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Thursday
March 17, 2011 Go for the GreenFiled under: Members, Using Ad Specialties Test your St. Pat’s Day knowledge: What color was originally associated with the patron saint of Ireland? If you guessed blue, you’d be right. Today, of course, we brighten Irish-themed celebrations with all things green – including the rivers in Chicago. Here at ASI, we’re celebrating with our second-annual list of the top 7 promotional products lighting up St. Patrick’s Day marketing promotions, advertising campaigns and themed parties. You can bet your lucky shamrock the products below will bring you some promotional green:
To watch a “Joe Show” video featuring the products and to see photos and purchasing information for each, click here. And let me know how you’re celebrating by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
March 10, 2011 Virtually a SnapFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI Our March Virtual Trade Show attracted 1,700 attendees, no doubt drawn by the ease of networking from the comfort of home or office. We did get one “complaint,” but it’s one we’d gladly hear again: a supplier reporting “too many leads to handle.” This show distinguished itself by logging more visitors per booth than previous shows, for an average of 837. Altogether, visitors stayed an average of 72 minutes, conducted 1,776 one-to-one chats and viewed nearly 3,000 documents and 900 webcasts – efficiently and effortlessly. If you missed this week’s virtual event, you can access it now on-demand. If you did not register for Wednesday’s show, check here first. If you did register, log on here. Who attended? A number of top exhibitors, including:
We always love feedback and comments. Sharon Brill of Raelyn Marketing Promotions called the virtual event “your best ever.” Samantha Tyrrell of Paradox Crafts, a first-time visitor, said she liked the format because at brick-and-mortar shows, “It’s hard to not feel like you’re taking a sales rep from others when you have a lot to ask. This was much easier.” Brenda Metcalf of Salt 1 to1 Inc. also commented on the in-depth talks she was able to have with suppliers and thanked our crew for their help in getting her team up and running. ASI’s virtual shows always feature top suppliers, virtual show booths, multimedia demos, digital catalogs, online sample requests, a complete passport program and thousands of dollars in prizes. We know the all-day, online events are effective because exhibiting suppliers experience an average 24% increase in ESP searches the day after each show. And, you can attend education classes that are applied to your BASI or MASI certification right from the show floor. While virtual events won’t replace in-person shows (New York City is March 22-24) but you can’t beat the ease and value. This was our seventh virtual show and we expect to host three more in 2011. The next one is April 19, so mark your calendar. If you were at the show, tell me your experience – and offer any suggestions for improvement – by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
March 7, 2011 Ready, Set, ResearchFiled under: Community, Guest Blog, News About ASI, Research Each year, ASI conducts the most comprehensive and important research about our industry to create the Counselor State of the Industry report. But we can’t do it without you. All we ask is that you take 10 minutes to complete a survey. And you could win some great prizes just for participating. There are distributor winners chosen at random for prizes totaling $1,500 in Master Card gift cards, and suppliers can win one of three full-page ads in an ASI publication of their choice. Why is the survey important? Because of the in-depth reporting each year on key sales, marketing and operational metrics used every day by industry practitioners. Nowhere else do you get the scope of this detailed information about our industry. And it’s free to ASI members. If Thanks so much for taking the time to help the industry gather this important research. If you have any questions, please shoot me an email. – Larry Basinait, executive director of research services
Thursday
March 3, 2011 Sales Surge ContinuesFiled under: Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Research While no one is uncorking the champagne quite yet, economic indicators point to recent consumer spending surges nationwide as a sure sign we’re heading in the right direction. If I was a betting man, I’d put big money down on our industry, as ASI is now projecting 11.2% growth in 2011. ASI’s 4th quarter report and 2010 year-end analysis of distributor sales show distributors are very optimistic about 2011, particularly the largest distributors. Three-quarters (75%) of all distributors feel sales for 2011 will be higher than sales in 2010, while nearly eight in 10 larger distributors feel sales will be higher. Gregg Taft, owner of BNoticed of San Diego, California, is even more optimistic. Gregg predicts his company sales will increase by 25%-35% in 2011. He says just as his clients are investing more in promotional advertising to take advantage of the upturn, his company is likewise investing more in new processes, technology and marketing tools. So as reinvigorated clients reinvest in their brand, companies like BNoticed are more than ready to deliver the tailored promotional product solutions they need. As we’ve reported, total industry sales for 2010 were $17.4 billion, up 9.1% from 2009. And the year ended with a bang — over one-half (52%) of distributors reported an increase in the fourth quarter. We get our figures through exclusive surveys of distributor members who are the primary contact with firms that have been in business at least one year. Those surveyed include 53 of the largest players in the industry. Click here for complete survey results. What’s happening in your neck of the woods? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
February 28, 2011 ASI Makes Some NoiseFiled under: ASI Shows, ASICentral, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties In an ongoing effort to increase awareness of the ad specialty industry, ASI has stepped up its public relations initiatives. Those efforts really paid off during our recent show in Dallas, where we scored unprecedented TV coverage. Former first lady Laura Bush – who spoke at the show and during the ASI Women’s Summit – generated a ton of news coverage, including a lengthy feature in The Dallas Morning News and more TV coverage than any other single ASI event to date. Click here to watch segments from Fox, NBC and CBS. Click here to listen to a KRLD radio clip. In addition, ASI and Laura Bush received mention on more than 278 online sites and publications, for a total potential circulation of 41 million. And Promo Man, the new “face” of the industry, piqued the interest of the city’s ABC affiliate, which broadcast from the convention center floor to showcase a number of products. Click here to watch. Featured suppliers in the segments include Clique Here Inc. (asi/4535) and their scented tees, Limb Gear (asi/67554) with iHoodies, Golden Pacific (asi/55549) and the solar powered briefcase, Cruzin Cooler (asi/47747) and their ride on cooler and Think Geek (asi/91123) with electric guitar shirts. In each case the important keywords “advertising specialty” received prominent mention. When’s the last time your company was on TV? Did the mention generate any new business? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
February 22, 2011 Sell Laughs, Close DealsFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI Want to close more sales? Take a tip from improv extraordinaire Wayne Brady. He advised our ASI Radio audience the best way to close a sale is to turn potential clients into fans with a little bravado and touch of humor. “What we do on stage is sell the audience on our comedy,” Brady told listeners Tuesday during an interview to advance his upcoming performance at the ASI trade show in San Diego, Thursday, May 19. Click here to register for tickets to his exclusive West Coast performance. “For salespeople, the best thing is to have fun,” Brady said. “If you’re very stiff and uncommunicative you’ll never get anywhere. Make a fan and make a sale.” To listen to the interview in its entirety, click here. If you’re planning on attending his show in San Diego, get your best improv ideas ready. And plan to have a great time. Brady promises to deliver. Here are edited excerpts from the Wayne Brady interview: Q: How do you prepare for big shows? Do you have any rituals? A: I show up and I’m ready to roll. Improv is not something you can sit in your room and practice. It’s just a skill. I do deal with pre-show nerves. Even after 20 some years in the business I still get butterflies. But as soon as I step on stage, I’m great. Q: Who inspired you in comedy or performance? A: I’m not a stand-up guy. I’m sketch comedy. I like “Saturday Night Live,” the old Carol Burnett show. The early variety show performers could do it all. They were a triple threat. People like Carol Burnett, Danny Kaye, Bill Cosby. My mom didn’t allow me to watch much TV—usually it was PBS or the old Carol Burnett shows in black-and-white. Now I realize that was my early education. Q: What’s on your iPod? A: Jazmine Sullivan, the Grammy’s Best New Artist Esperanza Spalding, Colbie Caillat and an old-school hip-hop compilation from 1986-89, when it was about partying and not getting capped in the ass. Q: How did you put your own stamp on the game show “Let’s Make A Deal?” A: I didn’t want to be a typical game show host. I looked at it as a role, a challenge. I wanted it to be fun so I figured I’d just do what I do. This version has a lot of improv in it, a lot of characters who interact with the audience. We have songs. It’s more like the big Spanish variety shows. Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a comedian? A: At 16, I fell into it at school. I was in the ROTC program for two years and my family was military and I figured that’s what I’m going to do. One day I filled in for a buddy in drama class. I had one line. It was amazing. All the kids were making each other laugh and something in me responded. It was that fast. Two weeks later I was doing my first play. Later, I was doing TV, movies, jingles, cruise ships. I never did comedy on TV before “Whose Line is it Anyway?” I was spotted in a comedy club and it changed my life. Q: How do you deal with curve balls thrown from the audience? A: There’s really not such a thing as a suggestion that’s too tough. But some are just stupid and I can’t do anything with it, like “Hey, do a song about my” – insert word about his junk. No, dude. Q: What’s your favorite promotional product? A: The best one was a car. I got use of a car for six months – a Cadillac SUV. The downside was I spent a bajillion dollars on gas. “Let’s Make a Deal” is getting ready to do a bunch of stuff. Wayne Brady jeans, Wayne Brady doors for your house. If you heard the show, let me know what you thought by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
February 21, 2011 Got a Question for Wayne Brady?Filed under: ASI Shows, News About ASI Upcoming ASI headliner Wayne Brady is a showbiz rarity. This cat can do it all: dance, sing and act on TV, film and stage. Tuesday morning, he’s bringing it to ASI Radio for an interview that promises to be one of our most entertaining. If you have a question for Brady, send it now to radio@asicentral.com and we might read it on the air – or ask you to call in and ask it yourself. Tune in Tuesday to listen to the interview and Q&A online at www.asicentral.com/radio. Our interview with the comedian advances Wayne Brady’s performance at the ASI Show in San Diego on Thursday, May 19. Click here to register for tickets to his exclusive West Coast performance. If you’re wondering, “Where did I see this guy anyway?” you probably caught his Emmy Award-winning improv on ABC’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” In addition, Brady has guest starred on “30 Rock,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” You may have also seen the multitalented performer during his hit run in Vegas. In its review, the LA Times said, “What makes Brady’s show so special is that he has somehow found a sweet spot by managing to successfully mix old school Vegas entertainment hip without sacrificing any new Vegas cool in the process. He may be the first performer to pull this off.” So tune in Tuesday for our interview. I’m sure it’ll brighten your morning. And for a change of pace, check out the interviews ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn conducted from our bash at Eddie Deen’s ranch and hear testimonials from ASI distributors and suppliers about the Dallas show. Click here to watch. Be sure to let me know what you think of Wayne Brady by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
you’re a distributor, you can link to the study 
