A schoolboy with a tendency to fidget receives a pair of drumsticks to help him redirect his restless energy. An eternally optimistic soccer coach unwraps a gift engraved with his very own catchphrase. And a father and daughter gift a sweater to a crossing guard’s dog, ensuring he stays warm through the winter. These are all interconnected stories in Etsy’s “Gifts That Say I Get You” campaign, which focuses on the power of thoughtful gift-giving.

“We were inspired by the concept of ‘sonder,’ the realization that everyone around us has their own story – their own quirks, routines and quiet impact,” Etsy Chief Marketing Officer Brad Minor said in a statement. “By focusing on the people who often fade into the background, we wanted to remind viewers that the holidays are about recognition, not perfection.”

The series, while primarily geared toward consumers, can also teach promo businesses a thing or two about personalization – just in time for the holidays.

1. Know Your Audience

When it comes to promo, personalization is the name of the game. End-users will get the most out of promo items that have utility or solve a specific challenge. In the Etsy ad with the crossing guard and her dog, the father and daughter who gifted the sweater put themselves in the dog’s shoes (or should we say, paws?) to determine the best gift to give. The days were getting colder, but the dog didn’t have any winter attire to protect himself from the lower temperatures. The sweater proved to be a simple, yet effective solution to these seasonal woes.

So how do we apply this back to promo? Distributors can bring a heightened level of awareness about user behavior into their work. Begin by partnering with end-buyers to identify which gifts will most resonate with the audience they’re trying to reach. Imagine, for example, that an academic institution wants to update its merch store beyond the typical tote bag and T-shirt. Consider where this university is located. If it’s by the ocean and summer is approaching, perhaps it makes sense to offer a branded towel. Or maybe it’s in the Pacific northwest, where it rains most of the year. In that case, a windbreaker or umbrella makes more sense. Perhaps you learn that a large percentage of the student body is studying sustainability or involved in environmental justice on campus. That tells you that ethically sourced, sustainably made promo items are critical additions to this campaign.

2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Data

Of course, digging into data and analytics is key to understanding who the end-user is and what they want.

“It’s not only going to be about technology – data is going to be king,” Lisa Hubbard, vice president of sales and marketing at Counselor Top 40 distributor The Vernon Company (asi/351700), told ASI Media in a recent article. “How do you get the most data to know who your customers are and what they’re interested in?”

Qualitative research, too, is an important part of a successful promo campaign. Suppliers and distributors should feel empowered to treat their meetings with potential end-buyers like informational interviews. During these discussions, they can learn more about who their clients are and how they hope the end-user will engage with their products. Then, they can ask follow-up questions to ensure they have the information they need to pitch the best possible promo campaign for their business and the audience they serve.

3. The Best Promo Campaigns Make People Feel Understood

Consumers are more likely to use a product when they have an emotional attachment to it. According to a report from eMarketer in partnership with e-commerce company Bloomreach, which surveyed nearly 19,000 consumers across the U.S. and U.K., 58.4% of consumers identified emotional connection as the best way to drive loyalty.

“Emotional connection creates preference over the competition,” said Zhecho Dobrev, who authored the survey and wrote the book “The Big Miss: How Organizations Overlook the Value of Emotions.” His research found that contrary to popular belief, customers don’t know what they want. “They say they want a product, but what really drives business value is emotional attachment,” Dobrev said.

To see these consumer preferences in action, look no further than Etsy’s ad campaign titled “Little Drummer Boy.” A modern twist on the classic holiday hymn, the ad introduces us to a young boy who just can’t sit still. The ad begins with the loud, repetitive tapping of a pen, and the scene opens onto a classroom. The pen tapping is coming from a boy named Alex, and he’s attracting looks from other classmates who are trying to concentrate.

“It’s happening a bit more, and it is a bit of a distraction,” Alex’s teacher tells his mother. “It’s OK, he’ll be fine, and he’s not doing anything bad,” the teacher assures her as Alex taps his hands on the desk. “He’s not in trouble.”

After a series of unfortunate instances where these behaviors become increasingly distracting for both Alex and the people around him (including one where he almost walks into a crowded road because he’s not paying attention), the teacher gifts Alex a pair of drumsticks. The commercial ends with Alex playing the drums in his music class to the tune of “Little Drummer Boy.”

There are a lot of takeaways that viewers can glean from this advertisement: how educators can effectively support their neurodivergent students or how music empowers people to pour their energy into something productive. But perhaps most compelling for the promo industry is the idea that products are most meaningful when there’s a story behind them.

So how can promo take a page from Etsy’s book? First, pitch your clients on product ideas that capitalize on emotional connection. In a recent product article, my colleague Hannah Rosenberger discussed how nursing homes or caregiver agencies can show their appreciation for the hospice nurses and in-home aids with gift sets like the white rose and jasmine spa slipper gift set (SAFP122) from Stuff A Mug (asi/89971). A great thing about this idea is that it connects the dots between the all-too-common problem of caregiver burnout and crafts a promo campaign using spa-inspired products like tea, comfy slippers and body cream – all products meant to ease stress and anxiety.

White rose and jasmine spa slipper gift set (SAFP122) from Stuff A Mug (asi/89971)

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4. Personalize Promo With Customized Messaging

In another episode of Etsy’s ad campaign, a group of boys on a youth soccer team puts their heads (and likely their parents’ wallets) together to find the perfect gift for their coach, whose catchphrase is an ever-optimistic “Chins Up.” He frequently and lovingly shouts these words to motivate the team to stay in the game even when it gets them down. One day, a boy on the team hands his coach a box wrapped in ribbon. He opens the box to find a hat embroidered with the words “Chins Up,” and wipes a tear from his eye as he fits the hat onto his head.

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It shows that even something as simple as a hat can tug at the heartstrings with the right messaging.

For many brands or institutions, it might seem most sensible to customize promo materials with a logo. And while this approach makes sense in many scenarios (notably for clients looking to boost brand awareness and visibility), there are many promo campaigns that might instead benefit from a less generic, more meaningful message.

For instance, let’s imagine a large financial services company wants to recognize employees on the sales and marketing teams for a record quarter. Instead of simply branding a T-shirt or tote bag with the company’s name, a more compelling promo campaign would be one that highlights this accomplishment with a product that says, “2025 Record Breaker.” This approach not only reminds employees of their achievement every time they wear or use the product, but it also serves as a conversation-starter, allowing them to share their accomplishments with others.

No matter your clients’ goals, a personalization strategy can turn a good promo campaign into a great one. By crafting gift boxes and promo packages that tell a compelling story, capitalize on emotional messaging and make users feel understood, you can help end-buyers connect with their users – and build a successful partnership in the process.