CPI Hotel Insights
What if the true value of a hotel giveaway wasn’t its price, but its CPI?
Have you ever thought about how often a guest actually sees your logo? A pen, a USB stick, a scented tag — great in the moment. Your name is there, the guest takes it home. But a few days later, the pen gets lost in a bag, the USB disappears — and so does your brand.
And yet, some items stay. They slip into daily life, become part of a routine, feel familiar. Because in the end, a successful promotional item isn’t just a gift — it’s a lasting presence. And that presence can be measured — with a metric still little known in the hotel world: the CPI, or Cost per Impression.
Why the purchase price doesn't tell the whole story
When choosing a promotional item, the instinct is often the same: compare unit prices. One euro here, eighty cents there… trying to strike the right balance between budget and brand image. But this calculation misses a key element: the item’s lifespan and its actual visibility.
A pen ends up in a drawer, a brochure disappears after a few days. But an item that stays with the guest long after they’ve left, that they see and use every day, keeps promoting you — effortlessly. That’s where the CPI completely shifts the perspective.
💡 CPI – a smarter way to measure impact?
Cost Per Impression (CPI) is a marketing metric inspired by digital media. It calculates the cost of a single exposure of your brand to a customer.
Simply put: the more used, visible and long-lasting an item is, the lower its CPI — and the more effective and memorable your message becomes.
🧮 CPI Calculator
Estimated CPI : – € / impression
💡 Simply enter the purchase cost, average usage duration (in months), and daily exposure frequency. The calculator will automatically estimate the cost per impression of your promotional item.
In the hospitality industry, the CPI helps measure the real value of a promotional product: how much each visual contact between your customer and your brand actually costs.
CPI = purchase cost ÷ (usage duration × 30 × daily impressions)
Let’s take the example of a pen:
- Purchase cost: €0.76
- Average usage duration: 12 months (1 year)
- Exposure frequency: 2 times per day (signing, note-taking, welcoming a guest)
12 months × 30 days × 2 impressions = 720 impressions
CPI = €0.76 ÷ 720 = €0.00106 per impression
In other words: 100 brand impressions cost only €0.10. And every time the customer picks up that pen, they’re subconsciously connecting with your brand.
💬 A low CPI is the sign of a smart investment.
The magnetic soap holder: a practical example for hotels
Imagine this: your guest has just arrived. They open the door to their room, taking in the details — the lighting, the crisp linen, the quiet ambiance. Then they step into the bathroom — a calm, almost meditative space, where every movement feels intentional.
On the sink, one detail stands out: a magnetic soap holder, discreet and almost sculptural. The soap appears to float, perfectly still, as if suspended in mid-air. The guest picks it up, enjoying the effortless motion and elegant simplicity. Before leaving, they realize this small object was meant for them — a thoughtful gesture, a natural extension of the experience. Back home, every use takes them back to that moment: the serenity, the elegance, the hotel’s unmistakable signature.
💡 Real example: the CPI of a magnetic soap holder
- Purchase cost: €1.058
- Usage duration: 24 months
- Exposure frequency: 4 times per day
24 months × 30 days × 4 exposures = 2,880 impressions
CPI = €1.058 ÷ 2,880 = €0.00037 per impression
In other words: 100 brand impressions cost just €0.037 — for an item the guest keeps, sees, and uses daily for years.
This simple object transforms a fleeting memory into a daily presence. It’s the perfect embodiment of the CPI concept:
- it creates hundreds of natural brand impressions;
- it remains functional for years;
- it extends the hotel experience into your guest’s everyday life.
It’s not the only good promotional item out there, of course — but it perfectly captures what a hotel giveaway should be: useful, visible, and made to last.
Rethinking the Value of a Promotional Item
As a hotelier, you aim to leave a lasting impression — to extend the guest experience beyond the stay. The CPI helps you measure that impact: it reveals the link between what you invest and what your guest actually remembers.
A cheap item that's quickly forgotten may have a high CPI.
A simple but long-lasting item, on the other hand, keeps your brand visible for years.
And if it becomes part of an intimate daily moment — like handwashing — it creates an emotional connection that traditional ads can’t compete with.
Towards Smarter and More Sustainable Hospitality
Embracing the logic of CPI means rethinking your communication: fewer throwaway items, more lasting, meaningful presence. A well-chosen product doesn’t get discarded — it becomes part of your guest’s life. And when that goodie combines usefulness, beauty and durability, it speaks for your brand — silently, day after day.
🔍 See how the magnetic soap holder compares to other promotional items.
View Comparison →Conclusion: the true return on investment
The CPI isn’t just another marketing concept — it’s a fresh way to measure value. It doesn't just tell you how much an item costs, but how long it remains part of your guest’s daily life.
Instead of offering disposable, short-lived items, why not choose something that brings your hotel to mind every single morning? One day, a guest might wash their hands and think of you. That’s the real return on investment.
Your guide to go further
A promotional item should never be chosen at random — this FAQ helps you understand how CPI redefines sustainability and brand visibility.
CPI is mainly driven by three factors: length of use, exposure frequency, and visibility. An item that the customer keeps for a long time, sees multiple times a day, and places in a central spot of daily life creates thousands of natural impressions.
In short, success doesn't lie in handing out more items, but in choosing one that blends into a daily gesture. That’s when CPI drops dramatically — and the object becomes truly “alive” in the customer’s routine.
Objects that are useful, visible, and elegant — items that naturally find a place in the customer’s environment, like a bathroom or a desk. A good promotional product isn’t the one that’s given — it’s the one that’s kept.
Take for example a magnetic soap holder at the sink — it stands out through constant visibility and lasts virtually forever. CPI isn’t just a calculation; it’s a mindset: choose objects designed to last and to become part of daily life.
Absolutely not. Purchase price is a misleading metric when it comes to ROI. What really matters is cost per impression over time.
A more expensive item that’s used daily for two years will outperform a cheap giveaway forgotten in a drawer. Hoteliers who understand this shift their focus from “purchase price” to use value.
Just observe daily habits. How many times a day does the customer see or touch the item? In a bathroom, a soap or soap holder is seen multiple times a day; on a desk, maybe once or twice.
The goal is to choose items that integrate into habits. Repetition builds familiarity — and familiarity builds trust. It’s almost scientific: the brand becomes a natural presence, not an intrusion.
The first pitfall is overestimation: we often assume an item will be used more frequently than it actually is. The second is forgetting about visibility: an object can be useful yet invisible — like a charger or a pen.
And finally, watch out for build quality: a poorly made product shortens its own lifespan. The right mindset? Be realistic in your assumptions and selective in your choice. Ultimately, CPI reflects the balance between quality, longevity, and perceived value.
The two go hand in hand. A durable, reusable or biodegradable item reduces environmental impact while also improving its CPI: it stays visible longer and doesn’t need replacing.
A well-designed eco-friendly product isn’t a cost — it’s a long-term saving. The ideal? Something useful, elegant, and built to last. That’s the future of hotel marketing: less waste, more meaning, and stronger presence.
A good promotional product should stay with the guest beyond the stay. Generally, the ideal lifespan is between one and three years, depending on the nature of the item.
Shorter than that, the message fades too quickly. Longer, and the object becomes part of the everyday environment — which is a very good sign. The goal is a discreet, lasting presence that reminds the guest of the hotel without being pushy.
The success of an item isn’t just about numbers — it’s about signs of permanence. If guests reuse it, mention it in reviews or ask for another, it has clearly found its place.
You can also look at how long the item remains visible after the stay. A great item creates a reflex: every time the guest sees it, they think of your hotel. That’s when CPI becomes real — your brand has entered their routine.