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Friday
August 14, 2009 Who’s HOT and Who’s NOT?Filed under: Community
Check out ASICentral’s HOT Facebook post, to see readers’ comments, interact and weigh-in. In addition to the list of hot people, hot business trends and “Objects of Hotness” in the HOT issue, what are you doing this summer that’s HOT in the industry? Post a comment now or email me here.
Thursday
August 13, 2009 SAAC and State of the IndustryFiled under: Community, Education, News About ASI, Research I participated in an industry event recently – the 2009 SAAC Show in Long Beach, California. The Specialty Advertising Association of California invited me to discuss the state of the industry before the APS Group (Advertising Products Suppliers). I shared results of our second quarter sales survey, conducted by ASI’s Larry Basinait, who takes the pulse of the industry through numerous research studies and surveys. I thought you might be interested since, not surprisingly, it shows ad specialty sales are off about 14%. The report broke down the forecast for the second half of the year by company size and it discovered something worth noting: the bigger the distributor, the more pessimistic. Of those reporting sales of less than $250,000, 26% expect sales to be higher, and 47% expect sales to be lower. Of those earning $1 million and up, 19% anticipate higher sales while 50% percent expect lower. As far as trends, the study showed that buyers want more services, like fulfillment. They also want more access to marketing program information, such as educational videos and materials beyond a product leave-behind. They want ideas on how to use promotional products, how to track ROI and how to educate their bosses, peers and colleagues. I also shared with the group recent improvements ASI has made to education – in direct response to what members are requesting. In sum, we took a great education program and made it even better, by merging it with our editorial team. You can see many of the new offerings by clicking here, including free access to the brand-new, 10-CD Distributor Success System. Tell me what you think about the current state of the industry by posting a comment now or emailing me here.
Wednesday
August 12, 2009 Who’s on the HOT List?Filed under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI
Our magazine’s editors survey the scene and showcase the hottest people and products in the industry, and this year’s issue is no exception. You’ll discover some surprises among the 40 names on the HOT people list. Are you on it? To find out, click here. It never fails to amaze me just how innovative this industry is, which is reflected in the “Objects of Hotness” section, featuring dozens of great products to sell to clients. There’s everything from a biodegradable first aid kit and basketball-shaped foam hat to poolside saddle tote bags and an iPod speaker bag with a carabiner. For the complete montage of the products, click here. If that wasn’t enough, Counselor also reports on key business trends affecting how ad specialty companies are moving forward in today’s marketplace. For instance, did you know green is the new black? Hot people and products, valuable strategies and intriguing ideas. It’s all in the issue. Also, we hope to see you in Las Vegas at the HOT Party on Wednesday, September 16, at the Christian Audigier Nightclub in Treasure Island. It’ll be a celebration of all things hot and will be happening during the new ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo. Tell me what or who you think is hot – or even what we may have missed – by posting a comment now or emailing me here.
Monday
August 10, 2009 The Gift Book – Get More Profit NowFiled under: Members, News About ASI
When it comes to gift buying, that money is in the prime fourth-quarter selling season, when more industry sales occur than any other period. It’s the time of year when buyers are searching for quality incentive items and products for corporate gift-giving programs and the best place to look for those is in The Gift Book. Launched today, this elegant catalog features over 400 products from exclusive suppliers and is a proven selling tool that helps distributors drive those crucial fourth-quarter sales – your last major drive for extra profit this year. It’s clear to me companies should do everything they can to reinforce their relationships with their customers and what better way than to thank them with an unforgettable gift? Now is a great time to get a slice of next year’s promotional budget by presenting items from this catalog that create a positive impression and never go out of style. As a special offer, distributors ordering The Gift Book will also receive an e-Gift Book electronic catalog, accessible directly from their LogoMall website, to use as a follow-up tool in emails to customers and prospects. The e-Gift Book features the classy brown and tan cover pictured above – one of the two covers available for the print edition. To order The Gift Book online, click here. For more information, contact Dan Brown, director of distributor services, at dbrown@asicentral.com. I’d love to hear about your experiences with The Gift Book, so post a comment now or email me here.
Tuesday
August 4, 2009 Awards From Suppliers – A Closer LookFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Members Any time we present awards at an industry event like the recent black-tie Counselor Awards at ASI Show Chicago, we spend a lot of time working with the supplier designing the awards – since the pieces are treasured by recipients for a long time to come. This year we had the pleasure of working with the pros at Crystal D (asi/47759), whose slogan is “We exist to turn emotions into memories.” Chuck Dahlgren, president, and Angela Wurst, marketing coordinator, stood by their motto throughout the process of selecting the right awards to reflect the industry’s best and brightest talent. I believe we don’t highlight our own industry’s unique products enough, so here’s an up-close photo of the Person of the Year award. Also, a photo with me and Bonni Shevin-Sandy, president of Dard Products (asi/48500), holding her International Person of the Year award.
Crystal D offers more than 1,000 awards and plaques, along with eight imprint methods, so the decision-making process was thorough and allowed us to customize our awards to intricately represent the caliber of individuals and firms receiving them. In addition to Crystal D, other Counselor Awards sponsors this year were Anvil (asi/36350), Mars Direct (asi/68888) and The Corvest Family – Toppers (asi/91530), Adva-Lite (asi/32145) and It’s All Greek To Me (asi/62960). To see photos from the awards ceremony – including winners holding the Top 40 awards – click here.
Friday
July 24, 2009 4 More Hot Products – VideoFiled under: ASI Shows On the final day of the ASI Show Chicago I found four more products that your clients will love.
Click here to watch the video, and other products we featured during the first day of the show.
Thursday
July 23, 2009 Chicago Attendance Strong, Education Day up 7%Filed under: ASI Shows The ASI Show in Chicago just ended and the numbers are in: we attracted nearly 4,300 distributors, with Education Day attracting nearly 900 distributors, up 7% from a year ago. From the 50 free education sessions to the two well-attended keynotes, attendees found their time at the show very productive. Learn what they had to say, along with important highlights, in the press release: click here. |
