Sustainability September 03, 2025
Survey: Gen Z Wants Sustainable, Socially Responsible Promo
ASI’s 2025 cohort of summer interns shared their thoughts on the industry and what’s important to them in a survey and subsequent focus group discussion.
Key Takeaways
• ASI’s summer interns overwhelmingly emphasized sustainability and social responsibility in promo, with 100% citing ethical sourcing and giveback programs as important and 90% prioritizing environmental friendliness such as recyclability and reusability.
• Interns ranked quality, utility and attractiveness as the top reasons for keeping branded merchandise, favoring durable apparel and reusable drinkware.
When it comes to promotional products, the incoming generation is clear: Promo had better be both sustainable and socially responsible.
That’s the overarching message sent by ASI’s latest cohort of summer interns, who were surveyed on their branded merch preferences and participated in a focus group about those preferences before their internships with the company concluded.
ASI’s summer interns were surveyed on their promotional products preferences, participating in a subsequent focus group to explain their opinions.
Every single intern surveyed said social responsibility was either “very important” or “somewhat important” in the promo items they receive. Transparency about sourcing, ethical labor practices and giveback programs strongly influence their perception of a company. “I don’t want to use a product … that wasn’t made responsibly and doesn’t have those factors taken into consideration,” one intern said during the focus group.
A Look at the Swag Gen Z Loves
In this episode of Promo Insiders, Olivia Borgula, a student at the University of Maryland, shares the inside scoop on the giveaways popular on and off campus. Borgula was a summer intern in ASI’s editorial department.
Nearly all the interns (90%) said environmental friendliness was very or somewhat important in a promotional product. Recyclability, reusability or sustainable sourcing gives a product added value, they say. As one intern noted: “If I’m going to be who’s targeted, I would prefer that it’s sustainable. … I know a lot of people don’t keep some of the promotional products. … It would just be important that it can be recycled.”
“Made-in-the-USA” claims were less crucial to the interns, with only half considering them important. More vital was the quality of the promo product and whether it was sourced responsibly.
Among the interns, the top three reasons for keeping a promo product were quality (80%), utility (70%) and attractiveness (70%).
Preferences for particular products were varied. Pens were popular, but only if they’re high-quality – with a slim design and smooth, smudge-free writing. Reusable drinkware is popular, but only if it’s dishwasher-safe and of high quality. One intern recalled a negative experience with a promotional water bottle that melted in the dishwasher, adding “I wouldn’t go out of my way to [handwash] a promotional water bottle.”
T-shirts, outerwear and other apparel were viewed positively by interns, as long as the items are comfortable. “If it’s useful to me, I would probably go for it,” one intern said. “I have a bunch of T-shirts with logos already.”
Custom stickers and fidget toys were polarizing, with some interns expressing appreciation and others viewing them as useless clutter. Items like physical calendars and lanyards were mostly rejected and seen as outdated.
Overall, premium items with an emotional component were prized the most by the interns – with several indicating they’d even be willing to pay for a high-quality, brand name water bottle or a stuffed animal school mascot, for example.
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