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Monday
March 8, 2010

Take the State of the Industry Survey Today

Filed under: Guest Blog, Research

Each year, ASI conducts the most comprehensive and important research about our industry, the Counselor State of the Industry.

So, why is it important? Because of the in-depth reports each year on key sales, marketing and operational metrics that industry practitioners can then use to build their businesses.  Nowhere else do you get the scope of this detailed information about our industry.  And, it’s free to ASI members.

What do you have to do? All we ask is that you take 10 minutes to complete the survey.  And you could win some great prizes just for participating.  There are distributor winners chosen at random for cash prizes totaling $1,500, and suppliers can win one of three full-page ads in an ASI publication of their choice.

If you’re a distributor, take the survey here. 

If you’re a supplier, take the survey here.  

If you’d rather take a paper version of the study, email me at lbasinait@asicentral.com and I’ll send you the PDF you can mail back to us.  But hurry, the deadline is Friday, March 19.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important research.  For additional research from ASI, click here.

– Larry

Larry Basinait is ASI’s executive director of research services.

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Monday
February 22, 2010

Industry Sales $15.9 Billion for 2009

Filed under: Research

We recently announced industry sales results that reflect what we’ve been saying for months:  while the industry took a major hit in 2009, the worst appears to be behind us.

ASI’s exclusive annual industry sales estimate shows promotional products sales were $15.9 billion, down 19.5% versus 2008.  The annual estimate is adjusted for certain year-end information, including distributors that exited the industry during 2009 and distributors that have not been part of ASI for the last 12 months.  

While sales dropped, quarter-by-quarter declines throughout 2009 have slowed consistently.  Fourth-quarter 2009 sales were off 9.7%, the lowest decline among the other three quarters. 

Results also indicate that economic turbulence may be easing, with 34% of respondents reporting a year-over-year increase in sales during the fourth quarter.  That is the largest percentage of respondents whose sales were up since the third quarter of 2008. 

Better yet, there’s solid evidence promotional products remain a great value among all advertising mediums. Spending on ad specialties for full-year 2009 is about double what marketers spent on radio advertising, about 26% larger than Internet advertising, and nearly four times greater than outdoor ads. 

Click here to read the press release.

The general consensus from distributors is that it’s time to seize the momentum we do have, increase marketing and grab market share. The pendulum will swing back — and we need to be ready when it does.

I’d love to know what strategies you’ve employed in recent months and how you’re positioning your company for the future so post a comment or email me here.  I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Friday
February 5, 2010

Top 10 Sexiest Valentine’s Day Promotional Products

Filed under: Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Research, Using Ad Specialties

What gifts hit your list on Valentine’s Day? Boxed candy and flowers? This year, think outside the box and check out ASI’s very first list of Top 10 Valentine’s Day Promotional Products. The romantic giveaways and business gifts on the list are sure to start a conversation - or a very interesting evening.

There’s no doubt romance is a smokin’ hot market - a search for romantic giveaways in ASI’s database reveals marketers are in mad pursuit of everything from logoed condom packs to chocolate lips to help them launch Valentine’s-themed campaigns. There’s more - much, much more.

The top 10 sexiest Valentine’s Day promo products for 2010 are:

  1. Sexy® Water - bottled water with a label that says it all.
  2. Bling Travel Mug - a mirror on the front is pimped with shiny faux gems.
  3. Romantic Evening Intimacy Kit - this pouch has six condoms and flavored lubricant.
  4. Contrast Color Thong - an imprinted hot favorite.
  5. Chocolate Lips - wrapped in red foil, it’s chocolate with a twist.  
  6. Tangle® Love Keychain - the famed toy has a risqué side.
  7. Little Black Book of Sex Secrets - a reference with naughty tips.
  8. Sex on the Beach Kit - includes coconut massage oil and drink recipes.
  9. Red Heart USB Drive - who says you don’t love your computer?
  10. Silhouette Girl Flashing Pin - if truckers put it on mud flaps, you can wear it.

For a video featuring some of the products, click here. For photos of each product and for more information about how to purchase, click here.

Let me know what themed items you sell the most by posting a comment or emailing me here.  Of course, I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. And have a very happy Valentine’s Day!

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Monday
February 1, 2010

Super Bowl Means Super Sales

Filed under: Industry Initiatives, Research, Using Ad Specialties

For many Americans, Super Bowl Sunday is a day of ritual strictly observed in the Church of Sport. Everything - from the cold brew and hot wings to the commercials and halftime show - is integral to a decades-long tradition. Including the all-important game winning tee shirts.

This year, when you’re getting ready to end your long Super Bowl day, think about companies like Pony Xpress Printing and Dunbrooke Apparel just starting theirs. They’ll hustle all night to make sure tens of thousands of tee shirts and jackets will be online or on store shelves for fans to snap up after the big game.  

Jeff Henderson, executive VP of Pony Xpress Printing (asi/297068), an officially licensed provider of Super Bowl XLIV apparel, says it’s all hands on deck with more than 50 staffers working split shifts to make strict overnight delivery deadlines.

Dunbrooke COO Matt Gray says his company’s popular Super Bowl jackets are decorated on-demand and shipped within 72 hours directly to the fan, thanks to 12-hour nightshift crews that start work as soon as the final whistle blows.

These powerhouse promotional items have a long shelf life, too, with companies ordering them throughout the season as employee gifts and client giveaways. For more details, read our press release by clicking here.

Let me know which team your money’s on by posting a comment or emailing me here.  I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Monday
January 18, 2010

ASI Pledges $100k to Education Initiatives

Filed under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, News About ASI, Research, Using Ad Specialties

ASI is seriously committed to education, so it should come as no surprise we’re committing a serious amount of money - $100,000 - to our latest campaign to demonstrate the value of promotional products to end-buyers.

Taken together, ASI’s latest broad-based education efforts will encourage buyers to increase their use of advertising specialties in their marketing plans while creating a bigger buzz about the power of promotional products in the national media.

We definitely hit the ground running.  Check out highlights of the campaign:

Media blitz.  Aggressively pitching stories to media nationwide, highlighting the reach and effectiveness of promotional items.  A recent ASI story about the dramatic increase in sales of hand sanitizers resulted in nearly 100 media mentions nationwide, including spots on CBS Money Watch, Philadelphia Business Today and Live 5 News.

ASI Show-related publicity.  Increasing pursuit of media coverage of advertising specialties among the five metro areas of the ASI Shows.  Florida State Representative Kevin Ambler and Senator Paula Dockery visited the just-completed Orlando show and the Orlando Sentinel wrote an article about it (comments accepted online) and posted ASI TV videos featuring interviews with the politicians on its blog.  Orlando’s CBS station, Local 6 News, also provided a sneak-peek of the show.

Successful Promotions magazine campaign.  ASI’s award-winning editorial team is sending a monthly e-newsletter to 600,000 marketers, filled with case studies and education.  A PowerPoint presentation about the positive return-on-investment (ROI) of promo products has already been featured, available to download here.  Also, a new Facebook fan page for the magazine will be launched first quarter, providing additional resources and editions of The Joe Show.

ASI Marketing Advisory Board.  This recently-formed board of business leaders is driving the industry forward by connecting with end-buyers and sharing their feedback and suggestions with the industry.

Research.  ASI Research published an advertising specialty impressions study in 2009 for distributors to send to their clients and prospects, showing them the high ROI of promotional products.  The study will be updated this year.

For more details, read the press release by clicking here.

Tell me which initiative you think will have the most impact - or what ideas you may have - by posting a comment or emailing me here.  I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Tuesday
November 3, 2009

End-User Buying Habits Study

Filed under: News About ASI, Research

ASI recently completed an exclusive study about end-buyer expectations for promotional products compared to other forms of advertising, the types of programs that use promotional products and the products they’re using for those programs. Of course since everything is about “the economy, stupid” we asked about how marketing spending and promotional product spending has changed this year as well.

It’s amazing what you can find out by just asking, and we found out some great stuff, like:

  • Distributors can increase their sales by educating customers on the value of promotional products.  Always educating end-buyers about the positive return on investment (ROI) promotional products have can result in some real ROI for the distributor, too. Nearly one-half (48%) of respondents said that promotional products are expected to deliver positive ROI. The good news is that the higher the expectations, the more end buyers are willing to spend. Those who have the highest expectations for promotional products ROI will spend nearly nine times more on them than those who believe promotional products are simply “nice to have but…”
  • And when it comes to delivering the best ROI, nearly two-thirds (64%) of end-buyer respondents told us that promotional products were second only to the internet as the most effective advertising medium.
  • But it isn’t all about the bottom line, as creativity is the number one trait end-buyers look for in distributors.  So in addition to coming to the table with new product ideas for an event, consider teaming an ad specialty promotion with the internet to deliver a real one-two punch. That’s creative, and it’ll have the ROI end-buyers are demanding.

Studies like this, and all the others we’ve done this year and have planned going forward, make it a fascinating time to be part of this industry. But we’re always looking for new ideas to explore that will provide information to our members, so if you have anything you’d like to know more about, just ask, because “It’s amazing what you can find out by asking…”

– Larry

Larry Basinait is ASI’s executive director of research services.

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Tuesday
November 3, 2009

Power Summit Video About Economy

Filed under: Community, Education, Industry Initiatives, Members, Research

Everyone gathered at the 2009 Power Summit in California has seen, heard and learned a lot already at numerous sessions, speeches and networking opportunities.

Click here for a video outlining these key insights from our sessions:

  • Exclusive session with economics expert Roger Farmer. This last year was really about a lack of confidence, which means companies lacked any real decision-making about purchases. Going forward, inflation is possible, which would affect prices of raw goods from China.  But, as jobs start to recover, wages will go higher. He predicts it’ll take about five years for unemployment to drop back down from 10% to about 5-6%.
  • What’s working and what’s not.  Executives in this session said communication was most important right now, with clients and employees alike. Have a baseline plan that outlines how to get more revenue and how to cut costs appropriately.  And just because the economy is down doesn’t mean you shouldn’t recognize and reward your staff. 
  • U.S.-made products versus importing. Know where your products come from.  If clients ask you where the product was made, you need to know, and you need to know if it’s safe. Interestingly, price is not the sole factor in a purchase.  Safety and the manufacturing source are very important.

Click here for the video. 

What are your thoughts? Post a comment or email me here.  I’m also on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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