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Wednesday
January 18, 2012 Flying High In OrlandoFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, News About ASI
All this – and much, much more – at ASI Orlando this week. If that weren’t enough, Tuesday night we saluted Hub Pen as Supplier of the Year at the annual Counselor Distributor Choice Awards, along with more than 250 of the industry’s top-performing suppliers. We’ve still got a full exhibition day left, but I think it’s safe to say Orlando’s been a great success on all counts. Hub Pen, of Massachusetts, secured the industry’s most-valued supplier status across 56 categories. In a Counselor story on the company, we cited all the reasons why Hub Pen is an award-winning company, lauding the nearly 60 years distributors have relied on the supplier for great pricing, unparalleled service and a sterling reputation for the personal touch. The company was founded in 1954 by Frank Fleming, who once tirelessly assembled pens by hand. Congratulations to everyone at Hub for this much-deserved recognition. For a complete list of winners and photos from the awards ceremony, click here. For all the show news, photos, tweets and more, go to www.asicentral.com. And if you’re at the show, let me know what you think by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
January 17, 2012 ESP Mobile Is HereFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Drumroll, please. You can now download the free iPhone app from the Apple App store, free with your ESP subscription. For a video with all the reasons why this should be your No. 1 app, click here. Any iPhone user can download the app today directly from iTunes here. ASI’s development team has automatically applied an ESP Mobile license to all members with a current license to ESP Web. These members simply download the app from the Apple App Store and enter the same log-in credentials as ESP Web. That’s all it takes. Users who only have a license to ESP Online will need to get set up through Product Support – in a process that takes about the same time it takes to fix yourself a cup of coffee. If you have any questions, please contact ASI Product Support at 800-546-1350 (press option #2). If you’re on site with us in Orlando and have any questions about ESP Mobile, come speak to our Product Support team at the ASI Booth. To download ESP Mobile from the App Store, follow these few simple steps: 1. Visit the Apple App Store on your mobile device. 2. Search for “ESP Mobile.” 3. Download the free app. 4. Once the download is complete, tap the app icon to start up the app. 5. Enter your credentials. 6. Kick back and enjoy everything this new app has to offer. Why get ESP Mobile? Check it out:
Suppliers interested in advertising in ESP Mobile should contact their ASI rep or contact Gene Rahill at grahill@asicentral.com and Suzanne Izzo at sizzo@asicentral.com. Try it and let me know what you think by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
January 16, 2012 On With The ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI The ASI Show Orlando is underway, and we are pumped up and ready to roll, starting with a full day of education. In addition to lots of hustle and bustle, we’re already getting great feedback on our new show look. Orlando, the ad specialty industry’s largest event on the East Coast, takes place through Wednesday at the Orange County Convention Center. ASI met early demand for more hotel rooms and more booths while showing off the brand-new Incentives and New Exhibitor pavilions. Tuesday, ASI honors more than 250 of the industry’s top-performing suppliers at the annual Counselor Distributor Choice Awards. Distributors across North America choose which companies to honor by voting for their most-valued ad specialty suppliers. Winners are selected based upon real votes and data from ASI’s Supplier Performance Ratings. Wednesday, Republican Bill O’Reilly and Democrat James Carville hit the stage running for the Live from the No-Spin Zone debate co-sponsored by Pepco Poms (asi/77280) and Showdown Displays (asi/87188). We’ll post updates of all the action, including pics and videos, throughout the week on ASI Central. Upcoming 2012 ASI Shows are Dallas (February 1-3), 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. If you’re here in Orlando with us, please say hello!
Wednesday
January 11, 2012 Advice From A Master CommunicatorFiled under: Community ASI Radio conducted one of its best interviews ever with Biz Stone, and if you missed it, you really owe it to yourself to check out the archive. The Twitter co-founder was funnier than I thought he’d be, smarter than I thought possible and full of great advice – no surprises there. He thinks cultivating a fun work culture and keeping a healthy sense of humor in the workplace are vital. I couldn’t agree more. Stone talked with us in advance of a keynote he’s giving February 3 at the ASI show in Dallas titled “A New Landscape for Communicating and Doing Business.” We chose Stone as a keynoter because he’s advised numerous companies and organizations ranging from tiny startups and nonprofits to publicly traded international companies. Twitter now boasts over 300 million users, generating over 300 million tweets and handling over 1.6 billion search queries per day. I’m sure we’re all going to learn a lot from Stone. If you haven’t read his blog yet, you should. To listen to the entire radio interview, click here. To register for the show in Dallas and Stone’s keynote, click here. My favorite quote from the interview: “Humor is such a powerful mechanism for delivering truth. It’s a great leadership tool, a great way to break the ice, a great way to get people to tell you what they’re thinking about without it being scary or formal. Invariably, something true comes out of that.” Stone, named one of the Most Influential People in The World by TIME magazine and Nerd of the Year by GQ magazine, shared business tips and dished on a visit from a Russian president (who brought a security detail and dogs to the Twitter offices) and who would play him in a Twitter movie (we suggested James Spader and Ed Norton, but you’ll be surprised at his hilarious choice). Stone said he worked for years before Twitter on the idea of an open exchange of information having a positive impact. “I saw a rudimentary tool and thought, ‘I could build something on this. Instead of one to one, one to many.’ And that was the beginning.” His two biggest mistakes after co-founding Twitter with Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass and Evan Williams were not being ready enough for success and failing to communicate enough. “If you want to have relationships outside, with investors or anyone, communicate like crazy,” he told the ASI Radio audience. On corporate cultures, Stone says he likes it fun and team-oriented: “I like people to have autonomy. Be really creative. Be open to ideas. I don’t like people who say no right away. At Twitter we have a very fast-growing sales culture, but we’re also open to really new, crazy ideas. It’s an emergent phenomenon.” What do you think is the most interesting thing Stone said? Let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
January 4, 2012 A Winning Attitude for 2012Filed under: ASI Shows, News About ASI I’m fanatical about setting New Year’s resolutions. And although it’s estimated a mere 2% of us ever realize our yearly goals, I’ve got a pretty good track record. In 2010, I vowed to spend more time with fewer people and successfully jettisoned acquaintances or Debbie Downers, increasing the time I had to spend with people who really mean something to me. In 2011, my No. 1 goal was to spend more time in fewer places. Instead of all those hours wasted at the airport and in the air, I stayed closer to my home in Princeton and nearby New York City and Philadelphia, which allowed for more time with loved ones – and less time enduring airport security. For 2012, my resolution is to convert anything and everything to digital, both personally and professionally. I feel more efficient already! I kicked off the New Year in Chicago, where I met two inspiring people: Ernie Halvorsen and his fiancée Cindy Chiang, who recently won “The Amazing Race,” a CBS reality show that pits couples against each other in a worldwide competition. Ernie and Cindy, pictured with me at right in a photo taken by Elvin Montero, raced nearly 40,000 miles across four continents and 20 cities to win $1 million for being the first to cross the finish line in Atlanta. They plan to use their winnings to start a business to help educate children in developing countries. They’re also interested in helping fight childhood obesity. Their winning attitude should serve as an inspiration to us all. January is of course not only the start of a new year, but the start of a new show season. We’re kicking off the action at ASI Orlando, the ad specialty industry’s largest event on the East Coast, January 16-18 at the Orange County Convention Center. Click here for registration and information on a full slate of education, the new gala at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Counselor Distributor Choice awards and an electrifying election-year keynote with political pundits Bill O’Reilly and James Carville. The sparks are surely going to fly when those two go head to head. And don’t forget to visit ASI booths in Orlando for a live demonstration of ESP Mobile and to activate your free ESP Mobile license. An enhanced version of ESP Mobile will be available as an iPad app in March. From Orlando, we’re off to Dallas (February 1-3), San Diego (April 2-4), New York (May 8-10) and Chicago (July 17-19). If you have any questions about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2012, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. And let me know what resolutions you made this year. There’s still time!
Wednesday
December 28, 2011 Business Grab BagFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Research, Using Ad Specialties How many of you gave gifts to clients and prospects this year? According to a recent gift-giving survey from ASI, average spending on such gifts was up 13.9% to about $30 per gift this year. Our executive director of research, Larry Basinait, found clients aren’t the only ones benefiting from corporate beneficence. Employers who answered our survey say they spent an average $42.52 per employee “thank you” gift this year, up 19.6% from 2010. Like last year, our survey shows gift cards and cash remain the most popular employee gifts, with 38% of respondents planning to give gift cards to employees. Cash bonuses are second, but fell by 8 percentage points to 24% since 2010. Does gift-giving work? Nearly a quarter of respondents say giving gifts to clients and prospects results in sales and leads, with over one-quarter (27%) of those surveyed saying the gift resulted in a referral and 24% reporting generating a lead or a sale. Other survey highlights include:
Over at “The Joe Show,” Joe Haley demonstrated a number of the year’s hottest business gifts, including: Coffee table books, from National Geographic Society, asi/73383. Beautiful books from National Geographic not only include incredible photography, but they can also be customized and personalized. iPad keyboard, from Pingline, asi/78137. High-tech products and accessories like the Bluetooth-activated keyboard – which makes typing a whole lot easier – are on everyone’s wish list. Outdoor jacket, from Trimark Sportswear Group Inc., asi/92122. Jackets are essential and appreciated, come in men’s and women’s styles and are perfect for people who work and play outdoors in the winter months. Leather wrapped thermos, from Sweda Co. LLC, asi/90305. Practical and elegant, it’s just the thing for the sales rep on the go. Customized wine and spirits, from A Plus Wine Designs, asi/30223. Make a strong showing with a giveaway that’s perfect for holiday parties and to leave with clients on visits. Leather Nook cover, from Royce Leather, asi/52390. Sure to give the iPad a run for its money, the new Nook tablet is a best-seller this year, and accessories will show thoughtfulness. Throw blanket, from KTP Design Co., asi/63773. Winter months bring images of snuggling up in front of a warm fire. Enhance that experience with a custom woven afghan that companies can imprint with any image or logo. Ogio bag, from SanMar, asi/84863. Duffel bags are perfect for travel and going to the gym. This bag has flexible spines, allowing it to stand or bend at will. Ornaments, from Faro USA, asi/53697 & Marbex Inc., asi/68708. A finely-crafted holiday ornament doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. Most can be easily mailed, hung from a company’s tree or given out to visitors. What was your favorite gift to give this year? Let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
December 22, 2011 Happy Holidays from ASIFiled under: Community, News About ASI As everyone gets ready to head home for the holidays – or at least leave the office for a couple of days – I want to wish each of you my very best. Despite the economic uncertainties here, there and everywhere, I was heartened this week to read about the so-called Layaway Angels, the mostly anonymous strangers who are paying off layaway balances for people struggling to make their final payments in time to put those presents under the tree. To date, these angels have paid off about $420,000 worth of toys and clothes in big box stores all over the country – without expecting so much as a “thank you.” I don’t know about you, but when I read about generosity like that, it makes my heart swell to three times its size, just like the Grinch’s in the classic cartoon. Everyone celebrates this time of year in different ways. Here at ASI, employees knocked themselves out with Ugly Sweater and cubicle decorating contests. And you can’t walk two feet without finding a big tin of delicious cookies just waiting to sweeten your day. More important, employees opened their wallets and donated a record amount during our annual Adopt-A-Family drive, money that went toward gifts for 53 area children and 16 parents receiving assistance from our local homeless shelter. Throughout the company, you’ll also see gifts and greetings from numerous ASI members – some so creative and so classy they really knock your socks off. The myriad of ways companies find to proudly display their logos always serves to remind me just how imaginative this industry truly is. Like many of you, ASI held its annual holiday party last week, choosing to celebrate with a Western roundup theme. That meant lots of Texas-sized cowboy hats, checkered shirts, spiked lemonade – and even mechanical bull rides. No, I didn’t dare climb aboard myself – but plenty of employees did. We captured a few of the rides on video, so if you’re in need of a laugh as you hustle to finish out the week, click here, here, here and here. Enjoy! |
Bill O’Reilly and James Carville tearing it up onstage during one of our most exciting SRO keynotes ever. A male ballerina in glorious pink flying across the stage during the Sell It Now keynote. Tons of fun at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Record-breaking education. 
