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Thursday
June 2, 2011 Congrats to ASI’s Super Sales TeamFiled under: Community, News About ASI A great sales rep knows there’s more to making a sale than offering a good product at a fair price. Sales is an art, and true practitioners are experts in their chosen field. We’ve got a staff chock-full of those experts here at ASI. And like most of us, they usually toil day to day, sale to sale, largely unrecognized for the efforts they make on behalf of their clients and this company. But this week, 18 of our super sales reps were recognized as the Magazine Sales Team of the Year during a big, splashy ceremony in New York City. Min’s, the most trusted publishing source in the consumer and B2B magazine business, selected ASI’s team in the industry’s premier sales awards competition, which honors the most successful and innovative sales professionals in magazine media. The competition was stiff, to say the least. ASI’s supplier sales team was up against sales teams from big shots like People – and they still walked away winners, scoring along with teams from NextStepU magazine and The Parents Network. How’d they win it? By combining financial motivation and friendly competition, listening to clients and delivering incomparable products without discounts. The team – headed by ASI publisher Rich Fairfield – sweetened each deal with unsurpassed personal service that included one-to-one sales consultations and marketing support. So please join me in congratulating everyone on the team (pictured above) and sharing in their victory. Winning team members are: Dan Dienna, Jeannine Garrison, Ed Koehler, Chris Lovell, Barry Melito, Phyllis Mutnick, Jim Padilla, Suzanne Rozick, Mary Sells, Christopher Glowacki, Sean McGuigan, Suzanne Izzo, Krista Taylor, Jason Krenzel, Matt Canamucio, Pamela Vicik-Smith, Gene Rahill, Rich Fairfield, Cindi Mann, Vince Deissroth and Brian White. That’s not all. At the same time, I’d like to congratulate our marketing team for recently winning a 2011 Communicator Award from the International Academy of Visual Arts for ESP’s “Meet Your Rep” campaign. And! ASI’s press kit just won a Gold Hermes Award and our Promo Man publicity campaign won a Platinum Hermes Award during a competition hosted by the International Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. You can bet we’ll be drinking lots of Champagne this week here at the office. Let me know what you think makes the difference between good and great by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
June 2, 2011 Keep in Constant ContactFiled under: Member Benefits, News About ASI ASI is always on the lookout for new ways to help members become more effective marketing machines. This week, we announced a new benefit that will help companies do just that. Constant Contact Inc., a trusted marketing adviser to more than 450,000 small organizations, will supply even more ammunition to companies looking for the best ways to get out their message. The company, launched in 1998, supplies leading email marketing, online survey and event marketing tools – supported by expert personal coaching and support – to help all types of small businesses and organizations create professional-looking email newsletters and insightful online surveys. The goal is to connect and establish meaningful dialogue with customers. With Constant Contact, even small companies have access to the latest industry information and education to help them learn email marketing and online survey best practices. Plus, they benefit from Constant Contact’s high email deliverability rates. The company’s online marketing tools include:
If you need any more info contact Karyn Coates, ASI’s director of member benefits, at kcoates@asicentral.com or 215-953-3312. Let me know what you think of our latest benefit by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
May 27, 2011 Stay Hungry, Stay FoolishFiled under: News About ASI, Research, Using Ad Specialties As recent college grads set off on their quest to become masters of the universe, I’d like to pass along some tidbits from a 2005 commencement address given by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at Stanford University. Jobs, now worth about $5.5 billion, never graduated from college. He started Apple from his parents’ garage when he was 20 and by following the self-imposed mantras below, became one of the greatest American success stories of all time:
Great advice for grads now entering the working world. Lucky for them, hiring is finally on the rise, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). For the first time since 2007, employers report a double-digit increase in their spring hiring projections, the NACE reports. ASI’s crack research team got to thinking about the job fairs those grads are hitting, hopes in one hand, diploma in the other. And so we surveyed HR pros about ways they’re using promo products in their search for new talent. Results of the new survey found 56% of responding HR staffers say promo products imprinted with a company’s name or logo convey a positive image when distributed during job fairs and other recruiting efforts. Of those surveyed, 55% choose pens and 41% use logoed items like T-shirts, calendars and high-tech accessories in conjunction with hiring. We spoke to an HR expert about what else companies can do to grab the best grads’ attention, and she said to think creatively – and think geek, employing technology like QR Codes on event giveaways for tracking and analytics. Hand out unusual and useful branded items like an iPhone cover to drive word-of-mouth conversation and branding exposure, says Jessica Miller-Merrell, CEO of Xceptional HR. Be original, interesting, useful and, if at all possible, interactive. When Jobs closed his commencement address, he gave the grads one last bit of advice, which stayed with him after he spotted it on a Whole Earth catalog in the 1970s. Above a photo of an early morning country road on the final catalog’s back cover, it read “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” Those are words to the wise, no matter what your age or position. If you heard any sound advice from college speakers this year, let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
May 23, 2011 Here Comes the SunFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties What better place than California to check out cool new promo products for summer fun in the sun? In my final Tim’s Take video of the San Diego show, I preview several products from ASI members, including a suncare kit, surfboard-shaped towel, sunscreen face stick, beach ball, personal fan and mister. The show itself attracted 2,100 distributors (up 7% from last year) and 375 exhibitors to the gorgeous San Diego Convention Center. As we reach 2011’s midpoint, it’s clear everyone is feeling optimistic and excited about the rest of the year. If you missed any of the action, go to www.asicentral.com for all the news and videos. Here’s a roundup of jazzy summertime products:
Click here for video of all the products. Let me know what products caught your eye this season by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. And don’t forget to register today for the next ASI Show in Chicago, July 19-21, at www.asishow.com.
Friday
May 20, 2011 On the Air with ASIFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties The ASI Show San Diego’s most popular morning show, on KUSI-TV, came to the convention center Thursday and aired several long segments with senior writer Dave Vagnoni demonstrating some of the hottest products the industry has to offer. Click here to watch. Veteran reporter Mike Castellucci’s enthusiasm for our industry was infectious. He told his viewers all about the cost-effectiveness of promo products while showing off cool items like the guitar shirt, scented T-shirts and even pillowcases that smelled like waffles. We couldn’t have paid for better advertising! That wasn’t all. In addition, CBS affiliate KFMB-TV San Diego and Fox 5 News at 10 also aired extensive clips on the San Diego show Thursday. Click here to watch CBS and click here for Fox. We had a great time in San Diego this week and a barrel of laughs with comic Wayne Brady at his show Thursday night. It was like an episode of the hit show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” – but featuring all of us. Click here for my Tim’s Take on highlights of the show. Wednesday, we honored the industry’s best at the Counselor Awards. For a word about our sponsors, click here to watch my Tim’s Take. Click here to see photos of all the action. We’ve got a full day if exhibits today – and then it’s on to Chicago, July 19-21. If you’re at the show, let me know what you liked – or what needs improving. I’m always open to your suggestions. Post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
May 19, 2011 Honoring Marty LottFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI No question, this is industry is populated with a lot of outrageous characters. You know who you are! And then there’s Marty Lott, the quietly assured president of Top 40 apparel supplier SanMar – and Counselor’s just-named 2011 Person of the Year. I think you can tell a lot about someone by the way they handle a crisis. A big reason why we chose to honor Marty at Wednesday night’s Counselor Awards in San Diego is for the way he managed his company throughout the recent cotton crisis. His undisputed leadership abilities were also on full display while tackling inventory issues affecting so many in the industry. These are but two fine examples in a long career chock full of inspiring moments. Click here to view Counselor‘s Person of the Year profile of Marty Lott. We had a terrific time at the black-tie awards ceremony, held for the first time at the awe-inspiring San Diego Air & Space Museum. In addition to honoring Marty and our International “Person” of the Year, Billy Dolan and Vivian Lo of Camsing Global, Counselor magazine unveiled its annual Top 40, the ranking of the largest suppliers and distributors in the industry. This year’s distributor list is headed up by Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601) and the supplier Top 40 is lead by Norwood (asi/74400) & BIC Graphic North America (asi/40480). Click here to view the 2011 Top 40 distributors and click here to see the Top 40 suppliers. Click here to see photos of all the action. Today is the first day of exhibits at the San Diego show and tonight we’ve got comic Wayne Brady live on stage. Friday promises to be another action-packed day. And then it’s on to Chicago, July 19-21. If you’re at the show, let me know what you’ve seen and done by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
May 18, 2011 Happy Happens in San DiegoFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI We’re here in San Diego, enjoying the first day of the ASI Show in the most active industry region in the country. Participating companies represent nearly $2 billion in industry sales and I can assure you that everyone is charged up and ready to network, learn and sell. In addition to strong distributor attendance, the California show is attracting a majority of the Counselor Top 40 suppliers to the San Diego Convention Center today through Friday. San Diego really has it all – gorgeous ocean views and incredible sunsets, the famous San Diego zoo (you can see Hua Mei, the only panda cub in the U.S., on the zoo’s pandacam), the Gaslamp Quarter, Old Town and Balboa Park cultural center. Thursday, show participants can enjoy comic master Wayne Brady. I saw Wayne on Drew Carey’s new comedy show Improv-A-Ganza last week and he was as outrageously talented as ever. I can’t wait to see what he brings to our show. Hopefully, lots of audience participation. Despite California’s reputation for sunshine, today it’s in the low 60s and rainy, just like it is back East. But with its typically great weather, miles of sandy beaches and major attractions, San Diego has a secure reputation as an ace tourist destination, which makes it a great place to host a trade show. We’re opening with Education Day, sponsored by Fields Manufacturing (asi/54100), which includes a brand-new Social Media Marketing track along with a full slate of educational seminars and workshops with 65 points available toward the ASI Certification Program. Tonight, for the first time, the black-tie Counselor Awards – the industry’s most prestigious and anticipated awards event – will be held at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. We’ll honor Counselor’s 2011 Person of the Year, International Person of the Year and the outstanding sales achievement of the Top 40 distributors and Top 40 suppliers in the industry. We’ll post all the winners and photos from the event at www.asicentral.com so even if you’re not with us in California, you can check out all the action. It’s not too late to catch an ASI Show – you can register now for ASI Show in Chicago, July 19-21, 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 with us in San Diego, let me know what you think so far by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
