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Wednesday
July 28, 2010 Log On and Fan the WorldFiled under: Community, News About ASI, Research Half a billion people worldwide now use the social networking site Facebook to stay connected. If Facebook was its own country, it would be the third most populous nation in the world, according to PC World. Here at ASI, we’re doing our part. I routinely blog, Tweet – you name it – along with numerous other employees. Our ASICentral.com team alone already has 2,130 fans, and counting. If you’re not actively using these free online tools to generate interest in your company, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon. Facebook says half of its active users log on to the site on any given day. So I was happy to answer some questions for Promo35, a Facebook forum for young industry professionals. The group is the brainchild of Charley Johnson of SnugZ/USA (asi/88060), who routinely posts interviews with industry leaders and movers and shakers. Recently, Johnson turned his eye to me. Here’s our exchange: 1. Are you cautiously optimistic about the 2nd half of the year or do you see it getting even better than the 1st half of 2010? TA: Industry revenue, as measured by distributor sales, was up about 11% in the first quarter, according to our research at ASI. I expect the second quarter was up high single digits. But, that’s against a very weak 2009. If sales were to grow 5% annually, it would take about six years to get back to 2008 sales levels. So it’s going to be a slow climb out of a deep hole. I think 2010 will be up 5%-6% when the dust settles. 2. Are we out of the woods with the economy or do you see a “double dip” recession headed our way? TA: My degree is in economics, which probably makes me the least qualified person to answer this question! But I don’t see a double-dip recession. I think we’ll have a slow growth period, with frequent fits and starts. Don’t get scared – but don’t get cocky, either. 3. Have customers become easier or more difficult to deal with due to everything that is going on in the world? TA: It seems to me that people have gotten smarter – they expect you to deliver what you promise, and to prove what you say. That helps us because our magazines have an audited circulation (several in the industry aren’t audited), so advertisers can be certain we deliver what we say in terms of readership; we marry print and digital circulation (if you’re advertising in an all-digital magazine, ask for proof of readership); and we provide more metrics than anyone on digital advertising and usage. 4. Do you see yourself changing the way you advertise in the future? TA: We deliver advertising messages in print (magazines, directories, catalogs, faxes), digitally (online, email) and in person (ASI Shows, Advantages Roadshows, Stitches Roadshows and regional association shows). Only a mix works, balanced for the types of people you’re trying to reach and ensuring they see the messages multiple times in multiples places. No successful brand only uses one form of media. 5. What question do you have in your mind that you would like people in the industry to respond to? TA: ESP Orders would save distributors 30 to 45 minutes per PO and help suppliers get accurate, complete orders without making calls on 50%-100% of all POs they receive. That would save millions of dollars in time that could be used to prospect for more customers. So my question is, how do we get more people to use it? Let me know how much time your business devotes to online networking by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
June 9, 2010 Advisory Board Nominations Now OpenFiled under: Community, News About ASI The only idea worth having is the one worth sharing. And one of the best idea-sharing forums in the industry is now accepting nominations. Now through July 31, you can nominate yourself or someone else for a term on any of four ASI Advisory Boards. It’s simple. Just click here for more info and to submit a name. The ASI nominating committee (comprised of advisory board members and ASI staff) will review all nominations and open the pool to voting from September 1-30. The new board members will be announced at the ASI Power Summit in November and start their new terms in January 2011. The four ASI advisory boards that help guide ASI and the industry are:
Who knows? Your next great idea could make a world of difference. As always, I’d love to know your thoughts, so please post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
April 7, 2010 Green is Good: The Green Catalog is HereFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI “Going green” can mean a lot of different things, from buying organic produce at your local supermarket to overhauling your company so it’s as energy efficient as possible. ”Green” is such a hot concept, 4 in 5 small to medium size businesses now offer some sort of green products or services. Here at ASI, during the month the world celebrates Earth Day, we’re issuing our 2010 edition of The Green Catalog, which consistently sells out, year after year. These days, environmentally-conscious buyers want green products that are useful – and clever – and this catalog really delivers. Inside, you’ll discover more than 120 eco-friendly items, ranging from seed packets to products made from fast-growing and renewable bamboo (it grows up to 4 feet a day!). Flip through and you’ll find pencils made from recycled tires, water-powered clocks, stapleless staplers and even watches powered by a mercury-free battery. Want to reach a music loving audience? Try the seeded music download cards. Download your tunes – then plant the card in the ground and watch it grow. A price index in the back of the catalog makes it easy to choose products to match any client budget. Products are also grouped by easy-to-use categories, including food and drink, outdoors, trade shows, bags and briefcases, clocks and watches, office, sports, travel, and home. The book ships free from now until April 15, and a free digital version comes with the print purchase. The front of each copy can be imprinted in full color with the distributor’s logo and contact information, and ASI offers this feature year-round. And in further response to the ever-growing demand for eco-friendly products, ASI now features a pavilion at our five super-regional trade shows dedicated to showcasing only green products. To order The Green Catalog online and to see sample pages, click here. The catalog - circulation 135,000 – has already sold over 100,000 copies, so don’t wait too long to order yours. And let me know what green products are working for you by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
April 6, 2010 Real Estate Mogul Tells It Like It IsFiled under: ASI Shows, Community Barbara Corcoran is a natural-born storyteller with a million-dollar attitude. Tuesday, she dished out valuable bits of business advice on ASI Internet Radio along with gems from her incredible rags-to-riches rise. One of 10 children raised in a 2-bedroom flat, Corcoran had nothing to lose and nowhere to go but up when a customer at the diner she worked at lent her $1,000 and told her she’d make a great real estate agent. She parlayed that initial investment into a multi-million-dollar real estate business. This from a woman who didn’t even read until the 7th grade. After this interview, I’m happier than ever Corcoran is our keynote speaker at the first ASI Women’s Summit in New York City on Tuesday, May 4. Register by Friday and save $100. And if you missed this morning’s interview, check it out online by clicking here. To succeed, she told listeners, play the confidence game. Convincing herself she had a right to as much success as possible gave her the confidence to knock on Donald Trump’s door early in her career. Or take a page from Corcoran’s memoir, “If You Don’t Have Big Breasts, Put Ribbons on Your Pigtails,” and use whatever advantage you have available. Want to build buzz about your business? Publish a trend report (which can be as simple as “9 out of 10 teens choose blue as their favorite tee shirt color”) and pitch a stat-laden story to the press. Better yet, get quoted as an industry expert on a blog or in the newspaper. “The press is the golden chalice,” she said. ”Use the press to build your brand. The little guy has the corner on creativity.” Corcoran also advised listeners to always be honest “because people can see through baloney a mile away and truthfulness breeds trust.” To move product, make salespeople feel like winners. She once motivated her sales force to sell more million-dollar homes by handing out big gold ribbons imprinted with “million dollars.” Recognition, she said, “is the name of the game in motivating salespeople.” To get an even better idea of the kind of advice she’ll hand out at the summit, check out Corcoran’s weekly report on the real estate market on NBC’s “Today Show.” She’s also an investor/shark on ABC’s reality hit TV show “Shark Tank.” No matter how she delivers her message, you can be sure Corcoran will tell it like it is. What piece of advice motivates you? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
March 19, 2010 ASI Named a “Best Places to Work”Filed under: Community, News About ASI There’s no doubt tough times cause businesses to ask a great deal of employees. So it was especially gratifying to me that so many of our employees recently voted ASI one of the region’s “Best Places to Work.” Greater Philadelphia Media sponsored a contest to recognize top employers, based on employee nominations. Altogether, more than 100 local companies received nominations. In the end, ASI was nominated in nine categories and won the “Best Places to Work” award among companies with more than 200 employees. This week, our human resources department (pictured, along with me and ASI vice chairman Matthew Cohn) picked up the award and enjoyed a celebratory luncheon. We all share this award with Carol Albright, our SVP of HR, her team and everyone who works here. When employees talk about why they like working at ASI, they usually mention benefits like our on-site day care, training classes and wellness program, which rewards participants for things like going to the gym and stopping smoking. And four times a year, we recognize individual employees or teams for outstanding efforts and accomplishments. Not surprisingly, a lot of companies are cutting back on such programs, thinking it’s a way to save some money. But, as a recent story in ASI’s Successful Promotions magazine shows, companies are wise to continuously reinvigorate their incentive and recognition programs to keep loyal employees. ASI’s Counselor magazine also has “best places to work” competitions – for the promotional products industry – and you learn what past winners have done correctly in their profiles here. Let me know what your company does for its employees by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
March 17, 2010 The Secret to Success: Do What You LoveFiled under: Community, Members, News About ASI In a recent radio interview, I was asked about my early goals and how they helped me realize my dreams. In short, I live by a pretty simple guiding rule: do what you love.
As I told radio show host Herb Cohen, my family was on food stamps when I was young. But, that never stopped me from pursuing ambitious goals. After college, I left the great Midwest for New York City, starting out as a national copyreader for Dow Jones News Service – and ending up president and chief executive of Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive. Under my management, Dow Jones was one of the first companies to provide business information to corporate desktops over the Internet. Today, I head a company that’s equally ambitious and forward-thinking. Here at ASI, digital products now make up 70% of our service lineup, up from 20% just a few short years ago. Our emphasis on cutting-edge technology – and an investment in the people who drive that technology – sets ASI apart and keeps us finely attuned to business today and the future. In a real sense, I’m still following the same dream I had as a kid: doing what I love. You can hear what I had to say about our industry during the Executive Leaders Radio interview, a weekly roundtable with executives and CEOs, live this Friday from 8-9 a.m., on WWDB Radio. Just click here to listen to the live stream of the show during that hour. Let me know your secrets to success by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
March 3, 2010 When Irish Eyes Are Shining, Promo Products Strike GoldFiled under: Community, Using Ad Specialties
Whether your tastes run to lucky shamrocks or tricked-out pints, there’s a product for you and your clients, along with plenty of ways to launch St. Paddy’s Day advertising campaigns throughout March. Joe “The Joe Show” Haley struck gold at the end of the rainbow with a new video featuring the products. Click here to watch the video and click here for photos and purchasing information. Here are the 7 luckiest promo products: 1. Irish Rubgy Shirt - Great for sports team promotions throughout March. 2. Shamrock Tattoo - Include these in themed mailings to college students. 3. Light-Up Bottle Ring - Partygoers will love getting this fun bonus from their local tavern. 4. Leprechaun Hat - Local restaurant servers and staffers can wear these to greet patrons. 5. Necktie with Shamrocks - The perfect business gift for customers at banks and offices. 6. Irish Pint Glass - A classy pewter emblem adorns this business-gift favorite for executives. 7. Plush Shamrock Toy - Daycare centers would enjoy giving these to children. Let me know what products you’re bringing to the party by posting a comment or emailing me here. And don’t drink too much green beer! I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
