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Wednesday
April 27, 2011 ASI Spreads the NewsFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, News About ASI If you were in Times Square recently, you could have looked up at one of the world’s largest digital signs and seen a 32-foot-tall ad for promo products. The ad featured a planter can with seeds and soil packet that allows users to grow herbs inside. It’s from Points of Light Inc. (asi/78825) and was among 11 eco-friendly items featured in an ASI press release we issued before Earth Day. We then posted the release headline and photo in Times Square. The 11 screens on the Reuters building that make up the “Reuters sign” (pictured, right) where they were displayed occupy more than 7,400 square feet in Times Square, which receives over 1.5 million impressions daily and annual visits by 30 million tourists. As far as advertising real estate goes, Times Square is a pretty prime piece of the pie. The release and the Times Square display are just part of the many efforts ASI makes to publicize our industry. Every month, we issue an average of six press releases, which enjoy potential circulation of 200 million cities across America, as well as Europe, India, Australia and beyond. In the last year alone, ASI and the promo products industry have been featured on TV stations in New York City, Dallas, San Diego, Chicago and Arizona. And some of you might be interested in a story that just came out in Expo magazine on show and event executives in our industry selected for the mag’s very first list of “Expo Elite.” It was an honor for me to be included on the list, but what I found most useful were the stories and strategies from other professionals. Hopefully you’ll discover some ideas for your own organization. If you have any ideas on other ways ASI might spread the news about our industry, post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
March 3, 2011 Sales Surge ContinuesFiled under: Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Research While no one is uncorking the champagne quite yet, economic indicators point to recent consumer spending surges nationwide as a sure sign we’re heading in the right direction. If I was a betting man, I’d put big money down on our industry, as ASI is now projecting 11.2% growth in 2011. ASI’s 4th quarter report and 2010 year-end analysis of distributor sales show distributors are very optimistic about 2011, particularly the largest distributors. Three-quarters (75%) of all distributors feel sales for 2011 will be higher than sales in 2010, while nearly eight in 10 larger distributors feel sales will be higher. Gregg Taft, owner of BNoticed of San Diego, California, is even more optimistic. Gregg predicts his company sales will increase by 25%-35% in 2011. He says just as his clients are investing more in promotional advertising to take advantage of the upturn, his company is likewise investing more in new processes, technology and marketing tools. So as reinvigorated clients reinvest in their brand, companies like BNoticed are more than ready to deliver the tailored promotional product solutions they need. As we’ve reported, total industry sales for 2010 were $17.4 billion, up 9.1% from 2009. And the year ended with a bang — over one-half (52%) of distributors reported an increase in the fourth quarter. We get our figures through exclusive surveys of distributor members who are the primary contact with firms that have been in business at least one year. Those surveyed include 53 of the largest players in the industry. Click here for complete survey results. What’s happening in your neck of the woods? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 18, 2011 Lights, Camera, Action from DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties We’re enjoying a terrific show in Dallas this week and if you’re not there, ASI TV is a great way to keep in touch with all the excitement. First up, a recap of my Town Hall meeting. At each show, I open the floor up to questions so we can discuss the industry’s most pressing issues and look for solutions that serve all of us. In Dallas, we tackled the rising cost of cotton, the best use of video – and more. Click here to join the action. Next, I took a look at innovative pet products, which are virtually recession-proof, according to Counselor magazine. Check out:
Click here for a purr-fect video recap. Finally, if you missed the first segment WFAA-TV broadcast from the show floor Thursday morning, check out their second interview with Promo Man by clicking here. Last night, we celebrated at the Ultimate Texas Bash at Eddie Deen’s ranch. As you can see from the photos posted here, we were definitely livin’ large. For more pics, check out www.asicentral.com. Let me know your favorite part of the Dallas show by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 17, 2011 Promo Products Star in DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Look! What’s that, up in the sky? A bird? A plane? No, wait, it’s Promo Man! And he’s flying straight to a television set near you. Promo Man – the new superhero of the promotional products industry – had his TV debut Thursday on a morning show broadcast by the ABC affiliate in Dallas. Direct from the ASI Show floor in the Dallas Convention Center, Promo Man showed off some of the hot products being showcased during this week’s Texas trade show. Promo Man’s TV appearance is all part of ASI’s on-going public relations efforts to educate end-buyers on the power of promotional products. To see the clip, click here. Reporter Wyatt Goolsby took his Instant Live 8 camera to the convention center at 4:30 a.m. to get ready for on-site cutaways throughout WFAA-TV’s 5-7 a.m. morning show. Promo Man demonstrated numerous products for the Dallas TV audience, including the ride-on beer cooler from Cruzin Cooler (asi/47747) and solar-powered briefcase from Golden Pacific (asi/55549). All in all, it was great publicity for the industry. WFAA serves the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, one of the top ten media markets in North America. I’ll keep you posted on other Promo Man appearances. For now, keep checking the skyline. If you’re at the show, let me know what you think so far by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 3, 2011 Super Bowl Means Super BucksFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI No matter who wins the Super Bowl, it’s clear one industry will emerge a winner no matter who takes home the fancy rings: the ad specialty industry. We spoke to a number of companies that are working overtime to produce everything from official Super Bowl jackets and fan-favorite foam fingers to title towels and T-shirts. We were so impressed with the massive output, we put out a press release detailing who’s doing what. It’s all part of ASI’s ongoing effort to publicize our industry to end-buyers. Click here to check out recent press coverage and to read some of our many press releases. The bottom line when it comes to major sporting events is that a big game means big bucks for promotional products companies. Jim Silver of Pittsburgh, PA-based Precision Screen Printing (asi/603946) says his company will produce 25,000 to 35,000 T-shirts by devoting two presses and 14 people over a 36-hour period. Another company in Steelers territory, All Pro Embroidery, produced about 40,000 T-shirts leading up to the game and expects to print 20,000 more if their team wins. More than 2,000 jackets are expected to be ordered online immediately following the big game. “Craftsman-style Super Bowl jackets, our most popular item, are decorated on-demand and shipped within 48 hours directly to the fan,” said Matt Gray, chief operating officer of Dunbrooke Apparel Corp. (asi/50930), a leading supplier of NFL jackets under its licensing agreement with Reebok and the National Football League. “We bring in 12-hour nightshift crews to man the 250 embroidery-machine heads and begin the process the minute the final game whistle blows.” Dallas, TX-based Purple Giraffe (asi/80086) is operating 16 hours a day to produce packaged T-shirts in the shapes of footballs, postcards and DVD cases, as well as to put Super Bowl T-shirts into Pepsi bottles. “We’ll make enough money to pay owner and general manager Jerry Jones for signage rights to the new Cowboys Stadium,” joked manager Robbie Weinberg. “Just kidding, Jerry.” In a nod to the record-breaking cold snap in Dallas, Purple Giraffe is also selling quite a few iBEANi’s (beanie caps with built-in iPod speakers). They even scored Martellus Bennett, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, pictured above, to pitch them. In addition, sports-related products provided by ASI member companies include watches from Fossil (asi/55145), a cooler shaped like a helmet from America Zebra Line (asi/35745), a helmet snack server (chips stay in the top and dip goes in the facemask) from LarLu Display-Tec (asi/66390), and oversized, logoed cowboy hats from Spirit Industries (asi/88740). “It’s great for our industry,” said Joe Durand, senior VP of LarLu (asi/66390), an officially licensed provider of the Green Bay Packers’ Titletown Towel and the Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel for Super Bowl XLV. McArthur Towel & Sports, a LarLu company, has produced the renowned yellow towels fans have waved at Pittsburgh Steelers games for the last 14 years. Recently, the company was also licensed to bring back a new version of the Green Bay Packers Title Towel. “The towel is a tremendous sponsor product with excellent visibility at sporting events,” Durand told us. McArthur will work around the clock to produce the Super Bowl XLV Trophy Towels that will be used during the on-field celebration. Let me know if your company jumped into the game by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
January 7, 2011 ESP Orders Free With ESP Web PlatformFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI “Free” has got to be one of the sweetest words in the English language. We should all hear it more often. So I’m very pleased to announce ASI now offers ESP Orders, the industry’s No. 1 ordering platform, at no charge with our revolutionary ESP Web platform. Since our initial rollout, the reviews have poured in fast and furious – along with some suggestions for improvement, which we always pay close attention to. Distributors tell us ESP Orders reduces processing time by 73% and suppliers say they’ve noticed a significant improvement in order accuracy.
Here’s what two members told us about their ESP experience: “ESP Web and Orders have cut my behind-the-desk research time and product order entry time in half, which has allowed me to spend more face time selling,” said Amanda Maxwell, president of Marketing Communications (asi/261624). “I have closed more sales with the help of ESP than I could have ever done in the past, and I no longer make rekeying mistakes because Orders does it all for me.” “ESP Web and Orders have revolutionized the way we do business,” said Craig Davidiuk, owner of Ultimate Promotions (asi/348057). “I can look up any product in a matter of seconds, create a presentation with my client’s logo on it, email it right to them and close the sale without even hanging up the phone. And, I can create purchase orders in no time. These products streamline the entire process.” If that wasn’t enough, ASI’s latest version of ESP is now up to two times faster. If you haven’t already signed up for the industry’s most complete, accurate and up-to-date supplier and product database, I have one question for you. What are you waiting for? All ESP subscribers will be upgraded at no charge at time of renewal. To see an overview of ESP Web and ESP Orders, click here. For more information and if you have any questions, please either email me or Dan O’Halloran, executive vice president, distributor services, at dohalloran@asicentral.com. To read our press release, click here. And let me know what your experience with ESP has been by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
November 24, 2010 ’Tis the Season to Shop, Spend and SendFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI, Research, Using Ad Specialties Whether you shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, give or receive, we’re hoping a business gift-giving tip sheet and the results from a recent survey on corporate spending will ring your bells. Nearly every company carefully considers what to give and how much to spend when it comes to gifts for employees and clients. According to a recent survey from ASI’s Successful Promotions magazine, this year gift cards trump cash for year-end employee gifts and bonuses, and food and drink win out for clients and customers. For complete survey results, click here. To read our press release, click here. As always, there’s no limit on creativity when it comes to passing along your company name and logo. According to a recent feature on ASI’s popular “The Joe Show” video, this year’s hottest corporate thank-you gift ideas include:
To see a product demonstration, click here. And while food remains a perennial hit, since it can be enjoyed and shared by the whole office or department, there’s no denying the increasing popularity of accessories for high-tech items and techno gifts, like charging docks with a four-port hub or a wireless USB laser pointer. Companies that want to be seen as socially responsible will send eco-friendly products made of bamboo or from recycled material. Still deciding what to give? Here are some tips that might help:
Let me know what your company is sending by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
