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Wednesday
September 9, 2009 Jay Ostrow Named Executive Director, Distributor ServicesFiled under: Community, Members, News About ASI
Jay will continue to be responsible for managing the distributor business for ASI Canada and will now also be responsible for new business development in ASI’s major account division. He has over 10 years of marketing and sales experience and joined ASI five years ago as an account manager. He’ll report to Heather DiPrato, vice president of distributor services, whom many of you know. He’s really done an impressive job expanding our relationships in the Canadian market and I look forward to having him join the major account division. Learn more about Jay in the press release: click here. Also serving clients in Canada are Fred and Leslie Oesen, vice presidents of ASI Canada, who are based in Toronto. Please join me in congratulating Jay and post a comment now.
Monday
August 31, 2009 ASI Promotes Industry on MSNBCFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI ASI publisher Rich Fairfield made like a TV star last week during a lively appearance on MSNBC’s “Your Business.” The hot topic was the proven value of using ad specialties to market your business at trade shows. As Rich and host J.J. Ramberg Click here to watch the video. They also advised companies to decide what they want to spend and to choose an item that truly reflects their business. Here are the products in the segment:
If you’re a distributor, I urge you to email the video link to your clients, so they can get more ideas for products that can help their marketing campaigns. I’d love to know what must-see products made a difference in your marketing at your last trade show so post a comment now or email me here.
Friday
August 14, 2009 Who’s HOT and Who’s NOT?Filed under: Community
Check out ASICentral’s HOT Facebook post, to see readers’ comments, interact and weigh-in. In addition to the list of hot people, hot business trends and “Objects of Hotness” in the HOT issue, what are you doing this summer that’s HOT in the industry? Post a comment now or email me here.
Thursday
August 13, 2009 SAAC and State of the IndustryFiled under: Community, Education, News About ASI, Research I participated in an industry event recently – the 2009 SAAC Show in Long Beach, California. The Specialty Advertising Association of California invited me to discuss the state of the industry before the APS Group (Advertising Products Suppliers). I shared results of our second quarter sales survey, conducted by ASI’s Larry Basinait, who takes the pulse of the industry through numerous research studies and surveys. I thought you might be interested since, not surprisingly, it shows ad specialty sales are off about 14%. The report broke down the forecast for the second half of the year by company size and it discovered something worth noting: the bigger the distributor, the more pessimistic. Of those reporting sales of less than $250,000, 26% expect sales to be higher, and 47% expect sales to be lower. Of those earning $1 million and up, 19% anticipate higher sales while 50% percent expect lower. As far as trends, the study showed that buyers want more services, like fulfillment. They also want more access to marketing program information, such as educational videos and materials beyond a product leave-behind. They want ideas on how to use promotional products, how to track ROI and how to educate their bosses, peers and colleagues. I also shared with the group recent improvements ASI has made to education – in direct response to what members are requesting. In sum, we took a great education program and made it even better, by merging it with our editorial team. You can see many of the new offerings by clicking here, including free access to the brand-new, 10-CD Distributor Success System. Tell me what you think about the current state of the industry by posting a comment now or emailing me here.
Wednesday
August 12, 2009 Who’s on the HOT List?Filed under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI
Our magazine’s editors survey the scene and showcase the hottest people and products in the industry, and this year’s issue is no exception. You’ll discover some surprises among the 40 names on the HOT people list. Are you on it? To find out, click here. It never fails to amaze me just how innovative this industry is, which is reflected in the “Objects of Hotness” section, featuring dozens of great products to sell to clients. There’s everything from a biodegradable first aid kit and basketball-shaped foam hat to poolside saddle tote bags and an iPod speaker bag with a carabiner. For the complete montage of the products, click here. If that wasn’t enough, Counselor also reports on key business trends affecting how ad specialty companies are moving forward in today’s marketplace. For instance, did you know green is the new black? Hot people and products, valuable strategies and intriguing ideas. It’s all in the issue. Also, we hope to see you in Las Vegas at the HOT Party on Wednesday, September 16, at the Christian Audigier Nightclub in Treasure Island. It’ll be a celebration of all things hot and will be happening during the new ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo. Tell me what or who you think is hot – or even what we may have missed – by posting a comment now or emailing me here.
Wednesday
July 15, 2009 Remembering Lenore GoldbergFiled under: Community, Members There are many wonderful people in this industry, but Lenore Goldberg was a very special one. This week, I join her family, friends and colleagues in mourning her passing. I met Lenore nearly four years ago, during a continuing series of discussions between SAAGNY and ASI. She was president of SAAGNY, and we quickly established a trusting relationship that meant a lot to me and, I think, to her. While we didn’t always see eye to eye, we never hesitated to pick up the phone and call each other to air our concerns, listen to other viewpoints and then resolve whatever was in the mix at the moment. When I last saw her, Lenore and I discussed life and how it sometimes seems so short — I had just lost my father — and we hugged and shared how pleased we had been to have met. Lenore, of Premiums Plus Inc. (asi/299013), located in Fort Lee, N.J., served SAAGNY in basically every role after she was elected to the board in 2000. She was director, secretary, treasurer, vice president, president-elect and president. In the formal announcement of her passing, Jonathan Riegel, president of SAAGNY, said that “Lenore set the standard for leadership and we will continue to strive to maintain that level of integrity and fair-mindedness.” I couldn’t have said it better. She was warm, straightforward, competitive and caring. In a world that sometimes seems to have too many fakes and too much fiction, Lenore was a striking example of fresh honesty wrapped inside a real charmer. She’s the kind of person you’d have as a neighbor, if you were really lucky. Lenore was a strong supporter of The SAAGNY Foundation and its many charitable events and programs and served as a Foundation Trustee. An avid golfer, Lenore was especially proud of her three holes-in-one and was the recipient of several outstanding golfer awards. The SAAGNY Foundation will be naming their annual golf outing in her memory. Donations in Lenore’s name may be made by mail to: The Melanoma Research Foundation, 170 Township Line Road, Building B, Hillsborough, NJ 08844. Acknowledgement to be sent to: Stanley Goldberg, 4 Horizon Road, St. G2, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, or through www.melanoma.org.
Tuesday
July 14, 2009 Counselor Survey Shows Higher Employee MoraleFiled under: Community, Research What is your company doing to boost morale? Counselor magazine’s second annual In fact, employees at industry firms gave such high marks to their companies this year, Counselor expanded its list from 50 top companies to 60. Our editor-in-chief, Melinda Ligos, says that while many firms have had layoffs, remaining employees feel valued and are confident in their company’s leadership. For the full list of 60 companies, read the press release here. The companies highlighted are coming up with innovative strategies for motivating their employees, such as more generous 401(k) packages and benefit plans and creative and engaging programs. One company even created a “fun time committee” that regularly plans unique corporate outings, like golf contests and local concerts. Final rankings among the top companies, including the number-one firm, will be announced in the September issue of Counselor, where you can learn what ideas leading industry employers are putting into motion to increase staff retention, satisfaction, productivity, creativity and sales performance. Let me know how your company is trying to boost morale – post a comment on the blog or email me here. |
Best Places to Work survey indicates higher morale at industry firms. Interesting, considering the difficult economic times.