The ROI and Brand Impact of Personalised Merchandise in 2026

How Personalisation Drives ROI in 2026

The ROI of personalised merchandise comes from perceived value, not volume.

When recipients feel that an item has been made for them they’re far more likely to:

• Keep and reuse the product

• Associate the brand with quality and care

• Recall the brand long after the moment has passed

This increased retention translates into stronger brand recall and better engagement over time — particularly when personalisation is applied to high-use items like drinkware, notebooks, tech accessories, and onboarding kits.

Personalisation Creates Emotional Connection (Not Just Visibility)

Emotional connection is where personalised merchandise delivers its biggest impact.

A logo creates awareness. A personalised detail creates belonging. Whether it’s an engraved name on a water bottle, an embossed notebook for a new hire, or a personalised tech accessory for a VIP client, these details elevate the item from promotional to personal.

For example:

• HR teams use personalised onboarding kits to help new employees feel valued from day one

• Sales teams use personalised gifts to strengthen relationships and reopen conversations

• Marketing teams use personalisation at events to increase dwell time and memorability

Creating Emotional Connections Through Custom Merchandise

Brands across industries are using personalised merchandise to drive meaningful outcomes.

A professional services firm introduced personalised notebooks and compendiums for new client onboarding, creating a sense of exclusivity and professionalism from the first meeting. A national organisation used personalised drinkware and wellness items to support employee engagement initiatives, resulting in higher participation and stronger internal sentiment.

In both cases, the merchandise wasn’t just branded, it was relevant, personal, and strategically applied.

Strategic Principles for Maximising ROI with Personalised Merchandise

To get the most value from personalisation in 2026, brands should focus on:

Know your audience

Choose products and personalisation techniques that reflect how recipients actually work and live.

Quality over quantity

Fewer, better items outperform bulk giveaways every time.

Timing matters

Personalised merchandise works best at key moments, onboarding, events, milestones, and recognition.

Integrate with campaigns

Merchandise should support wider brand and engagement strategies, not sit in isolation.

Plan ahead

Early planning allows for smarter product selection and better use of personalisation services.

Plan Smarter in 2026 with FREE Personalisation Hours

To help brands unlock more value from their merchandise spend, we’re currently offering:

5 FREE hours of personalisation

• Laser engraving or embossing

• Unlocked with any $10k+ merchandise order

• Available Jan–Feb only

• Redeemable anytime in 2026

This means you can secure merchandise early and apply personalisation later, when it delivers the most impact across onboarding, events, EOFY, client gifting, or Christmas.

Ready to Maximise the Impact of Your Merchandise?

If you’re planning branded merchandise, corporate gifts, or employee programs in 2026, Red Tomato can help you plan smarter, not harder.

👉 Message Red Tomato to plan and maximise your free 5 hours of personalisation

Because the best merchandise doesn’t just get noticed, it gets remembered.