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Wednesday
March 14, 2012 Bow Wow WowFiled under: Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties I think the world can be divided into Dog People and Cat People. Which one are you? Although I have nothing against cats, I think I fall into the “dog” camp. Either way, you should check out a recent hot list we sent out to press highlighting some of the industry’s top pet gifts. Statistically, an astonishing 62% of U.S. households now care for at least one pet, paying for everything from veterinary care and food to grooming, toys and treats. This month, ASI’s Advantages magazine offered a great business primer on the booming pet market. So if you haven’t yet added pet stores, vets, kennels, pet insurance companies, dog groomers and municipal dog parks to your roster of potential clients, now’s a great time to start. To me, a dog dish with a funny picture on it is fancy. So I was genuinely amazed at how creative some of these gifts are. Did you know, for instance, that you can now bake your own dog biscuits? Just don’t mix them up with the cookies you baked for your child’s school! Things like premium treats, natural food and fashion-forward accessories helped push U.S. pet industry sales to $58 billion in 2011, with sales expected to reach $74 billion in 2015, according to research firm Packaged Facts. For more info, click here for a “Joe Show” product video and click here for photos. Click here for the Advantages story on the burgeoning pet market. Below are some of the products we selected for this year’s pet gift list:
Let me know the greatest gift your pooch ever got by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
March 1, 2012 A Master Class In Common SenseFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI I admire anyone with the guts to take a stand on unpopular issues – whether I agree with those positions or not. So it was refreshing to hear former Mayor Richard Daley discuss hot-button topics like gun control, education and competing with China in his recent interview with ASI Radio. After the Ohio school shooting, Daley said frankly: “There are just too many guns in America.” During his interview with ASI Radio, Daley said we’re becoming numb to violence: “I know it’s very controversial and people want to stay away from it, but we are arming America … It’s just another headline, and people don’t realize what it does to families and to the children in these schools.” The interview advances Daley’s July 19 keynote at the ASI trade show in Chicago titled “City CEO: Rising to Challenges and Change.” Click here to listen to the interview in its entirety, and click here to register for the keynote and the meet and greet with Chicago’s longest-running mayor. In his keynote, Daley will share turnaround stories and discuss changes that affect businesses at all levels. He’ll also offer a hands-on lesson in leadership, crisis management and preparing for future business challenges in any economy. Daley, who served Chicago for 22 years, is credited with revamping the city’s public school system and overhauling public housing. Since leaving City Hall in May, Daley joined a law firm and became a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Chicago. In the interview, Daley made a great point about the state of U.S. manufacturing: There isn’t one college or business school in America that teaches manufacturing. Wisely, he suggests that what business leaders learn in plants, steel mills, factories and the like can easily be applied to government. Daley thinks the best way to battle bureaucracy in either business or government is to appoint project managers to get things done. “You really have to be a problem-solver,” Daley said. “Bring people together and take a holistic approach. Hold people accountable. That’s key.” The best way to accomplish something? Stop studying issues to death, Daley said. “Make a decision and move on.” Anyone who’s ever sat through endless rounds of meetings where nothing seems to get accomplished can relate to that, I’m sure. Let me know what you think of the interview by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 23, 2012 Supplier Sales Going Up, Up, UpFiled under: Research, Using Ad Specialties Suppliers got great news recently when ASI released its 2011 supplier sales report showing over two-thirds (68%) of surveyed companies posted greater sales in 2011 than 2010, indicating an increase in sales of 7.1% over 2010. Supplier revenue in 2011 totaled an outstanding $12.2 billion. So now’s the perfect time to take advantage of new technologies and better marketing that can help power your company into the future. Total supplier sales for the fourth quarter were approximately $3.6 billion, up $185 million over 2010 Q4 sales. This is the eighth straight quarter of growth – another strong indication that our industry has not only turned the corner, but is barreling full steam ahead. Further, three-quarters (75%) of suppliers expect 2012 sales to be higher than those of 2011. Click here to read the full report. And let me know what steps your company is taking to keep pushing forward by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 17, 2012 ASI Leads The WayFiled under: Member Benefits, News About ASI As the New York Giants can surely attest to, it’s great to be No. 1. So it gives me great pleasure to announce that ASI now leads the industry in the critical areas most important to its 27,000 clients, including No. 1 rankings in ESP users, show attendance and magazine circulation. ESP now has a record 46,000 users, up 12% from the last year. In addition, ESP – the most powerful software in the industry – generated an unprecedented number of product and supplier searches (29 million), end-buyer presentations created (1.35 million) and supplier ratings (36,000) in 2011. At the same time, the economy is turning the corner – the government announced this week that U.S. jobless claims are the lowest since 2008 – and our industry has reported growth in the last eight quarters. It seems fitting that ASI, the largest full-service organization serving suppliers and distributors in the business, is helping lead the way for our industry, scoring record results while providing the most technologically advanced tools available, year after year. In addition to record-breaking numbers for ESP, ASI leads the industry in eight key areas:
At the end of the day, it all comes down to this: Providing you with the critical products and services needed to succeed in what’s now an $18.5 billion industry. Our mission is to make you more successful. When that happens, the whole industry succeeds. And that’s the best game-winning touchdown I can imagine.
Tuesday
February 14, 2012 Customer Service At Its BestFiled under: Community I know it’s de rigueur to complain about air travel, so as a longtime frequent flyer I’d like to share a positive story about a recent amazing experience with American Airlines. I kicked off a two-week trip to Argentina at JFK airport in New York, replete with all the stress you’d expect from moving a large group of luggage-laden people to a far-off country. But instead of the usual aggravation, I was greeted with a wonderful surprise – all thanks to the gracious and caring folks at American Airlines. Elvin – one of the friends joining me on a once-in-a-lifetime trip in celebration of my 50th birthday – got in touch with AA before we left asking if they could arrange a special check-in. The airline responded immediately. When we arrived at JFK, we were met at the curb with a security person, luggage handler and the head of special events. They walked us into a special check-in counter area and, lo and behold, a big video monitor (pictured) saluted me with a personalized birthday greeting. One of the security guards told me he’d worked at American Airlines for 35 years and had never seen anyone’s name on a video monitor. And that wasn’t all. We were then taken through a private entrance to the Flagship Lounge, where AA had laid out a spread for us to enjoy. From there, we were led to a conference room where a big birthday cake with my name awaited. Once onboard, AA even had a replica sign of the video display and a fruit and wine basket at my seat. It was an incredible kickoff that deserves acknowledgement – and that should serve as a reminder to anyone in business that we should always strive to exceed expectations for service and make people feel special. The result can be friends – and loyal customers – for life. American Airlines didn’t spend a lot of money to make me feel super special, but I’m certainly going to reward them with my business whenever I can going forward. Let me know what special efforts you’ve made for your customers by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. By the way, the picture is of the Iguazu Falls – just one of the amazing sights we’ve seen since landing in Argentina.
Friday
February 10, 2012 50 In Argentinah!Filed under: Community, Using Ad Specialties It’s an old adage but one I firmly believe in: Practice what you preach. I’m as bullish on this industry and its products as possible, which is why I chose so many cool items to commemorate a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Argentina to celebrate my 50th birthday. Something else I believe in is taking a long walk in somebody else’s shoes. The experience of choosing and ordering a full slate of promotional items from start to finish was kind of like stepping into an episode of the reality show “Undercover Boss.” What I learned is being a distributor is really hard work. To start, I had ASI’s top-notch creative director Jim Lang create two logos based on his idea, incorporating “50” and “Argentinah” in a nod to a gorgeous country. In one, we also used a map of Argentina, which stretches from Bolivia to the tip of South America, encompassing a wide array of geography and climates along the way. As gifts for the friends accompanying me on the two-week trip, I branded everything from socks, T-shirts and fleeces to bandanas, flip-flops and keychains. There is even a combo iPad screen and keyboard cleaner, as well as a personalized travel diary. Getting really creative – as you certainly can in this industry – I also had M&Ms and playing cards for use during the 12-hour flight actually imprinted with the faces of my friends. In the logoed travel bags I’m gifting, I included useful items like hand sanitizer, lip balm, sunscreen and bags of pistachios. There’s really no end to what you can choose from when it comes to promotional products! My actual 50th birthday is February 13 – a birthday I share with my late mother. I decided on this trip months ago and planned it with zeal. Since I’m the master of detail, I deliberated down to the hour, choosing every destination, hotel, restaurant and even wine. The best birthday gift I could possibly imagine is the gift of friendship, and what better way to celebrate the half-century mark than with my best friends in the land of Jorge Luis Borges, world-famous steaks, Evita Perón and Tierra del Fuego? Logistically, it’s been a challenge, since I’m coordinating travel plans with nine friends scattered across the country, friends whose professions cover the gauntlet – with the personalities to match. Now that the trip is here, I almost can’t believe it’s finally happening. We’re spending the first week in Mendoza, which is like the Napa Valley of Argentina. In between taking in lots of sights and horseback riding like gauchos, we’ll drink lots of fine Malbec wines. A highlight is sure to be seeing Patagonia’s glacier-carved landscapes up close. Luckily, Argentina’s seasons are reverse to ours, so we’ll visit during their summer. The second week we’ll relax our pace somewhat and enjoy the best cosmopolitan Buenos Aires has to offer, including shopping, cooking lessons, visits to a silversmith and art galleries and, of course, dancing the tango and meeting porteños. As the gauchos say, disfrute compadre. In other words, we will enjoy and, above all, have fun!
Friday
February 3, 2012 A Record-Breaking Show In DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI They make everything big in Dallas – hats, steaks, hair and especially trade shows. We just ended our three-day event in Texas and set a new all-time record for distributor companies with 1,556. Dallas had it all – 837 distributors enjoying classes Wednesday, including the industry’s biggest speed networking event, and a keynote Friday by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, who shared humorous comparisons between Twitter’s beginnings and the networking relationships built between industry suppliers and distributors. Stone was as laid-back as a highly-successful tech dude could be. He spoke in a series of stories, about everything from the founding of his mega-successful company to a German film that helped fuel his reach-for-the-stars philosophy. In the end, everyone in the audience was left with inspiring advice they can apply to their own business to boost their success rate. “The only real way to succeed is to just jump off the cliff,” said Stone, pictured with me here at the meet and greet. “You really have to go for it; you can’t hedge.” The three-day show itself drew a ton of raves, including ones from Missy Herring, of South Texas Custom Printing, asi/529109, who called it “tremendous,” and another from Sergio Munoz, of Debco, asi/48885, who said: “ASI Dallas has been just great for us – amazing traffic and a great quality of attendees. Distributors are asking questions and coming prepared with projects they need help with. We’ve been getting great leads, and it’s been a very productive show.” Last night we let loose at our very first gala at the Dallas House of Blues, where they celebrate America’s best musical art form with a giant dose of good ole fun. We’ll definitely be back. If you missed us in Dallas, check out photos and videos on www.asicentral.com. If you were at the show, let me know what you thought by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. And don’t forget to register at www.asishow.com for upcoming ASI Shows in San Diego (April 2-4), New York (May 8-10) and Chicago (July 17-19). To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2012, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com.
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