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Thursday
June 2, 2011 Congrats to ASI’s Super Sales TeamFiled under: Community, News About ASI A great sales rep knows there’s more to making a sale than offering a good product at a fair price. Sales is an art, and true practitioners are experts in their chosen field. We’ve got a staff chock-full of those experts here at ASI. And like most of us, they usually toil day to day, sale to sale, largely unrecognized for the efforts they make on behalf of their clients and this company. But this week, 18 of our super sales reps were recognized as the Magazine Sales Team of the Year during a big, splashy ceremony in New York City. Min’s, the most trusted publishing source in the consumer and B2B magazine business, selected ASI’s team in the industry’s premier sales awards competition, which honors the most successful and innovative sales professionals in magazine media. The competition was stiff, to say the least. ASI’s supplier sales team was up against sales teams from big shots like People – and they still walked away winners, scoring along with teams from NextStepU magazine and The Parents Network. How’d they win it? By combining financial motivation and friendly competition, listening to clients and delivering incomparable products without discounts. The team – headed by ASI publisher Rich Fairfield – sweetened each deal with unsurpassed personal service that included one-to-one sales consultations and marketing support. So please join me in congratulating everyone on the team (pictured above) and sharing in their victory. Winning team members are: Dan Dienna, Jeannine Garrison, Ed Koehler, Chris Lovell, Barry Melito, Phyllis Mutnick, Jim Padilla, Suzanne Rozick, Mary Sells, Christopher Glowacki, Sean McGuigan, Suzanne Izzo, Krista Taylor, Jason Krenzel, Matt Canamucio, Pamela Vicik-Smith, Gene Rahill, Rich Fairfield, Cindi Mann, Vince Deissroth and Brian White. That’s not all. At the same time, I’d like to congratulate our marketing team for recently winning a 2011 Communicator Award from the International Academy of Visual Arts for ESP’s “Meet Your Rep” campaign. And! ASI’s press kit just won a Gold Hermes Award and our Promo Man publicity campaign won a Platinum Hermes Award during a competition hosted by the International Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. You can bet we’ll be drinking lots of Champagne this week here at the office. Let me know what you think makes the difference between good and great by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
May 5, 2011 We Got HimFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Using Ad Specialties One thing our industry does exceptionally well is jump on breaking waves and ride them right to shore. This week, companies like Northwest Embroidery in Washington state did just that. Northwest sprang into action within hours of bin Laden’s death to embroider Navy SEAL Team 6 hats and get them up on their website. The company knew Sunday’s feat by the elite military squad would fuel interest in all things patriotic. So did Matt Quinn, owner of Quinn Flags and Banners in Hanover, Pennsylvania, whose phones started ringing Monday morning. Quinn says his sales increased about 400% this week – and that his company was ready to meet all comers. “We have over 3 million flags in stock today and more are being produced daily,” says Quinn (asi/80228). Other popular items include decorative pleated fans, patriotic bunting and American stick flags imprinted with a client’s name or website. Gill Studios (asi/56950) of Kansas, has five new stock design bumper stickers and a ribbon magnet along with American flags – and 10% of proceeds from the sales of these items will be donated to a very good cause, the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit that aids injured service men and women of this generation. Did your company see a spike in sales of patriotic items – or produce anything Osama-related? Pinata Casa, a Texas promo products company (asi/73969) that offers 4-foot-tall piñatas (perfect for Cinco de Mayo promotions!), sold more $50 bin Laden piñatas in the last few days than they’ve sold in the last year. “Osama is one of our most popular piñatas,” Gerald Zhou told us. Sometimes, it really is all about timing and knowing when to strike when the iron is hot. Just like the Navy SEALs did. I’d never heard of SEAL Team 6 until Sunday, but according to the New York Times, SEALs – which stands for Sea-Air-Land teams – were created by JFK in 1962 as a way to expand unconventional warfare. Their specialty is using lethal force intelligently in the most dangerous missions on earth. The “elite of the elite” are the guys who parachute from 30,000 feet with oxygen masks to take back hijacked cruise liners – the guys who jump from Black Hawk helicopters in the dead of night to find and dispatch Public Enemy No. 1 in all of 40 minutes. Incredible. Let me know if your company did anything special this week by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
March 24, 2011 NYC Show Ends on High NoteFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties ASI just wrapped its New York City trade show and I’m pleased to announce an increase in distributor firms of 4% over last year. Like an army of dedicated mail carriers, 2,400 distributors from 16 countries braved unseasonably cold weather and surprising spring sleet and slush to head to the Javits Center this week. One of my favorite events was Thursday’s speed-networking session – the industry’s biggest. Click here for my Tim’s Take on the session and an interview with ASI’s professional development manager, Dana Reaume (pictured below). How many of you hate getting your photo taken because it never looks professional enough? We hear you, which is why we set up the ASI Social Networking Booth, where a professional photographer will take your photo for use on all your social media sites. Perfect for your Facebook page. So far, nearly 500 members have taken advantage of this free service. If you missed it at the New York show, don’t worry. We’ll be in San Diego, May 18-20, and in Chicago, July 19-21. I promise you, it’s a snap. Click here to take a look. The New York show is always one of my favorites because I worked in the city for so many years and it always feels like going home. I love seeing old friends and checking out all the innovative new products. This year, we saw thousands of items showcased by 350 suppliers, including more than 100 exhibitors who weren’t in New York last year. We got tons of positive feedback from suppliers and distributors who were excited by steady traffic during the two exhibition days. Jeremy Rich from Debco (asi/48885) heard great things about the 75 new products his company exhibited and Lindsay Mortensen from SnugZ USA (asi/88060) described the show as a good mix of quality and quantity. Distributor Gary Goodhart from AIA Corporation (asi/109480) said they bring sales reps in from all over. “They really benefit from the great education,” he said, “meeting with suppliers and seeing everything that’s new for the year.” Let me know what kind of show experience you had and if you have any suggestions for next year by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
March 7, 2011 Ready, Set, ResearchFiled under: Community, Guest Blog, News About ASI, Research Each year, ASI conducts the most comprehensive and important research about our industry to create the Counselor State of the Industry report. But we can’t do it without you. All we ask is that you take 10 minutes to complete a survey. And you could win some great prizes just for participating. There are distributor winners chosen at random for prizes totaling $1,500 in Master Card gift cards, and suppliers can win one of three full-page ads in an ASI publication of their choice. Why is the survey important? Because of the in-depth reporting each year on key sales, marketing and operational metrics used every day by industry practitioners. Nowhere else do you get the scope of this detailed information about our industry. And it’s free to ASI members. If Thanks so much for taking the time to help the industry gather this important research. If you have any questions, please shoot me an email. – Larry Basinait, executive director of research services
Friday
February 18, 2011 Dallas Show Sets RecordFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI I’m very pleased to share the news that our Dallas show attracted nearly 3,600 distributors, an increase of 8.6% from last year, representing 1,545 distributor firms, up 10.5% – and a new record. In addition to education and 500 exhibitors, the three-day event featured a keynote by first lady Laura W. Bush, who addressed nearly 600, a record keynote attendance. Mrs. Bush also hosted an intimate cocktail and lunch reception during the 2nd Annual ASI Women’s Summit. From among 30 finalists, the summit included the first-ever “Top Women to Watch in the Advertising Specialty Industry” Awards ceremony. In this pic, Mrs. Bush graciously poses with some of the women in attendance. We got lots of great feedback from the show. Kristina Fredericks from Moderne Glass (asi/71920) said the traffic was strong. “We’ve received a lot of great leads and sample requests and are putting together a number of programs. It’s been a fabulous show and we’re very pleased.” Lori Bauer from Norwood BIC Graphic (asi/40480) agreed. “Distributors are excited for the new sales year. We are seeing lots of order opportunities and business is already coming in. ASI Dallas was the perfect event to launch our latest promotion for Norwood Bags and Drinkware.” Mark Gammon from The Vernon Company (asi/351700) called the show “terrific” and said, “It’s the perfect way to kick off the new year – by seeing our preferred suppliers and discussing our clients’ needs with them.” Michael Hartney from That First Impression LLC (asi/343536) summed it all up when he said, “I’m leaving with great sales ideas.” Without a doubt, our 2011 show momentum indicates no sign of stopping as we forge ahead to the ASI Show in New York City in Tuesday, March 22, through Wednesday, March 24. Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
January 25, 2011 Orlando Attendance Soars 38% to New RecordFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Education, Members, News About ASI The doors are closed and the results are in. The ASI Show Orlando posted record-breaking attendance of more than 6,110 distributors, up 38% from last year and up 5% from the prior record. What a show! It’s clear we’re charging into 2011 pumped up by big attendance numbers and a re-energized industry. It’s also clear that ASI Orlando has developed into the leading East Coast show in January, drawing from distributors across the country. And the number of suppliers exhibiting this year is up nearly 10%, which reflects their recognition of the power of ASI Shows across the board. Suppliers tell us Orlando was one of the busiest industry shows in recent memory. We think you’ll agree that pushing the dates a few weeks later in January made a world of difference, allowing everyone time to calm down after the excitement of the holiday season. Equally as important is the economic up tick we reported today in PromoGram. There’s no doubt the industry is finally in rebound. Throughout the show – from a record-breaking Education Day through the Counselor Distributor Choice Awards, the Gala Celebration and the Michael J. Fox keynote – the feedback we’ve received has been enormously satisfying. Jason Grindall, from Graphco Line (asi/57956) said, “We saw more distributors here at ASI Orlando during the first day alone than we did during the entire PPAI show. We’re leaving with quality leads and have spent time with many wonderful people.” Mary Ellen Nichols, from supplier Bodek & Rhodes (asi/40788), loved the incredible volume of distributors and quality attendees while David Regan, from The Vernon Group (asi/351700) called the show “a great way to start the year.” We had a blast last night along with 1,700 others who attended an exclusive networking Gala Celebration at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Les Kania, from Imprinted Specialty Products (asi/23070), put it perfectly: “This is the way to go to an amusement park. The bars are open, the lines are short and the food is good. It’s a terrific evening.” Click here for full video coverage of ASI Show Orlando. Click here for pics of our fashion show. And don’t forget to register today for the ASI Show in Dallas, Wednesday, February 16-Friday, February 18, and the ASI Show in New York, Tuesday, March 22-Wednesday, March 24, at www.asishow.com. Let me know your thoughts on Orlando by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
January 25, 2011 Twisting for a Good CauseFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Media Coverage, News About ASI I haven’t danced the twist in at least 30 years, but Monday night I happily joined nearly 2,000 other hearty souls in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for twisting. The “Peppermint Twist-off” took place at our ASI Show in Orlando and it was a hoot. The twist-off was for a good cause – and made for great TV. The NBC affiliate in Orlando, WESH, ran a segment on our efforts and WKMG, the CBS affiliate, promoted it on their broadcast Monday morning. Joey Dee – nattily decked out in a brilliant red suit and shoes – led the crowd in twisting to his No. 1 hit, “Peppermint Twist.” Dressed adorably in classic ’60s “poodle” garb were Sydney and Mackenzie Cohn, the daughters of ASI Vice-Chairman Matthew Cohn. The girls, who were diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 7, co-chaired the twist-off to help raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. So far, Sydney and Mackenzie, now 11 and 9, have raised over a million dollars for the foundation. Monday, they helped raised a few thousand more. It’s remarkable how much they’ve accomplished at such a young age, especially in the face of such a sobering disease. No one knows why their immune systems went haywire and started attacking their pancreases, keeping their bodies from making insulin. Now, they live each day trying to balance their blood sugars with small machines attached to their bodies, constant blood tests, counting carbs, and insulin injections or infusions, all while trying to be regular kids. Monday, they were exactly that. Click here to watch a video of the girls discussing the twist-off and if you can, please make a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. Click here to watch a video of the twist-off. We won’t know if we broke the record until Guinness officials get back to us. But that’s really not as important as the effort everyone made to come together for a good cause – while having an awful lot of crazy fun. If you were at the twist-off, please let me know how you did by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
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