New Survey: Company Picnics Are Back, Baby

Nearly half of all surveyed companies rewarding employees with summer bash

TREVOSE, Pa., July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Companies are rewarding employees for surviving the recession with company picnics featuring everything from frisbees, dunk tanks and egg races to drinking games, jousting and medical testing, says a new survey from the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI).

Of those surveyed, 41% say they're planning a company picnic this summer. And 8% say they are hosting a picnic for the first time or the first time in recent years.

"Companies that are finally making money again are rewarding their employees for all their hard work and boosting morale with big employee picnics this year," said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI.  "Whether you do it with pony rides and barbecue or competitive tournaments and beer, it's clear from our survey that companies are having fun again."

Highlights from the company picnic survey include:

• 50% generally attend
• 63% say family is always or sometimes invited
• 41% always give away promotional products to attendees, and 28% sometimes do
• Of those who give items, 51% give away T-shirts; 44% give away recreational items like frisbees, games and toys; and 32% give away caps and headgear.

Companies responding to the survey spend an average of $4,116 on their company picnic.

Those polled cited a number of different recreational offerings at their picnics, including bouncy houses, inflatable slides, crafts, games, races, carnival attractions, raffles, water guns, hotdog eating competitions and even medical testing, jousting and drinking games.

ASI surveyed a random sampling of 400 individuals working at companies outside the promotional products industry.

ASI is the largest education, media and marketing organization for the $17 billion promotional products industry. Promotional products (aka giveaways, ad specialties, swag, freebies) are items like pens, T-shirts, caps, coffee mugs and high-tech electronics imprinted with a logo or slogan to promote everything from a new store opening or hot new product to a Super Bowl win or even the U.S. Census.

According to ASI research, promo products beat out prime-time TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available.  

Visit ASI at www.asicentral.com and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the CEO's blog.

SOURCE Advertising Specialty Institute