A new era of branded merchandise is upon us. Who is rising to the occasion to elevate the industry? It’s time to start finding out.

The 2026 PPAI 100 surveys are now open.

All distributor and supplier members are highly encouraged to take the three surveys, which each last less than 15 minutes. 

Surveys are open Feb. 23 to March 8 at 11:59:59 p.m. (CT). 

Take The Distributor Business Fundamentals Survey
Recommended: View Survey Questions First

Take The Distributor Innovation Survey
Recommended: View Survey Questions First

Take The Distributor Responsibility Survey
Recommended: View Survey Questions First

Take The Supplier Business Fundamentals Survey
Recommended: View Survey Questions First

Take The Supplier Innovation Survey
Recommended: View Survey Questions First

Take The Supplier Responsibility Survey
Recommended: View Survey Questions First


PPAI 100 is the Association’s flagship annual research and recognition project. Placement on the list is the highest honor PPAI grants to member companies, and potentially an important element of social proof in marketing and recruitment.

Results will be announced at PPAI’s North American Leadership Conference, May 12-14 in San Diego. Registration is open for the industry’s premier event for executive networking, leadership development and strategic foresight.

Since it began in 2023, PPAI 100 continues to undergo small tweaks with the goal of scoring each company fairly and capturing the true nature of leadership in the industry.

       SEE MORE: PPAI 100 Schedule Set For 2026; Learn More About Program Changes

Even companies who are not eligible to make the list – such as PPAI Standard Base and Standard Plus members – are encouraged to participate in the surveys, as the aggregated data will be used to create benchmarking studies useful to firms of every size. These will be reported in PPAI Magazine this year and permanently available via PPAI Premium Research.

       SEE 2024 BENCHMARKING STUDIES:


With increased competition, survey participation remains crucial in 2026. Not taking any of the three questionnaires or leaving scoring questions unanswered will result in a lower score and has the potential to impact a company’s ranking.

  • Only one response per survey will count for each member. We encourage these to be taken by each firm’s principal executive, or to allow the principal to delegate to subject matter experts.
  • Direct emails to take the surveys are sent to each PPAI member’s listed Primary Contact, Voting Contact and Admin roles.


The largest scoring factors for PPAI 100 come from the business fundamentals surveys, regarding 2025 revenue and revenue change since 2022. Responses have no effect on PPAI membership dues. Any company not answering revenue-related questions will have their revenues estimated by PPAI Media.

  • Failure to answer the revenue questions or offer estimate guidance will result in a scoring penalty.
  • Companies who provide validation for their reported revenue (such as tax documents or auditor communication) via the surveys will receive a scoring bonus.
  • No company will have its revenue reported – or be scored – above the recommended earnings range for its PPAI membership tier, effective March 8. Any tier adjustments prior to March 8 must be confirmed by a PPAI account manager. Firms needing to update their tier may do so by contacting their membership account manager.
  • Firms from the International tier of PPAI membership may be included in PPAI 100, but must provide revenue documentation for eligibility.

       
SEE MORE: Past PPAI 100 Results