Promo Insiders: Liz Haesler of PCNA Shares Tips on Selling Sustainable Branded Merch
End-buyers are increasingly demanding substantiated claims, including life-cycle assessments, chain-of-custody documentation and science-based metrics, she notes.
In the early days of eco-friendly promo, customers often paid lip service to the value of sustainability, but balked when confronted with higher prices or perceptions that such products didn’t last as long as conventional alternatives.
Those days are largely gone, says Liz Haesler, chief merchandising officer of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887). Clients now are savvier. They’re looking for branded merch with verified sustainability and social claims. And if the items are tied to a vetted giveback program with tangible results, even better. In this episode of Promo Insiders, Haesler, a member of the ASI Promo for the Planet advisory board, talks about how to handle common objections to eco-friendly goods and how the conversation around sustainability has changed over the last few years.
Marketing stories around sustainability still matter, Haesler says, but “in our experience, they’re consuming less mindshare.”
Instead, she adds, “Sophisticated buyers are asking narrower questions about impacts, carbon footprint, water use and circularity metrics, and they want the answers to be substantiated.”
Key Takeaways
• Liz Haesler of PCNA (asi/66887) notes that cost objections persist among promo buyers, but points out that sustainable products no longer have to carry higher prices due to improved supply chains and expanded recycled-material capacity.
• Distributors and their clients are no longer asking why sustainability matters; they are asking for specific proof points and verified impact data.
• Tangible giveback programs resonate strongly because they clearly communicate impact and simplify the value proposition.
• Innovation in sustainable products is increasingly tied to performance, particularly in athletic and outdoor brands using recycled materials.
• Buyers are demanding substantiated claims, including life-cycle assessments, chain-of-custody documentation and science-based metrics.
• Avoiding vague terms like “eco-friendly” and providing credible documentation can help suppliers and distributors stand out in a crowded marketplace.