Sticker Mule, the custom printing manufacturer based in Amsterdam, New York, released an independent economic impact study in May 2025 showing the company generated $2.7 billion in cumulative economic impact for New York State and supported 9,500 jobs, according to a PRNewswire release citing Epsilon Economics. The firm that produced the study has previously analyzed the Super Bowl, the Oscars, and the FIFA World Cup.
The company paid $681.5 million in wages and engaged Epsilon Economics to quantify its manufacturing footprint in a state where domestic production narratives carry weight with customers, policymakers, and press. The study provides third-party validation of scale and local employment, packaged in a format that can be cited in sales conversations, community relations, and earned media.
The play works because it converts operational reality into proof that a brand can reference without self-promotion. When a company states its own employee count or revenue, the claim carries the friction of marketing. When an independent economics firm that measures the Super Bowl publishes the same figures in a formal study, the data becomes citeable fact. Sticker Mule can now point customers, local officials, and trade press to 9,500 jobs and $2.7 billion in impact without saying "we think" or "we estimate." The study structure removes skepticism from the conversation.
Physical-product brands with domestic manufacturing can commission scaled-down versions of the same study through regional economics departments, business schools, or local consulting firms. A brand does not need $2.7 billion in impact to make the play work. A manufacturer employing 50 people in a mid-sized town can hire a local economist or MBA program to calculate direct wages, supplier spend, and multiplier effects for $3,000 to $8,000. The resulting report quantifies jobs created, tax revenue contributed, and indirect economic activity, then gets formatted as a one-page summary with a credible third-party logo.
The brand uses the study in three places. First, on the About page and in pitch decks, replacing "we support local jobs" with "an independent study found our operations support 87 jobs and contribute $4.2 million annually to the regional economy." Second, in outreach to local press, chambers of commerce, and economic development offices, which cite the numbers in coverage and reports. Third, in B2B sales conversations where procurement teams prioritize domestic sourcing, particularly for corporate gifting, event merchandise, and branded materials where the made-local story justifies price.
The cost per citation is low. Once commissioned, the study can be referenced for two to three years before an update is needed. The third-party structure allows the brand to repeat the figures across channels without sounding promotional. Local media will often cover the release as news, especially in smaller markets where manufacturing job numbers carry civic weight. The brand then reposts that coverage, creating a second layer of validation.
The pattern extends beyond manufacturing. Service-based physical product businesses like fulfillment operations, packaging companies, and custom fabrication shops can quantify their supplier spend, real estate occupancy, and wage contributions in the same way. The economics firm or consultant models direct employment, calculates indirect and induced effects using standard multipliers, and delivers a report the brand can cite. The play does not require billions in impact. It requires a credible third party putting a number on what the brand already does, then making that number public in a format others will reference.
Commission a local economic impact study, get a third-party number on jobs and wages, then cite it everywhere you'd otherwise self-promote.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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