a clear audience and can target (job titles, industries, intent).

When measurement and optimization are crucial (CPL/CPA, pipeline, ROAS).

The humor version:
Digital is great when you need to push buttons. (And you love dashboards a little more than healthy.)

When marketing with merch/profile clothing is typically “better”

When you want to be top-of-mind after an event (trade fairs, conferences, customer visits).

When you want to build brand and relationship (B2B with a longer sales cycle).

When employer branding and internal pride are part of the plan (profile clothing that is actually used).

When you want to create “word-of-mouth” and social proof (people ask: “where did you get that from?”).

Merch typically wins on memory, trust and “lifetime”

Merchandise and profile clothing do not win because it is “nice”.

It wins because it is physical, usable and hard to ignore.

This is where it gets interesting for both marketing and purchasing: The effect can be long-lasting, and the message lives on after the campaign has ended.

Strong data points

PPAI’s 2023 consumer study (USA) data points:

– 25% of consumers have kept a promotional product for longer than five years.

– 86% say that promo products make an experience more “enjoyable”.

– 75% agree that promo products received at events make the experience more memorable.

– 52% say that their first reaction upon receiving a promo product is to Google or visit the company’s website (up from 40% in 2021).

– 66% say they can name the advertiser on a logo product they have received within the last 12 months (up from 28% two years earlier).

– 70% link the quality of the product to the company’s reputation.

This is especially relevant for purchases: “cheap merch” can end up costing a lot in brand perception:

ASI’s 2023 Ad Impressions Study (USA) makes merch extra CFO-friendly by putting numbers on “impressions over lifetime”:

– T-shirts are estimated to have 5,053 impressions over their lifetime in the study.

– They also give examples of cost per impression, e.g.: a “super-soft T-shirt” for $10 has a cost per impression of 1/5 cent in their calculation.

– And they show behavioral impact: 37% of consumers who receive a T-shirt are more likely to do business with the advertiser (in their measurement).

The honest conclusion: “Best” is about the goal - If you can only choose one, choose like this:

  • Choose digital marketing when:

    • The goal is leads/sales here and now
    • You have tracking set up and can optimize
    • You want to test messages quickly

  • Choose merch when:

    • The goal is memory, relationship and brand consistency
    • You meet people physically (events, customer meetings, onboarding)
    • You want your message to have a longer lifespan (weeks/months/years)

But… the solution that most often beats both alone is the combination.

The “smart” hybrid: how to make digital and merch play together



Here are three recipes that both marketing and purchasing can typically agree on:

Event package

(B2B classic)

  • Before the event: digital invitation (LinkedIn/email)
  • At the event: merch that is useful (not “stupid stuff”)
  • After the event: retargeting + email follow-up

    PPAI data indicates that many people actually look you up after receiving merch.

ABM light

(for a few, important companies)

  • Send a small kit to 20 key contacts
  • Run digital retargeting to the same companies
  • Create one landing page with a clear next action (book a meeting / demo)

Employer branding

(profile clothing that employees want to wear)

  • Onboarding kit + profile clothing in good quality (because quality is linked to reputation)
  • Create an internal “share pack” (text + images) so it’s easy to post
  • Use it for recruitment: “this is how we are” content + real employees

The “10,000 kr. test” (quick way to compare without cheating)

You can't compare digital and merch 1:1, but you can compare the mindset.

Example (just to show the method):
If you buy profile clothing/merch for 10,000 DKK, and you choose something in the “t-shirt category”, for example, you can calculate “price per impression” as:

Total price / (number of products × expected impressions)

ASI estimates 5,053 impressions over a t-shirt's lifespan in their study.

So 100 t-shirts with a long lifespan can theoretically give many impressions over time – and the point is: merch can become a “long tail”, where digital is often more “here and now”.

Important:
Figures from PPAI/ASI are based on American studies, so use them as a guide – not as a guarantee in your industry.

How to measure merch (so it doesn't become "we think it worked")

If purchasing loves processes and marketing loves data, then here's your common language:

– QR code + UTM for a dedicated landing page

– Unique discount code per event/campaign

– “Scan for slides / bonus / giveaway” (gives a reason to scan)

– CRM tag: who got what, when (so sales can follow up)

PPAI shows, for example, that many people google/search for the brand after receiving merch. You can do this measurably with a landing page and UTM

Summary

If you want an answer that can stand in a budget meeting without being shot down:

Digital marketing is typically best for fast, measurable performance.

Merch is typically best for long-term visibility, memory and relationship.

And in practice: The best ROI often comes when merch and digital are linked in one plan (and not as two separate “projects”).

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