|
Tuesday
August 30, 2011 Move Over, Disney WorldFiled under: Community, Members, News About ASI If you enjoy lists, there’s one to fit every bill – from Best Films and Best Restaurants all the way to Best Lunchboxes and Best Blogs. But one of the most prestigious for our industry is Counselor‘s annual Best Places to Work, a compilation of the happiest, hippest workplaces. All told, Counselor honored 85 ad specialty companies, with Seaena, a Las Vegas-based supplier that creates laser crystal promotional products, scoring the No. 1 spot. How hip is Seaena (asi/47782)? When three Counselor editors hit Vegas during their cross-country tour of cool companies, they were greeted by a Seaena sales rep dressed in full showgirl regalia, blue-feather headdress and all, toting an Elvis costume and driving a convertible mini cooper down the Sunset Strip. There’s no doubt Seaena is a hoot-and-holler kind of place, To see videos, picture galleries and blogs from the 2011 Best Places to Work road trip, click here. To see all 85 companies on the list, click here. To read more about those companies, click here. And for a special Best Places to Work Facebook page, where each week a different company on the list is profiled, click here. Let me know what qualities you think make a good company great by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
August 25, 2011 Let the Countdown BeginFiled under: Members, News About ASI, Research Everyone has their own definition of what makes a great place to work. For some, it’s salary all the way. For others, it’s great benefits or a fun corporate culture. To learn what rates in our industry, Counselor magazine conducts an annual Best Places to Work survey. And starting today, you can check out the countdown of the top 85 companies employees deemed “best.” Every day we’ll reveal another set of companies on the list, leading up to the big No. 1 “reveal” on Monday. To check out the countdown, visit the home page of ASI’s website. How’d we do it? A total of more than 4,000 employees answered an in-depth survey conducted by outside research firm Quantum Workplace. Counselor Editor Andy Cohen said three themes run through the 85 companies that made the list: teamwork, recognition and fun. Inside Counselor, which should hit your mailbox soon, you’ll discover story after story of winning corporate cultures that benefit employees, customers and the bottom line. As Andy says, “The employees and management are so engaged – not just with their jobs, but with the whole organization – that they’re willing to do anything for customers. Roles are defined, but those roles are meant to be broken – always for the betterment of the company.” While researching for the Best Places to Work issue, three Counselor editors drove cross-country in a rented SUV visiting a number of top companies and no doubt keeping an eye out for America’s craziest roadside attractions. To see videos, picture galleries and blogs by Melinda Ligos, Andy Cohen and Joe Haley, click here. What do you think makes a superior place to work? Let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
July 22, 2011 It’s a WrapFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties The heat wave followed us home from the Midwest, but we’re trying to stay cool with a final wrap-up from a very successful show in Chicago. Total distributor attendance was 4,500 – up 9% from last year – from 1,930 distributor firms. The show generated a ton of positive feedback, and I’d like to thank everyone who tweeted about our events and their show floor experiences. NBC in Chicago sent two reporters to the convention center and from the looks of it, they had a great time. Click here to see the story and dozens of pics from the show floor, featuring numerous products along with video demonstrations and an interview with Counselor senior writer Dave Vagnoni. NBC posted everything to its business website Inc.Well, a how-to blog for Chicago business. Speaking of products, click here to check out my latest hot products video, featuring three great items for the fourth-quarter selling season: a gigantic fortune cookie from Good Fortunes (asi/57689), a vinola from Logomark (asi/67866) and a heart-shaped mirror from Hirsch Gifts (asi/61005). And if you missed former NFL coach Mike Ditka (at right), click here for a recap of his keynote. We also enjoyed a terrific reception and “pinning” ceremony in Chicago for recipients of our gold standard education certificates: Bachelor and Masters of Advertising Specialty Information. Click here for a recap and interview with Melinda Ligos, our senior VP of professional development. We now have 7,000 people registered for classes and working toward their certification. Let me know what you learned at the ASI Chicago show by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
July 21, 2011 Hot City, Cool ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI We just ended ASI Chicago, the final show of the 2011 season, and I’m happy to report significant growth in total attendance for the three-day event. In addition, we attracted a record number of pros to a full slate of educational offerings and everyone enjoyed the keynote by sports legend Mike Ditka and two swinging parties – including the Counselor Hot Party. Yeah, it was steaming hot outside, but distributors escaped record high temps by discovering cool, new ad specialty products at the largest show of the summer, which took place Tuesday through Thursday at McCormick Place. The show featured 700 exhibitor companies, up 10% from 2010 – including many Counselor Top 40 suppliers. All told, total distributor attendance was 4,500 – up 9% from last year – from 1,930 distributor firms. I was really happy to hear exhibitors praise the quality and professionalism of distributors, which means we grew attendance without reducing the quality of attendees we attracted. Click here for photos from the show. And for a complete listing of the 35 distributors and suppliers on the Counselor Hot List, click here. The keynote by former NFL coach Mike Ditka was exceptional. A packed house learned how to “ACE” their bottom line with “Attitude, Character and Enthusiasm” from one of the most motivational figures ever to play and coach in the NFL. Ditka talked about everything from his views on football to how business leaders can motivate their employees. He was also nice enough to stay for an extended question-and-answer period. Click here to watch an ASI TV video with reactions from attendees. We’re not done yet! Register now for the ASI Holiday Preview shows hitting Los Angeles September 23, Toronto September 27, Atlanta October 18 and Philadelphia October 26. The one-day tabletop event features two hours of education, with show hours from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., followed by a closing reception from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. And it’s never too early to start thinking about the 2012 ASI Shows in Orlando (January 16-18), Dallas (February 1-3), San Diego (April 2-4), New York (May 8-10) and Chicago (July 17-19). As always, to learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2012, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. If you were at the show, let me know your favorite part – and anything we might improve upon, by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
July 20, 2011 How Tweet It IsFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI ASI education surveys show social networking is as hot as, well, the thermostat in Chicago, which is expected to hit 98 today. So we weren’t surprised a packed house attended a power panel in ASI’s new Social Media education track. Afterward, I caught up with marketing and sales expert Brad White, VP of sales for Top 40 distributor Boundless Network. When I asked him for the biggest mistake most people make when it comes to social media marketing, he said it’s proceeding without goals or strategy. Social networking should be an integral part of any company’s overall marketing plan. Click here for a Tim’s Take of my interview with Brad. When I asked Brad for the best way to gauge the effectiveness In addition, of course, there are a ton of analytics and data to get numbers on a spreadsheet, but the bottom line really does come down to profits and revenue. We’re having a great time in Chicago. To see the action for yourself, click here to check out the photos from the first two days of the show, which ends Thursday. I hope you also got a chance to see the video demo of ASI SmartSales, a high-tech sales and marketing tool to help distributors and decorators close more sales and increase profits with modules dedicated to sales management, marketing campaigns and revenue-generating capabilities. Click here to watch the video. And while you’re at it, check out a New York Times blog post on “The Surprising Power of Promotional Products,” which offers up a fine assessment of the industry. Let me know what you think of the show, and please share your best social networking tactics by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
July 19, 2011 It’s a Heckuva TownFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI ASI is out in full force in Chicago for the last show of the 2011 season. The industry’s biggest event of the summer started off with a full day of education Tuesday, and it’s full steam ahead through Thursday at McCormick Place. If you’re with us in Chicago, I hope you’re taking advantage of our new Take Five Live campaign – which allows anyone working toward their BASI certificate to fulfill live course requirements at just one ASI Show and complete the rest of their requirements online. Wednesday, we’re making another big announcement regarding our new technology platform with tech giant Oracle, so stay tuned for more details. Wednesday night, everyone’s hitting the Enclave Nightclub for a party co-sponsored by Buztronics, asi/42963; California Tattoo, asi/43530; Prime Resources, asi/79530; Price Chopper, asi/79500 and SnugZ USA, asi/88060. Without pausing to breathe, we’re then heading straight to Counselor magazine’s annual Hot Party, where we’ll name the industry’s hottest trendsetters. We’ll have photos of all the action on ASI’s website, http://www.asicentral.com/. If that’s not enough, sports legend Mike Ditka gives the show’s keynote (co-sponsored by BamBams, asi/38228, Express-A-Button, asi/53408 and Showdown Displays, asi/87188). Join us to learn how to “ace” your bottom line with “Attitude, Character and Enthusiasm” from one of the most motivational figures in the NFL today. If you’re at the show, let me know what you’re looking forward to the most by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
June 27, 2011 Crazy, Hazy Days of SummerFiled under: Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties I love learning about new crazes. It gives me something to talk about at a party or while stuck in line at the DMV. Recently, Joe “The Joe Show” Haley turned me on to disc golf, which is a game played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc. The object is to complete each hole in the fewest number of throws, instead of strokes. Joe discovered this newest sports fad sweeping college campuses and the burbs while researching products for our annual list of sizzling summer products. Par One (asi/75912) makes the discs, which come with a great grip and a large imprint area to promote everything from beach resorts and golf outings to company picnics and swim clubs. Since there are just 92 days in summer, I’m sure you’re working hard to take advantage of every one. If you have any products you think we should feature, send on a sample to Joe here at ASI. You never know when it’ll hit a list like the one below. The Top 10 List of Sizzling Summer Products:
Click here to watch a Joe Show demo of the products. Click here for more photos and complete product descriptions. And if you have any super summer promotions planned, post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
but that fun never stands in the way of profits. The company has grown its revenues by double digits in the past year and attributes the company’s teamwork-oriented atmosphere to its recent success.
of social marketing, he gave a surprisingly simple but spot-on answer: “The best measurement is how much money you make.”
