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Thursday
October 25, 2012 Five Billion Reasons to CelebrateFiled under: News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties When it comes to the U.S. economy, it’s difficult to determine exactly where we stand – and what the future holds. While we’ve seen some signs of hope in job gains, the housing market and consumer confidence, unemployment remains high and the stock market continues to be volatile. Maybe your perspective depends on what newspaper you read or whether you tune in to Fox, CNN or MSNBC. If you’re reading industry news here on asicentral.com, I hope you were heartened by our reporting on the 4.6% year-over-year increase in sales among ASI distributor members – the 11th consecutive quarterly increase. The increase was the smallest since the industry began its rebound, to be sure, but with more than half of all distributors surveyed reporting an upsurge, $5 billion in total sales is cause for celebration, especially when many U.S. companies are releasing stagnant or falling 3Q numbers. There’s no doubt election sales are impacting industry sales, with ASI estimating total election-related ad specialty spending in 2012 hitting about $870 million by the time its all over. We derived our election estimate by comparing total promo product spending to total advertising spending in the U.S. and estimates of the total amount spent on elections this year. Not all of the promotional political products are sold through the distributor channel, of course, but nearly half of all industry distributors sell election-related items like yard signs, flyers, pins, buttons and tee shirts used by campaigns at local, state and federal levels along with special interest groups to promote their candidate or cause. What election items are paying off for your company? Any surprises? Like everyone else, I’m waiting to see how else the election and its ultimate conclusion impact our industry. A lot can change in regard to health care and taxes, all of which will impact decisions on hiring, marketing spend and capital improvements. In general, it seems companies, and their clients, are taking a wait-and-see attitude. To read the entire ASI® 3Q research report, click here. And let me know what’s happening with your business – and what you’re anticipating by year’s end – by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
October 19, 2012 Promo Products 101Filed under: Community, Education, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Pop quiz: Next time you find yourself in a group of college students who don’t know what you do for a living, ask them about promotional products. Then ask if they’ve heard about the industry in their marketing class, or if they’re considering our industry for a potential lifetime career. I’m betting you’ll get a lot of blank stares in response. If recent discussions I’ve had with distributors in Chicago and Los Angeles are any indication, just about everyone is on board with the need for more outreach to colleges and universities. We want to get young people educated and excited about this industry. Hopefully, they’ll give it the ultimate stamp of approval and brand it “cool.” To that end, ASI® recently announced a unique education initiative designed, in great part, to teach college students ways to become successful entrepreneurs as distributors in our industry. Along the way, they’ll also learn about suppliers, decorators and the ad specialty industry itself. We think it’s a great way to expand the number of new college graduates who understand the industry and, we hope, become interested in making it a career. Or at least understand the great ROI from using promotional items in the marketing programs they might create in whatever career course they might take. Right now, our industry is rarely if ever mentioned in marketing, advertising or business courses or textbooks – and I’d like to see that change. It’s a pilot program so we’ll see how it goes. Right now, it involves a single institution: Babson College, a Massachusetts school that blends top-flight business education coursework with hands-on training, online education and real-world applications. At Babson, approximately 500 first-year undergraduates enroll in a year-long course to learn how to run a business. Instructor-led groups of about 20 students each receive approximately $3,000 in seed money, which some groups will use to buy, imprint and sell promotional products during the second of two semesters. As part of our effort to introduce the industry to potential new hires, ASI is donating our time and energy, along with offering access to ESP® and ESP Websites™. Students will also be able to take courses at ASI’s Online Learning Center and further hone their business and networking skills during an on-site guided tour at our New York City show in May (featuring a keynote by Buddy Valastro, Jr., the “Cake Boss” on the hit TLC reality show). We’ve had positive feedback from several local distributors interested in speaking to or mentoring students during this trial. A couple of other people were worried about “the competition” but I think our active distributors can overcome a few kids as we build a pipeline of future industry leaders. Let me know what you think about this new initiative and if you have any suggestions by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
October 15, 2012 Calling President Romney?Filed under: ASI Shows, News About ASI, Research Honestly, I haven’t even told my closest friends how I plan to vote because I haven’t decided. I plan to watch all of the debates and continue reading everything I can until the morning of the election or I make my final call. Lots can happen between now and election day. As a rule, I don’t take sides – and neither does ASI®. As you may recall, we’ve brought in a pretty broad slate of keynote speakers to our shows, including everyone from President Bill Clinton and Democratic commentator James Carville to Gen. Colin Powell and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. Our balance sheet extends to legislation as well, so if we do come out for any one side, it’s usually on the side of efforts to protect family and small businesses and U.S. manufacturing. Since we always want to know what our members think, we’re conducting a series of industry polls on presidential preferences leading up to next month’s election. In our first one, taken in September, we found that among ASI members, Mitt Romney held a commanding 18-point lead over President Barack Obama, 57% to 39%. In the latest Gallup Poll of likely voters, Romney leads 49%-47%. Among registered voters, Obama leads 48%-46%. Like many of our members, expert economist Steve Forbes thinks American voters will “fire” President Obama and elect Romney because he and his running mate put forth positive, sustentative proposals. Forbes – an upcoming ASI Show™ keynoter – offered his take on the race among a number of other topics during a recent interview on ASI Radio. “The economy resembles a car on the open highway that should be going 70 mph, but instead is puttering along at 20-25 mph and shows signs of going at an even slower pace,” Forbes told our ASI Radio hosts and listening audience. “People don’t want more of the same. People want change.” Forbes’ interview advances a keynote on leadership lessons he’s giving January 7 at ASI Orlando. In his radio interview, he gave us a taste of what’s to come, sharing his outlook for the economy, as well as his tips for small-business success. If you missed it, click here to listen. (And click here to register for the Florida show and Forbes’ free keynote.) As many of you know, Forbes has some experience with presidential politics – a Republican, he ran twice for president. In his interview with ASI, Forbes said Romney’s first debate performance, in which he emphasized his pro-growth program and planned across-the-board cuts in income tax rates along with his pledge to clean up the tax codes, will give him the needed edge over President Obama. “Romney understands – and people grasp this more than ever before – that small and medium-sized businesses are fonts of innovation in this economy and also in job creation,” Forbes told ASI radio’s hosts and listeners. Forbes’ flagship publication, Forbes, is the nation’s leading business magazine, with a circulation of more than 900,000. The father of five is also co-author of several books, including “How Capitalism Will Save Us.” With a net worth estimated at $430 million, Forbes’ small-business tips are worth considering, starting with urging companies to become an even stronger part of the interactive Web community. Forbes entered the new media arena in 1996 with the launch of Forbes.com, which now averages 18 million unique monthly visitors. Interestingly, he predicts more companies will become content creators akin to the model presided over by companies like Procter & Gamble during the “soap opera” era of the 1950s, when companies sponsored TV shows in order to better showcase their products. “Now we’re all content creators,” said Forbes. “Businesses can no longer just put out the message – they need to interact with customers and potential customers.” In the radio interview, Forbes also said he expects that within the next generation the U.S. will become a font for manufacturing again, thanks in part to the country’s “brainpower.” “More and more manufacturing is impacted by high technology in terms of material and robotics,” he said. “It depends not just on labor costs, but on brainpower, and we’re very good on the brainpower part. Manufacturing’s changing and we’re leading it.” Be prepared for curveballs and remember your company’s purpose, he advised. “If you go forward with that mindset, you will have surprises, but if you remember what your purpose is, you’re more likely to get over these storms, which will be constant,” Forbes said. “What they say is true: You can eat well or sleep well, but you can’t do both.” P.S. ASI is conducting another industry presidential poll now, click here to cast your online ballot. And let me know what you think of Forbes’ predictions: Is he on target – or off base?
Tuesday
October 9, 2012 Where in the World is Tim Andrews?Filed under: Community, Members, News About ASI One of my favorite things to do is visit member companies and meet with smaller, more intimate groups. Over the past few weeks, it seems like I spent more time in the air than on the ground, traveling to the U.K., Chicago and L.A. I was in England for Sourcing City’s Marketplace event, which serves the U.K. promotional market. Besides the international cuisine and gorgeous English countryside, the U.K. means valuable face time with the distributor and supplier clients of Alistair Mylchreest, the CEO of Sourcing City and our partner in PromoAlliance, a new international alliance we formed with PSI to identify and introduce best practices and market development concepts benefiting the U.S., U.K. and European markets. In the photo at right, I’m pictured with PSI’s managing director, Michael Freter, left, and Alistair Mylchreest, center. They do things a little differently across the pond. For instance, only select U.K. distributors with sales in excess of 500,000 pounds are invited to the Marketplace event, held in Farnborough, England. There, they meet with suppliers during 30-minute appointments. It’s an interesting twist and provides up-close-and-personal opportunities for more in-depth discussions. I also traveled to Chicago to meet with a number of large distributors convened for an annual meeting. During business and social gatherings we discussed industry trends and challenges, the outlook for 2013 and beyond and what we all can do to strengthen the industry. Later, in Los Angeles, I met with the principals of distributors that are members of the PeerNet Group, an alliance that will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. The business discussion extended to a recreational whale-watching trip that didn’t include whales but instead hundreds (maybe thousands) of leaping dolphins. No kidding. And they really put on a show. At each gathering, I was more than impressed with the intensity of their interest in ASI and the thoughtful roundtable discussions we had about our industry. They really pressed me for answers! I was also very happy to hear that so many of these successful entrepreneurs use ESP® to help drive their business, as well as ESP Websites™ and a number of other tools. There also were discussions about expanding attendance at The ASI Shows™ and other events. Along the way I heard a ton of ideas, including the possibility of holding sales meetings at one of our upcoming ASI Power Summits (the next one is November 11-13 in Naples, Florida). By co-locating, a group or company can take advantage of two major events while saving on travel and hotel expenses. If you think this might work for your company, please let me know. This week I’m in Lewistown, Maine, to visit with Geiger (asi/202900), and after that I hope to get some home base time before heading down to Florida. I’m flying right into the New Year! Let me know where your travels brought you this summer (and beyond) by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
August 21, 2012 Into the Future with SmartLinkFiled under: News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Remember the days when you actually had to drive to a store during regular hours to buy stuff? Now we routinely traffic in e-commerce, a business reality first made possible in 1991, when the Internet opened to unrestricted commercial use. Today – unless you’re operating a lemonade stand – it’s nearly impossible to consider running a business without an online presence. But planning, designing, building and maintaining a website isn’t necessarily easy, especially when you consider the myriad of data you need in an industry like ours, with more than 700,000 products. To smooth the way, ASI® first introduced ESP Websites™, an A-to-Z guide to creating your own site. Now, ASI is taking e-commerce one important step further with the launch of ASI SmartLink™, a quick and easy business solution that supersizes any e-commerce site using ESP®, the industry’s leading product data and search engine. Searches are powered via the Internet’s leading e-commerce shopping engine – the same searching engine used by major retailers Walmart.com, Barnes & Noble and Crate and Barrel. And whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or have a website developer, ASI provides the support you need to get the job done, along with detailed and easy-to-follow documentation. For more information on ASI SmartLink, click here. And let me know what you think: Are we better off now, or do you wish you could hop in a time machine and return to the days when apple was just a fruit and the web was for spiders? Personally, I think it’s funny how some people long for the pre-computer “good old days,” as if there’s something wrong with a faster, easier way to do business. To me, it’s like longing for using an outhouse instead of a bathroom (I didn’t have a flush toilet until the 5th grade). Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
August 9, 2012 Missing Gene Cesario in Long BeachFiled under: News About ASI Last night, walking down the street here in Long Beach, where I’m attending the SAAC Show, I looked ahead and remembered a couple of years ago, in the very spot, seeing two people walking hand in hand. Theirs was a slow pace, a pace practiced through many years of walking together. As I approached them that night, I saw it was my friend Gene Cesario and his lovely and dear wife Maria. We exchanged some friendly comments about their dinner plans, how much he liked being at shows, and then, practically on cue, Gene launched into three or four ideas about ways ASI should do such-and-such to help suppliers and protect the distributor-supplier relationship he was so passionate about. Last night, Gene and Maria weren’t on that sidewalk, and I missed them. Last week, after complications from heart surgery, Gene passed away. In an industry as large as ours, with probably 400,000 people or so, it’s impossible to know everyone and impossible to comment or acknowledge every life event. But Gene Cesario really was special, and I think the nearly 50 years he devoted to helping build this industry deserves particular mention. I met Gene eight or nine years ago, just after I joined ASI, when he called to find out who was now “running that big machine up in Philadelphia.” He had lots of ideas and observations, even on the introductory call, and wasn’t hesitant to share them with the force years of authority bring but with a manner that was instructional, not preachy. He gave APS his all during the next years, calling me often to quiz me, advise me, find out how I was doing after the passing of my parents, see if I would speak at an event, tell me of his latest dustup with someone he didn’t think was doing the right thing for the industry. Gene wasn’t about himself in starting and nurturing APS, by the way. This wasn’t an ego play for a retiree with too much time on his hands. This was about real work, real goals, real accomplishment. He was an insightful, driven industry executive. Gene told me about the past, but he didn’t dwell in it. He was looking to the future, and trying to help people understand how the past could inform that vision. Gene was a true professional. I only once really heard him dress someone down in a public setting. He told them they were “full of —-.” He was right, and even the person Gene was describing agreed. He also made sure everyone’s views were heard, and didn’t hold back when he thought someone should think a little differently about an issue. We didn’t always agree, to be sure, but I never once felt he held a grudge or didn’t appreciate my viewpoint and didn’t try to at least see things through my eyes. Gene was the kind of guy who would say: “We’ll just have to disagree on this. Now, let’s get to the ballpark before the Rangers game is over! I’ll buy you a beer.” In his official 47 years in the industry, Gene received more than a dozen awards in acknowledgement of his dedication, experience – and especially his volunteer work. In honor of that service, his family suggests contributions to the Promotional Products Education Foundation (c/o Foundation Manager Sara Besley, sarab@ppai.org). Maria, whose hand Gene held for 53 years, and his three children are joined by all of us in missing a wonderful guy. Take care, Gene. Thanks for all you’ve done.
Wednesday
August 8, 2012 Remember Snow?Filed under: News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Personally, I’m not one for Christmas in July. And it bugs me that even though summer doesn’t officially end for more than a month, we’re saturated with back-to-school commercials on TV. But while I’ll stubbornly cling to my shorts and sandals, I know that in our business it pays to think ahead, making this a great time to pitch clients with holiday and thank-you items from our Gift Book® catalog. We’ve already sold over 40,000 copies of our upscale 2012-13 Gift Book, featuring an all-new digital version and three special sections. And distributors who order The Gift Book® by August 31 receive a free personalized digital version and free color imprinting. The catalog comes with a guaranteed circulation of 75,000. You know how there’s always one friend or family member who’s impossible to buy for? It’s the same way with certain clients. They’re discriminating and hard to please. Luckily, The Gift Book – ASI’s most upscale, elegant catalog – boasts an impressive collection of gifts designed to appeal to even the most sophisticated buyers. The catalog includes classic gift, food and drink and sports sections, along with quality children’s toys, custom gift cards, high-performance electronics, holiday ornaments and much more. If you can’t find it here – it probably doesn’t exist. We’ve got gifts for the home, office or playing field, including high-end products like wine sets, crystal vases, golf clubs, leather portfolios and an abundance of sweets and treats, easily divided by type, price range and product line. The Gift Book features:
According to Counselor® magazine, more industry sales occur in the fourth quarter than any other period during the year; much of it is due to end-buyers’ needs for quality items for incentives and corporate gift-giving programs. In fact, according to a recent ASI study of end-buyers, 91% of recipients have taken action as a result of something they’ve noticed in a paper catalog, with nearly half (49%) purchasing a product. To view sample pages of the 2012 The Gift Book catalog and to order online, click here. For more information, contact Dan Brown, executive director of distributor services, at dbrown@asicentral.com or at (800) 546-1350.
Let me know if you’re one of those people already done with your holiday shopping – and if I’m on your list! – by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
