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Thursday
May 10, 2012 Honoring The 2012 Counselor Award WinnersFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI If you Kevin Lyons-Tarr, president of 4imprint (asi/197045), was honored as Counselor magazine’s Person of the Year for, among many other things, growing his company 18% last year and more than 30% over the past four years. At a black-tie gala at Cipriani restaurant in Manhattan, we also unveiled this year’s Counselor’s Top 40. On the supplier side, Broder Bros. (asi/42090) takes over the top spot on the list, after an increase of more than 30% in sales last year. Click here to view the supplier Top 40 list. And, for distributors, Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601) remains the largest company in the industry, with BDA (asi/137616) and Proforma (asi/300094) rounding out the top three spots on the list. Click here to see the complete 2012 Top 40 distributor rankings. In addition, we also honored Ash City’s (asi/37143) Garry Hurvitz for International Person of the Year, Activate’s (asi/141964) Fred Parker for Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year, BamBams’ (asi/38228) Dan Taylor for Supplier Entrepreneur of the Year, Overture’s (asi/288473) Heather Sanderson for Distributor Woman of Distinction and Leed’s (asi/66887) Sharon Willochell for Supplier Woman of Distinction. Go to www.CounselorMag.com for pictures and videos from the Counselor Awards ceremony, and for more information on all of the award winners. Last night we also marked another very special occasion: the 50th anniversary of the Cohn family’s leadership of ASI. In addition to Norman Cohn, our amazing chairman of the board, and his lovely wife Suzanne, we were joined by the family members pictured with me at right. All in all, it was an incredible night.
Wednesday
May 9, 2012 Tweet This: ASI Hosts Randi ZuckerbergFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI We’re thrilled social media expert and entrepreneur Randi Zuckerberg is the keynote speaker at the ASI Show in NYC Thursday at 8:45 a.m. I’m sure she’ll help everyone in the audience better promote their business by tapping into every new social media tool available. Long known as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s sister, Randi’s really come into her own since leaving the company and forming her own enterprise, R to Z Media. Zuckerberg also recently signed as an executive producer for a new reality show about Silicon Valley entrepreneurs on Bravo. Zuckerberg, named No. 45 on the Hollywood Reporter’s list of “Digital Power Players,” will speak on “Social Change Through Social Media: How the Web Changes the Way We Live, Vote, Organize and Work.” I’m most interested in what she has to say about ways today’s politicians are using social media to garner votes. As you may have heard, Facebook is using its considerable power for good, launching a new initiative to get more organ donors registered in order to help the more than 114,000 people in the US waiting for lifesaving heart, kidney or liver transplants. Click here to see how Facebook is using its site to get out the word. Here in NY, a Port Jefferson distributor, Hal Kramer, of HDK Enterprises, Inc. (asi/216795), gave us a ton of info on his efforts on behalf of the NY Organ Donor’s Network, the second-largest of the nation’s 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations. His group is trying to get people to better understand the critical need for donated organs, eyes and tissues. One donor, he says, can save up to eight people, but on average, 18 people die every day for the want of an organ transplant. You can find out more at: www.nyhealth.gov/donatelife. Are you an organ donor? Let me know by posting a comment. And if you catch Randi’s keynote, please share the best tip you heard.
Monday
May 7, 2012 Big Show in the Big AppleFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, News About ASI This week, we’re in New York City for our next-to-last show of the season. The schedule is packed and best of all, we’re unveiling a few surprises. The show is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Javits Convention Center on the city’s West Side, a few blocks from the Hudson River and close to Penn Station, the theater district and Restaurant Row. If you’re attending the show and have some time to take in some sights, I highly recommend a jaunt to the city’s newest and most interesting park – the High Line, built on an historic, elevated freight line snaking from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues – right near the convention center. Tuesday at the show is, of course, a full day of education (sponsored by Fields Mfg., asi/54100), including a slate of seminars and workshops offering credit toward the ASI® Certification Program. Wednesday and Thursday are exhibit days, and we’re expecting a packed show floor both days. There’s bound to be nonstop networking, buying, selling, connecting and learning along every aisle. Be sure to stop by the ASI booths to check out the upcoming ESP Websites™ and to visit our all-day launch party in the main booth. And if you haven’t already, get a live demo of ESP Mobile™ and activate your free license. Wednesday night, I’m heading to the black-tie Counselor® Awards – the industry’s most prestigious and anticipated awards event – being held this year at Cipriani 42nd Street restaurant. We’ll honor the 2012 Person of the Year and International Person of the Year while applauding a number of other important industry movers and shakers. Throughout the show, you can check out all the news right here at www.asicentral.com, where we’ll post photos, videos and the 2012 list of Top 40 distributors and suppliers. After a long night of dancing and mingling, I know I’ll be dragging a bit on my way to our 8:45 a.m. keynote by marketing czar Randi Zuckerberg, who recently lit up the blogosphere with news about her upcoming reality show featuring Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Randi – the sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg – is a social media leader in her own right, and I can’t wait to hear her tips on best using all the Web has to offer. Make sure you follow her on Twitter – she never fails to amuse and inform. And it’s never too early to register for ASI Chicago (July 17-19) at www.asishow.com. To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. If you’re at the show, please look for me to say hello and let me know how your business is faring this year. Or post a comment or e-mail me. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
April 26, 2012 Q1 Revenues JumpFiled under: Community, News About ASI As we steam toward the second half of the year, it’s a great time to give a shout-out to the positive results touted in ASI®’s most recent quarterly sales report, showing distributors increased their revenues in Q1 2012 by 6.7% over Q1 2011. Click here to read the full report. And if you need even more evidence the economy has finally turned a corner, check out a CNBC report that says the European debt crisis could actually provide a much-needed lift for American manufacturers. The report goes on to say earnings for large companies like 3M and United Technologies shone in Q1, thanks in good part to bustling domestic business and some shield from the foreign turmoil. Friday, the U.S. government releases its initial GDP estimate for Q1, with economists expecting a gain of about 2.6%. As they say, a rising tide lifts all ships. ASI’s own Quarterly Sales Report measured sales results of industry distributors from January 1 through March 31. The good news for this industry is that distributors in the ad specialty market increased their overall revenues by $247 million in Q1, marking the ninth straight quarterly increase. Hard to believe, but the last time the industry’s distributors faced decreasing sales was in the fourth quarter of 2009. The dark days of 2008 recede farther and farther away with every quarter. Further, the distributors surveyed – representing a cross section of companies of all sizes – also have positive outlooks for full-year 2012. More than three-quarters (78%) of all distributors feel sales for 2012 will be higher than sales in 2011, with even more large companies expecting gains – in fact, 83% of distributors with more than $1 million in sales say they’re forecasting revenue growth for the remainder of 2012, when compared to full-year 2011. In contrast to previous quarters, though, small distributors (annual revenue less than $250,000) showed impressive gains in the first quarter of 2012. These firms increased their sales by 6.8% in Q1, after gains of less than 3.5% for each of the previous four quarters. Mid-size distributors (revenues between $250,000 and $1 million) increased their revenues by 6.2% in Q1 2012, and large distributors (sales more than $1 million) grew by 7.1%. Tweet that! Let me know how your sales are coming along this year by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
April 25, 2012 Get Your Free, Extra ESP LicenseFiled under: Industry Initiatives, News About ASI In 1964, the great R&B singer Sam Cooke sang “The Best Things in Life are Free,” live at the Copa. The moon, the stars, flowers in spring – all free. To that list, I’m happy to add a free, extra ESP® license for members subscribed to the ad specialty industry’s largest and most accurate product sourcing tool. The additional license gives subscribers access to the entire ESP platform – Web, Online and Mobile – allowing users to take advantage of all ESP benefits, including:
A free, extra license can go a long way toward helping satisfy your sales needs while providing direct access to every product in the ESP platform. Current ESP customers can get their extra, free license by visiting www.asicentral.com/plusone (excluding those with program pricing). New customers are eligible to buy ESP and get their additional license by visiting www.asicentral.com/espweb or by contacting their ASI account executive at 1(800) 546-1350. And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to download ESP Mobile™ for the iPhone and iPad devices from the Apple App Store. For all you Droidsters, ESP Mobile for Android users will soon be available in the Android Play Store. Finally, if Sam Cooke put you in the mood for some more good music, check out R. Kelly’s version of the Cooke classic here. It’s free too! Let me know what the best thing you got for free recently was by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
April 16, 2012 Media File: Big, Bigger, BestFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Sometimes, bigger is definitely better. Roller coasters, sales commissions, even juicy hamburgers – they’re all better bigger. To that list you can add 2012 Media File, the world’s largest promotional products catalog. This hardcover catalog is such an essential sales tool that we’ve already pre-sold 65% of all available copies. This year’s edition – incredibly, our 57th – contains thousands of products from hundreds of suppliers (including 49 new suppliers) in all price ranges, along with promotional planning guides and end-buyer case studies perfect to take along to your next sales call. Price and product indexes make it easy to choose products to suit any client’s budget. In addition, the 2012 Media File comes packed with ASI’s End Buyer Catalog Study facts to help prove the enduring ROI of ad specialties. But what really sets Media File apart are the products – everything from customized playing cards, colorful drinkware and cool USB flash drives to unique athletic souvenirs, awesome executive gifts, go-green items and even prize wheels, along with favorite campaign standards. It’s big, it’s undeniably beautiful and it’s selling fast. You can order yours online by clicking here. If you have any questions or want to discuss special offers, contact Dan Brown, ASI’s executive director of distributor services, at dbrown@asicentral.com or at 800-546-1365. And remember, selling through catalogs continues to be an effective marketing medium for distributors and suppliers. ASI studies show over 86% of active distributors declare catalogs to be important or even essential for generating sales. As we prepare to head to the Big Apple for our New York show, I want to share one last Tim’s Take video from San Diego. We shot this right after the Michael J. Fox keynote, which inspired an audience of about 500. I was particularly moved by his message of hope in the face of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, as my mom lived with the disease for over 35 years. If you haven’t already, please check out his foundation’s website and see the incredible things they’ve accomplished in their search for a cure. April, by the way, is Parkinson’s Awareness month. In California, I also checked out some fun products like a spinning dragonfly (at right) from Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125), colorful stress relievers from Target Line (asi/90640) and Rubik’s cubes from Prime Line (asi/79530). Click here to watch. And let me know what fun, funky ad specialty is your current favorite by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
April 10, 2012 Lights, Camera, Ad SpecialtiesFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI Scores of reporters were drawn to ASI’s recent San Diego show, resulting in a ton of great press for the industry. One TV reporter called the show “the coolest convention of the year” thanks to the creativity and ingenuity on display. The TV reports and newspaper stories provided a strong showcase for the power of promotional products, along with terrific exposure for a number of companies, including BamBams (asi/38228), All-In-One (asi/34256), Pingline (asi/78137), Alight Promotional Products (asi/34194), Panther Vision (asi/75825), Outdoor Cap Co. (asi/75420), Yanlee Trading Co. (asi/98766), CleggPromo (asi/45450), PopOut Products (asi/68650) and A Plus Wine Designs (asi/30223). Reporters interviewed numerous people at the show, including Brett Gent of Openers Plus (asi/63073), Jeff Grippando of WorkflowOne (asi/333647) and Carl VanderSchuit of LiteFx (asi/67740). I hope they enjoyed their time in the media spotlight! ASI’s Dave Vagnoni was on hand to expertly guide the news crews through the trade show maze, show off products to the viewing audience and discuss the amazing ROI of our $18.5 billion industry – a number that really impressed the media. If you haven’t already, check out the coverage:
For all of ASI’s press coverage, visit our press page here. FYI, we hate the use of the word “swag” too but we can’t control what the press says – as hard as we try. Let me know what you think of the coverage by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
