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Tuesday
September 18, 2012 The True Value of EducationFiled under: Community Can you put a price on education? The simple answer is yes. Various organizations put the net value of a U.S. college degree anywhere from $325,000 all the way to $1 million. In fact, a new study recently reported on by NPR shows college grads faring much better in the economic recovery than those lacking a degree. And while many grads continue to struggle to find work, those who have found jobs get paid substantially more than those with only a high school education. The bottom line is education counts, no matter what industry you work in or what the economy’s doing. Here at ASI®, we take education seriously, investing $1.3 million each year to educate members. During The ASI Show™ 2012 season alone, 6,597 industry professionals attended live education classes, up 4.7% from 2011, making ASI the largest educator in the industry. Recently, we announced the names of seven more industry professionals certified through the ASI Education Certification Program, bringing the total to 540 – with more than 22,000 enrolled in ASI’s free Online Learning Center. These pros know there’s no better way to impress prospective and existing clients than with proof of your industry knowledge. Once certified, you can frame your certificate for your office and brag about it on your business cards and website. The ASI Certification Program offers two certification levels: BASI™ (Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information) and MASI™ (Master of Advertising Specialty Information). Please join me in congratulating BASI graduates for August:
And MASI graduate for August:
The ASI Education Certification Program is free, all-encompassing and user-friendly. And the virtual component means anyone can take part – from anywhere and at any time. No matter what your experience level, you can always benefit from more education. For a complete overview of ASI Education, click here. If you’ve taken any of our classes, please let me know what you thought – and if you have any suggestions – by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
September 7, 2012 Voting MattersFiled under: Community, Guest Blog Recently, a friend I’ve known since 7th grade in Indiana turned 50. Instead of just crying about it, April Mitchell-Nading seized the opportunity and compiled an online list of 50 things she wants to do or change this year, from zip lining to flossing. I love this idea and want to pass it forward while sharing one of the posts from April’s blog, “The 50 List,” since it concerns an issue I also feel strongly about: exercising your right to vote. Click here to read the blog and keep reading below for her post, “No. 49: Attend One Meeting or Rally for Women’s Issues:” Yesterday, I attended Evansville’s 10th Annual women’s Equality Day luncheon, which is a celebration/recognition of the adoption of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. I think we need a reminder that obtaining the right to vote was a hard-fought battle for women and didn’t occur until August 26, 1920. And I hate it when I hear a female say she never votes because she doesn’t like any of the candidates or her vote doesn’t really matter. It does matter. If nothing else, it matters that we have the right to do it, and we should never take this right for granted. I have voted in every presidential election since I turned 18, whether I liked the candidates or not. I remember how excited I was to hand in my absentee ballot to the clerk at Ball State University. I was voting for the president and my vote counted! I don’t have quite the same excitement years later as I did then, but I do still feel an air of importance knowing that I am a woman living in the United States of America and I have the right to vote! The keynote speaker for the luncheon was author Peggy Orenstein, who wrote Cinderella Ate My Daughter. I haven’t read the book – yet – but I liked her idea that the Disney princesses and other marketing techniques aimed at girls are actually doing more harm than good. Do we really want our daughters/granddaughters/nieces, etc. thinking Prince Charming is going to come along and rescue them? Is it a positive for girls to be so focused on appearance, sexuality, and looking/behaving like a princess? Orenstein points out that young girls are now focused on “being sexy” and are so intent on appearance it results in eating disorders. I would add that along with Disney princesses, it probably doesn’t help for these girls to see their own mothers/grandmothers, etc. opting for plastic surgery, Botox and other extreme measures to alter their own appearances in an effort to stay young and sexy. How can we expect young girls to be happy with the way they look when the female role models in their lives are showing them that the only way to be happy is by changing the way they look?
Tuesday
September 4, 2012 Election Business is BoomingFiled under: Members, Research, Using Ad Specialties With the presidential candidates locked in a virtual dead heat, it’s obvious our industry will continue to play a key role in helping the candidates market themselves to voters. Pardon the pun, but at each political convention, we’re seeing promo products left and right. Counselor® reporters are continuing their convention coverage in Charlotte this week, providing boots-on-the-ground observations of the products being worn, banged and waved by Democrats. Click here for pics of what they’ve seen so far.
As Chicago supplier Rich Carollo, whose family owns Lion Circle (asi/67620), told our ASI Radio audience Tuesday, this election is all about visibility. So when the cameras scan the convention center, keep an eye out for Lion Circle’s “bang a banner” – basically a sign that makes noise – which is bound to be a hit. While standards like yard signs, bumper stickers and pins continue to be the biggest sellers, there’s no end to the creativity on display this election year. Last week in Tampa, Republicans showed off everything from “Got Mitt?” T-shirts to Obama punching bags. To see more pics of some of the zanier sights from the RNC as captured by Counselor cameras, click here. The election is big business and with two months to go, there’s still time to get in on the action. According to ASI®’s research, an estimated $870 million will be spent on election-related ad specialties – including $350 million on the federal election alone – by the time it’s all over. Local and state elections are great opportunities for distributors who might have a tougher time making the “big time” connections for national purchases. The man or woman running for Congress might like to buy from a local distributor and your neighbor might even be running for city council or school board. In Florida last week, our reporters didn’t see any branded pens or tote bags, which means the RNC missed a chance to provide low cost, high ROI products that everyone could have used during the convention (as well as once they got home) as constant, valuable reminders to support their candidate. And as Rich suggested, don’t forget to call on all the special interest groups out there who are trying just as hard as politicians to get out their messages. Earlier this year, we also conducted a survey to analyze the effects of advertising specialties on voter opinions. The study’s purpose was to understand how promo products influence voters, what kinds of products are preferred and if there are differences in the perceptions of promotional products based upon political affiliation. For a press release on the results, click here. You might be able to use a stat or two during your next campaign office sales call. What election-related products are you selling – and who’s buying? Let me know 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 16, 2012 Mastering Star PowerFiled under: Community I recently enjoyed dinner with Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” contestant Angelo Sosa, who served up great food along with some interesting lessons in the fine art of self-promotion. I say “fine art” because anyone in the public eye, whether they’re running a company or appearing on reality TV, walks a fine line between skillfully honing a persona – and shameless hawking. I’m impressed with Sosa, who’s worked alongside some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the world, because he’s a skilled businessman with two restaurants, a cookbook memoir and even a consulting group. He never misses an opportunity to promote himself or his many activities – but always does it with real panache and charm. I earned dinner for two and a chance to meet the chef at Sosa’s Manhattan restaurant, Social Eatz, in a silent auction to benefit Alliance for a Healthier Generation. By aligning himself and his restaurant with a charity fighting to reduce childhood obesity, Sosa helps spread the word while earning goodwill with customers like me. Once I arrived, I was happy to find the restaurant, billed as an “Asian gastropub,” was casual and reasonably priced. It even featured lots of promotional items! Sosa is Dominican-Italian but initially made a name for himself with his flair for unique, Asian-influenced recipes. We had a chance to chat during a very casual staff dinner that took place after the restaurant closed for the night. I ended up holding one waiter’s baby on my lap pretty much the entire time and left really impressed with the restaurant’s friendly atmosphere. Anyone who succeeds in business must take chances and sometimes put themselves “on the line” – skills savvy promoters like Sosa have clearly mastered. That ability to build a brand and skillfully sell yourself and your company is an asset I’m willing to bet is also shared by any number of the suppliers who responded to ASI’s most recent sales report on Q2 2012. The report shows a year-over-year increase in sales among ASI® supplier members of 4.6% and is the 10th consecutive quarterly year-over-year increase in sales. My own shameless self-promotion alert: I was recently featured in a regional magazine called Bucks Life in its “Essentials 2012” issue devoted to the best local landmarks in three counties: Bucks, PA; Hunterdon, N.J. and Mercer, N.J. The editors asked a few locals to share things like our favorite brunch place, nature spot and even charity. I decided to participate because it gave me a chance to plug two things I love promoting: the nonprofit Arts Council of Princeton, where I just ended my third term as president of the board of trustees, and ASI. Click here to read the story. I’m not crazy about the photo of me, but the article itself offers up some great places to check out, whether you live in the PA-NJ area or are coming for a visit. And let me know what you think: Is all publicity good publicity? Post a comment or e-mail 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. |
