|
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 5, 2011 We Got HimFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Using Ad Specialties One thing our industry does exceptionally well is jump on breaking waves and ride them right to shore. This week, companies like Northwest Embroidery in Washington state did just that. Northwest sprang into action within hours of bin Laden’s death to embroider Navy SEAL Team 6 hats and get them up on their website. The company knew Sunday’s feat by the elite military squad would fuel interest in all things patriotic. So did Matt Quinn, owner of Quinn Flags and Banners in Hanover, Pennsylvania, whose phones started ringing Monday morning. Quinn says his sales increased about 400% this week – and that his company was ready to meet all comers. “We have over 3 million flags in stock today and more are being produced daily,” says Quinn (asi/80228). Other popular items include decorative pleated fans, patriotic bunting and American stick flags imprinted with a client’s name or website. Gill Studios (asi/56950) of Kansas, has five new stock design bumper stickers and a ribbon magnet along with American flags – and 10% of proceeds from the sales of these items will be donated to a very good cause, the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit that aids injured service men and women of this generation. Did your company see a spike in sales of patriotic items – or produce anything Osama-related? Pinata Casa, a Texas promo products company (asi/73969) that offers 4-foot-tall piñatas (perfect for Cinco de Mayo promotions!), sold more $50 bin Laden piñatas in the last few days than they’ve sold in the last year. “Osama is one of our most popular piñatas,” Gerald Zhou told us. Sometimes, it really is all about timing and knowing when to strike when the iron is hot. Just like the Navy SEALs did. I’d never heard of SEAL Team 6 until Sunday, but according to the New York Times, SEALs – which stands for Sea-Air-Land teams – were created by JFK in 1962 as a way to expand unconventional warfare. Their specialty is using lethal force intelligently in the most dangerous missions on earth. The “elite of the elite” are the guys who parachute from 30,000 feet with oxygen masks to take back hijacked cruise liners – the guys who jump from Black Hawk helicopters in the dead of night to find and dispatch Public Enemy No. 1 in all of 40 minutes. Incredible. Let me know if your company did anything special this week by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
April 25, 2011 Keep Calm and Marry OnFiled under: Using Ad Specialties Everyone loves a wedding, right? But there’s no question a walk down the aisle costs money. On average, couples spend $24,066 on wedded bliss – and that’s minus the cost of the honeymoon and engagement ring. Lucky for England’s William and Kate, much of the bill for their royal union is being paid by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Middletons. Taxpayers, however, must foot the cost of security, which some say could be the costliest in history, considering the number of royals, senior politicians, VIPs and diplomats expected. It seems everyone – including the promo products industry – is jumping on the wedding bandwagon. As ASI’s Counselor magazine reports from London, Friday’s nuptials are causing a royal run on wedding-related memorabilia and promotional products. Click here to read the Counselor story on the promotional trend and click here for a reporter’s blog with photos of some of the products. This week, the “Joe Show” featured some of the many wedding products our reporter tracked down and shipped back to the states, including a commemorative booklet, tea cup, heart-shaped compact and even ashtray. My favorites are the Wills and Kate masks I’m sure Joe will be wearing Friday morning when he tunes into the wedding along with about 2 billion others. Click here to watch the special edition “Joe Show.” Counselor’s reporter interviewed a number of manufacturers and distributors about the mugs, plates, commemorative pens, William & Catherine compacts, ashtrays and even shot glasses available for sale. For those in need of a laugh, there’s even a commemorative plate reading “Thanks for the free day off,” a “Keep Calm and Marry On” poster and “Kiss Me Kate” beer. Lucy Stuart, co-owner of Norfolk, UK-based distributor S R Print and Design, says the breadth of products available makes this occasion the biggest for promotional product consumer sales since the change of the millennium in 2000. The Telegraph newspaper reports the sale of royal wedding merchandise altogether could top $42.5 million. Are you planning to get up at 4 a.m. to watch events unfold? If so, post a comment or email me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
April 22, 2011 Get Creative and Go, Green, GoFiled under: Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties How many of you remember the very first, few Earth Day products like the dim light bulbs and the costly laundry detergent that didn’t really clean your clothes? Now, more than 40 years on, nearly every major store carries a fleet of great “green” products and gas-friendly cars like the Prius can be found in every neighborhood. The promotional products industry has done its part as well, serving up terrific eco-friendly products that make everyone feel good about saving our planet. They’re competitively priced or offer enough value that consumers don’t mind shelling out a little bit more. And it’s a no-brainer that companies branding themselves via green promo products send a direct “We care” signal to end-buyers. This year, in what’s become our annual list of go-green promo products, we put an emphasis on finding items that make creative use of recycled materials, like recycled paper turned into coolers, bike chains crafted into picture frames, billboards made into bags and garden litter transformed into journals. “The Joe Show” also jumped on the bandwagon and devoted an entire segment to creative giveaways that can appeal to everyone, “crunchy” or not. Click here for a YouTube “Joe Show” demo of the products and read on for our Earth Day hot list:
Let me know how your company promotes Earth Day concepts all year long by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
April 20, 2011 Pick a Product and Grow SalesFiled under: News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties If Guinness World Records had a category for largest promotional products catalog, ASI would surely have a winner in the 2011 Media File. The 56th annual edition clocks in at 287 pages and is packed with thousands of products from hundreds of suppliers in all price ranges – including 51 new suppliers. It’s got a bit to go before it can compete with the world’s largest book, a 346-page tome that weighs about as much as a Mack truck, but we’re on our way. Media File is so popular, we’ve already pre-sold 75% of all available copies. But there’s still time to order yours. To order online and to see sample pages, click here. For more info, contact Dan Brown, executive director of distributor services, at dbrown@asicentral.com or at 800-546-1392. This year, as an added bonus, we’ve added promotional planning guides and end-buyer case studies that support our catalog research studies, which say over 86% of active distributors think catalogs to be important or even essential for generating sales. The hardcover book contains every product you can imagine, including eco-friendly items and a special wearables section. Our easy-reference calendar makes creating campaigns a snap and you’ll love the price and product indexes since they make it easy to choose products to suit any client’s budget. Media File is the one book to include in your sales arsenal. Display it proudly in your showroom and hand it out to your most favored clients. As for me, now that it’s finally spring, I’m going to get started on breaking the world record for largest tomato plant. I’ve only got to grow one bigger than the one that covered 610 feet at Disney’s Epcot Center. If you think I can do it, let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
March 24, 2011 NYC Show Ends on High NoteFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties ASI just wrapped its New York City trade show and I’m pleased to announce an increase in distributor firms of 4% over last year. Like an army of dedicated mail carriers, 2,400 distributors from 16 countries braved unseasonably cold weather and surprising spring sleet and slush to head to the Javits Center this week. One of my favorite events was Thursday’s speed-networking session – the industry’s biggest. Click here for my Tim’s Take on the session and an interview with ASI’s professional development manager, Dana Reaume (pictured below). How many of you hate getting your photo taken because it never looks professional enough? We hear you, which is why we set up the ASI Social Networking Booth, where a professional photographer will take your photo for use on all your social media sites. Perfect for your Facebook page. So far, nearly 500 members have taken advantage of this free service. If you missed it at the New York show, don’t worry. We’ll be in San Diego, May 18-20, and in Chicago, July 19-21. I promise you, it’s a snap. Click here to take a look. The New York show is always one of my favorites because I worked in the city for so many years and it always feels like going home. I love seeing old friends and checking out all the innovative new products. This year, we saw thousands of items showcased by 350 suppliers, including more than 100 exhibitors who weren’t in New York last year. We got tons of positive feedback from suppliers and distributors who were excited by steady traffic during the two exhibition days. Jeremy Rich from Debco (asi/48885) heard great things about the 75 new products his company exhibited and Lindsay Mortensen from SnugZ USA (asi/88060) described the show as a good mix of quality and quantity. Distributor Gary Goodhart from AIA Corporation (asi/109480) said they bring sales reps in from all over. “They really benefit from the great education,” he said, “meeting with suppliers and seeing everything that’s new for the year.” Let me know what kind of show experience you had and if you have any suggestions for next year by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
