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Friday
February 26, 2010 New Full-Color Catalog Imprinting – VideoFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties “New” is the word of the week here at ASI Show San Diego. New show. New city. And a new full-color imprinting machine, featured for the first time at our catalog booth on the show floor. Click here for my interview with ASI’s Jack Flohr, catalogs marketing director, as we demonstrate how quick and easy it is to imprint full-color logos. Distributors tell us this popular new feature is already ratcheting up their sales. Every catalog you order can be imprinted and personalized with your logo and contact information in full-color any time throughout the year. Catalogs, which are great for either mailing or a leave-behind, are a perfect vehicle for distributors to promote their brand and increase traffic to their website. According to a recent ASI study of end-buyers, paper catalogs drive 93% of purchasing decisions — and 91% of the time recipients take action as a result of something they noticed in a paper catalog, with nearly half (49%) purchasing a product. Let me know how catalogs have boosted your sales by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 26, 2010 Tips for Marketing to WomenFiled under: ASI Shows, Using Ad Specialties Today, more than half of all businesses are owned by women, who make or influence 85 percent of all purchasing decisions – to the tune of $7 trillion a year by some estimates. Their favorite products? Ones that serve a dual purpose or support a good cause. Click here for my video with some tips from an education session at the ASI Show San Diego on marketing to women. I also showcased a number of great products I found at the show that women – and many men also – might enjoy, including:
And remember, every ASI Show features a women’s networking event and an education session with Promo Biz coach Rosalie Marcus. Also, register now for our first-ever Women’s Summit May 4 in conjunction with ASI Show New York, with a keynote by celebrity real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran. Which of your products are a hit with women? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 25, 2010 Educating San Diego on FOX TVFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties There’s a noticeable vibe on the show floor here at ASI San Diego, so much so that FOX 5 Click here to watch the video. And click here for photos and info about the products featured on-air, including:
Let me know your favorite products by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 25, 2010 Find Your Way to San Diego – 2 VideosFiled under: ASI Shows, Using Ad Specialties We’re here in California enjoying day two of our very first show in San Diego. More than 5,000 sunshine state distributor firms belong to the ASI network. But guess what? More than half forgo trade shows. What they’re missing is a prime opportunity, especially here at the San Diego Convention Center, where more than 300 exhibitors are ready and eager to do business. ASI TV’s Melinda Ligos interviewed me on the show floor on ways distributors can maximize their trade show experience. Tip of the Day: Spend quality time with suppliers and ask them for 3 best practices for selling their products to your clients. Watch the video: click here. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to getting from point A to point B, I’m “Old School.” Instead of a disembodied computer voice telling me where to go, I prefer checking a map – especially when I’m driving in a new city like San Diego. Luckily, Pop-Up Products (asi/68650) makes handy compact maps that provide a terrific visual snapshot of numerous cities across America. Click here to see my video showing this handy map, which your clients will love and I’m relying on to find my way to tonight’s networking bash at Stingaree Nightclub. If you’re at the show, let me know your favorite part so far by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
February 24, 2010 Hats Off to ASI Show San DiegoFiled under: ASI Shows I gotta hand it to our members. When they chose San Diego a “top choice” for a trade show, we quickly added it to our 2010 roster. Today, we kicked off our inaugural San Diego show and by all indications, it’s shaping up a winner.
Questions and answers, info and ideas flew at the education workshops at the San Diego Convention Center, where the show continues through Friday. I’m especially looking forward to the Tony Robbins motivational keynote and the gala at the Stingaree Nightclub. The joint will be jumpin’. If I had any time off the show floor, I might check out the panda cub at the San Diego Zoo or stroll along the city’s 70-mile shoreline. If you’re here with us in California, I hope to see you at one of our many networking events. If not – there’s always next year! Tell me your favorite California experiences by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 4, 2010 ASI Hits the Headlines in DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, News About ASI Our Dallas trade show – which ended Wednesday after attracting 3,300 distributors – was big news in the Lone Star State this week. The Dallas Morning News, a Pulitzer Prize winning paper with a circulation of 368,000, interviewed a number of exhibitors on the show floor and gave a terrific overview of our industry. Read the full story here. FOX4, in a four-minute segment called “Everyone loves freebies!” showcased a number of hot products in its live in-studio shoot. And NBC5 also covered the show. Click here to watch all the clips. We’re happy to report that even during a tough recession, show attendance was off just 3% from last year and up slightly from 2008. Trends show the number of firms attending is about the same as last year, but each firm is bringing slightly fewer people, reflecting downsizing from a soft economy. To read the press release, click here. In addition to education, networking and entertainment, attendees were energized in an interactive keynote presentation by ASI’s senior VP, Dale Denham, who advised attendees on how to build their brand and their business with social networking. In a very lively keynote, which I discuss in another Tim’s Take, Dale cut through the hype and showed people practical ways to benefit from social networking. The two key take-aways every salesperson can benefit from are:
Dale says the three sites distributors should pay attention to are:
Everyone loved Dale’s reference to Twitter as a place for narcissistic stalkers with ADHD, but also loved how valuable it is to salespeople. For more great tips, find Dale on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/daledenham or on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/daledenham. You can also join him at the New York show May 4-6, where he’ll once again be the keynote speaker and share incredible info on how suppliers and distributors can make money with social networking. Let me know how social networking is helping your business by posting a comment or emailing me here. Of course, I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
February 3, 2010 Hot Products and Cool Video from the Lone Star StateFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties There’s lots of action on the show floor at a packed house in Dallas this week as we preview novel new products for 2010 while applauding some consistently reliable crowd pleasers. In honor of ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn’s 40th birthday, which he celebrated in fitting style at ASI Show Dallas, we ordered a gorgeous, custom-made tapestry from Terry Town Promotional Wearables (asi/90913), imprinted with his photo. Click here to preview one of Terry Town’s 100% customizable items. In another Tim’s Take video, I recap my Hot Seat interview with Dan Townes, president and CEO of writing instrument supplier Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil Company (asi/86850). Dan told us he feels good about 2010 and the investments he’s made in his fourth-generation, family-owned company, serving customers for an astonishing 77 years. Click here for the recap. With Super Bowl just days away, I’m really excited about the sports-related party products here at the show. Click here for a round-up of products, including:
As if that wasn’t enough, we also previewed some really funky products that just might light up your Valentine’s Day. Click here for ordering info and pics of these products, and more:
Finally, check out the Tim’s Take featuring a live report on the latest machinery and the newest embroidery and imprinting technology from Hirsch International, which had decorators like Trina Banner of Creative Designs in stitches. If you’re at the show, let me know what you think by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
California is home to the largest number of distributors and suppliers so I wasn’t surprised more than 300 exhibitors – including a number of Counselor Top 40 suppliers – are attending our show, the first of the year held in the Sunshine State.
