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Thursday
February 4, 2010 ASI Hits the Headlines in DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Media Coverage, News About ASI Our Dallas trade show – which ended Wednesday after attracting 3,300 distributors – was big news in the Lone Star State this week. The Dallas Morning News, a Pulitzer Prize winning paper with a circulation of 368,000, interviewed a number of exhibitors on the show floor and gave a terrific overview of our industry. Read the full story here. FOX4, in a four-minute segment called “Everyone loves freebies!” showcased a number of hot products in its live in-studio shoot. And NBC5 also covered the show. Click here to watch all the clips. We’re happy to report that even during a tough recession, show attendance was off just 3% from last year and up slightly from 2008. Trends show the number of firms attending is about the same as last year, but each firm is bringing slightly fewer people, reflecting downsizing from a soft economy. To read the press release, click here. In addition to education, networking and entertainment, attendees were energized in an interactive keynote presentation by ASI’s senior VP, Dale Denham, who advised attendees on how to build their brand and their business with social networking. In a very lively keynote, which I discuss in another Tim’s Take, Dale cut through the hype and showed people practical ways to benefit from social networking. The two key take-aways every salesperson can benefit from are:
Dale says the three sites distributors should pay attention to are:
Everyone loved Dale’s reference to Twitter as a place for narcissistic stalkers with ADHD, but also loved how valuable it is to salespeople. For more great tips, find Dale on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/daledenham or on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/daledenham. You can also join him at the New York show May 4-6, where he’ll once again be the keynote speaker and share incredible info on how suppliers and distributors can make money with social networking. Let me know how social networking is helping your business by posting a comment or emailing me here. Of course, I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
February 3, 2010 Hot Products and Cool Video from the Lone Star StateFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties There’s lots of action on the show floor at a packed house in Dallas this week as we preview novel new products for 2010 while applauding some consistently reliable crowd pleasers. In honor of ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn’s 40th birthday, which he celebrated in fitting style at ASI Show Dallas, we ordered a gorgeous, custom-made tapestry from Terry Town Promotional Wearables (asi/90913), imprinted with his photo. Click here to preview one of Terry Town’s 100% customizable items. In another Tim’s Take video, I recap my Hot Seat interview with Dan Townes, president and CEO of writing instrument supplier Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil Company (asi/86850). Dan told us he feels good about 2010 and the investments he’s made in his fourth-generation, family-owned company, serving customers for an astonishing 77 years. Click here for the recap. With Super Bowl just days away, I’m really excited about the sports-related party products here at the show. Click here for a round-up of products, including:
As if that wasn’t enough, we also previewed some really funky products that just might light up your Valentine’s Day. Click here for ordering info and pics of these products, and more:
Finally, check out the Tim’s Take featuring a live report on the latest machinery and the newest embroidery and imprinting technology from Hirsch International, which had decorators like Trina Banner of Creative Designs in stitches. If you’re at the show, let me know what you think by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
February 1, 2010 Super Bowl Means Super SalesFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Research, Using Ad Specialties For many Americans, Super Bowl Sunday is a day of ritual strictly observed in the Church of Sport. Everything – from the cold brew and hot wings to the commercials and halftime show – is integral to a decades-long tradition. Including the all-important game winning tee shirts. This year, when you’re getting ready to end your long Super Bowl day, think about companies like Pony Xpress Printing and Dunbrooke Apparel just starting theirs. They’ll hustle all night to make sure tens of thousands of tee shirts and jackets will be online or on store shelves for fans to snap up after the big game. Jeff Henderson, executive VP of Pony Xpress Printing (asi/297068), an officially licensed provider of Super Bowl XLIV apparel, says it’s all hands on deck with more than 50 staffers working split shifts to make strict overnight delivery deadlines. Dunbrooke COO Matt Gray says his company’s popular Super Bowl jackets are decorated on-demand and shipped within 72 hours directly to the fan, thanks to 12-hour nightshift crews that start work as soon as the final whistle blows. These powerhouse promotional items have a long shelf life, too, with companies ordering them throughout the season as employee gifts and client giveaways. For more details, read our press release by clicking here. Let me know which team your money’s on by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
January 29, 2010 ASI Announces Dates for 2011 ShowsFiled under: ASI Shows, News About ASI There’s a reason smart seniors take advantage of early bird specials – they save major money. Today, we’re announcing super savings on ASI’s 2011 trade shows. I can’t promise free apple sauce, but there are bargains galore for early birds:
Our five industry trade shows take place in major markets across America. We based the dates and locations of shows on ASI member surveys and feedback from show attendees. As a result, timing and locations for Orlando, Dallas and Chicago shows will remain consistent with prior years, while the New York show moves to March and the San Diego Show moves to May. For complete show details, visit asishow.com. To read the press release, click here. As always, each ASI show sets the standard for industry shows and drives attendance by recruiting the best distributors. ASI distributor members receive benefits that make them VIPs, including: free admission, free education and keynotes, up to $100 toward a hotel room, discounted tickets to the gala celebration, prizes in the Passport to Winnings contest, free Catalog Courier service, free catalog shipping and daily networking opportunities. Let me know what you like best about ASI shows by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
January 25, 2010 Strong Momentum for ESP Web and ESP OrdersFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI Everyone enjoys positive feedback, which is why I’m pleased to share some recent testimonials about ASI’s ESP Web and ESP Orders. Philip Myers, owner of Myers Printing (asi/278937), went so far as to call the upcoming new services “awesome.” For more comments, and to read the press release, click here. In development for almost a year, the new ESP Web runs on standard Internet browsers – including Explorer, Firefox and Apple’s Safari – for instant access anytime to products, supplier data, ESP Orders and customer information. ESP Orders is a total order management system, available with ESP Web, that allows distributors to create sales orders, purchase orders and invoices electronically and without rekeying any data. All order information is replicated automatically, dramatically improving efficiency and providing more time for selling. For a sneak-peek video of the revolutionary new ESP Web — which begins rolling out to all ESP users at the end of March — and ESP Orders, click here. And don’t forget to check out demonstrations of ESP Web and ESP Orders at all upcoming ASI Shows, including ASI Dallas (Monday, February 1, through Wednesday, February 3) and ASI San Diego (Wednesday, February 24, through Friday, February 26), in the training room at the ASI booth and in select “power session” rooms. If you were one of the 400 who participated in ESP sessions during education day during our first show of the year in Orlando, tell me what you thought by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
January 18, 2010 ASI Pledges $100k to Education InitiativesFiled under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, News About ASI, Research, Using Ad Specialties ASI is seriously committed to education, so it should come as no surprise we’re committing a serious amount of money – $100,000 – to our latest campaign to demonstrate the value of promotional products to end-buyers. Taken together, ASI’s latest broad-based education efforts will encourage buyers to increase their use of advertising specialties in their marketing plans while creating a bigger buzz about the power of promotional products in the national media. We definitely hit the ground running. Check out highlights of the campaign: Media blitz. Aggressively pitching stories to media nationwide, highlighting the reach and effectiveness of promotional items. A recent ASI story about the dramatic increase in sales of hand sanitizers resulted in nearly 100 media mentions nationwide, including spots on CBS Money Watch, Philadelphia Business Today and Live 5 News. ASI Show-related publicity. Increasing pursuit of media coverage of advertising specialties among the five metro areas of the ASI Shows. Florida State Representative Kevin Ambler and Senator Paula Dockery visited the just-completed Orlando show and the Orlando Sentinel wrote an article about it (comments accepted online) and posted ASI TV videos featuring interviews with the politicians on its blog. Orlando’s CBS station, Local 6 News, also provided a sneak-peek of the show. Successful Promotions magazine campaign. ASI’s award-winning editorial team is sending a monthly e-newsletter to 600,000 marketers, filled with case studies and education. A PowerPoint presentation about the positive return-on-investment (ROI) of promo products has already been featured, available to download here. Also, a new Facebook fan page for the magazine will be launched first quarter, providing additional resources and editions of The Joe Show. ASI Marketing Advisory Board. This recently-formed board of business leaders is driving the industry forward by connecting with end-buyers and sharing their feedback and suggestions with the industry. Research. ASI Research published an advertising specialty impressions study in 2009 for distributors to send to their clients and prospects, showing them the high ROI of promotional products. The study will be updated this year. For more details, read the press release by clicking here. Tell me which initiative you think will have the most impact – or what ideas you may have – by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
January 14, 2010 Imprint This!Filed under: Industry Initiatives, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Every day, hundreds of thousands of harried end-buyers thumb nervously ASI now offers full color imprinting on all catalog publications. This allows distributors to create a strong brand in the marketplace by carrying over the same logo they have on their website and placing it on their catalog covers too. It builds brand awareness and gives distributors a more professional image when they mail or hand their catalogs to clients. Research says catalogs work. According to a recent ASI study of end-buyers, paper catalogs drive 93% of purchasing decisions. Further, the study shows that 91% of the time recipients take action as a result of something they noticed in a paper catalog, with nearly half (49%) purchasing a product. The full results of the exclusive study from ASI are available by clicking here. Adding your full color logo on ASI catalogs is free of charge, with no additional fees. To order online, click here. For more information, contact me, executive director of distributor services, at dbrown@asicentral.com or at 800-546-1350. — Dan Brown |
