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Wednesday
February 25, 2009 Ideas for the Auto Body MarketFiled under: Education, Members, Using Ad Specialties
I’m sure some nearby auto shops could have used a magazine like FenderBender to help me with my car. FenderBender – a trade publication mailed to 55,000 collision repair and auto body shop owners around the U.S. – recently asked me to share the value of promotional advertising with their readers. Click here to check out the article. The new publication, which hits a whopping 85% of the collision repair market, helps shop operators “think outside the blocks” with their marketing, which we all need to do these days. I shared some results from ASI’s latest end-user study, which indicates that over 80% of recipients who receive a promotional product remember the brand on the item. You know those car air fresheners everyone seems to have? I suggested that shops could give one away stamped with a special Website customers can visit for a monthly prize drawing. Business owners get proof of traffic because that item is the only marketing vehicle carrying that Website. Another thought: include a clickable link online so customers can send the contest Website to friends and expand the shop’s referral base.
To find products, shop owners can search their local area for qualified ASI distributors at successfulpromotions.com, hosted by ASI. If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them. Post a comment on the blog or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Friday
February 6, 2009 Hot Product Videos and Record Dallas AttendanceFiled under: ASI Shows, Education, Member Benefits, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties
Read the press release here. I enjoyed checking out “must have” products for this year, meeting with distributors and suppliers, and of course sampling Texas barbeque at Eddie’s Deen’s Ranch. Also, watch my products video from the ASI booth featuring these cool items for 2009, like:
There’s also my video on closing day, featuring the new stainless steel drinkware with digital wrap-around printing and a double-wall acrylic travel cup with leak-proof seal. They’re all great products that will brighten your day and interest clients, no matter what the economic challenges are. Now, more than ever, marketers need the impact and high ROI that advertising specialties provide. Everyone’s been really excited after attending Don Hutson’s keynote and we’re ready to put into action the sales tools and strategies he’s devised to get any business cracking. Everyone who attended his session also received a copy of his book, The One-Minute Entrepreneur: How to Prosper Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. Along with all the great distributors and suppliers I met and friends I reconnected with, I’m returning to ASI more energized for the year and with a really interesting piece of Texas trivia: In the Lone Star State, it’s illegal to put graffiti on someone else’s cow. What products have you seen that caught your eye in Dallas or elsewhere? Post a comment on the blog now or email me anytime at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Wednesday
February 4, 2009 $1 Million in Data Protection and Texas Trivia at ASI DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits, News About ASI
Did you know the name “Texas” actually comes from an Indian word meaning friends? So, it’s no surprise how much networking there is at the show and especially during today’s 70 free education sessions. Here in longhorn country, everything is big, which makes it the perfect place to announce ASI’s investment of over $1 million to protect industry data – information you rely on every day to run your business. Check out the full details in the press release here. What it comes down to is this: If there’s a natural disaster or other emergency, ASI has acted to help ensure that our products — including ESP Online and over 10,000 LogoMall Websites — will be operating. We’re providing the most up-time to give you more time for selling, especially in this challenging economic environment.
The remote location depends on a different portion of the nation’s power grid and source, and is located alongside backup systems for Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s largest financial services firms. Even if a regional power grid crashes, we can respond quickly by activating this facility. How’s that for peace of mind? Read the full press release here. If you have any other Texas-sized ideas, I’d love to hear them. Post a comment on the blog now or email me anytime at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.
Thursday
January 29, 2009 Shrink Your Carbon Footprint with Free UPS ProgramsFiled under: Education, Guest Blog, Industry Initiatives, Member Benefits
As you may know, UPS is an ASI affiliate providing members with up to 45% savings on shipments. There are a few ways UPS is thinking green and you can help by using its Reusable Express Envelopes. These are made of recycled paper and can also be reused. With these envelopes, the recipient of a package can use the same envelope to ship back to the sender or to another recipient. Look for the new Reusable Express Envelope in your Register Box from ASI. UPS has also partnered with Costco to recycle computers and electronic devices. Costco members log-in online to calculate an estimated value on the goods. Members print a UPS shipping label and send it to the Costco partner, GreenSight, for free. Credits can be applied to a future Costco purchase.
– 20,000: The number of low-emission vehicles in the “green” fleet. – 126 million: The number of miles driven by UPS alternative fuel vehicles since 2000. – 84 million: Total sheets of paper saved each year using Delivery Information Acquisition Devices (DIADs), the handheld device UPS uses to scan packages. This saves 7,308 trees a year. – 124 million: The number of sheets of paper that could be eliminated annually if UPS customers converted to Paperless Billing. Read about other UPS green initiatives here. Not enrolled in the UPS discount program from ASI? Visit asicentral.com/ups. – Karyn Coates is Executive Director of Member Benefits. Email her here.
Thursday
January 22, 2009 Preview of Power Summit at La Costa Resort in CAFiled under: Education, Guest Blog, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI
We’re delivering the most informed speakers and the hottest networking activities, including a “speed dating” type event to let you meet as many industry leaders as possible. This is your summit: Tell us what topics you want covered by emailing Rich Fairfield, at rfairfield@asicentral.com, or Melinda Ligos, at mligos@asicentral.com. In addition to the rigorous program, we’re sure you’ll agree ASI picked another great destination. Watch this short video, and check out these photos of the resort.
The 2009 Power Summit is Sunday, November 1 through Tuesday, November 3. You can reserve your seat now at a special price. For more information and to register, click here. From what we’ve seen so far here in California, this is an event you won’t want to miss. So make plans early to join us, as the Summit sold out the last two years at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. – Susanne Curry – Rich Fairfield, Publisher and Senior VP, Counselor, Advantages, Stitches, Successful Promotions, Supplier Global Resource and Wearables Magazines
Tuesday
January 13, 2009 Enhancing LogoMall with More CustomizationFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties One resolution I haven’t had any trouble keeping is helping industry companies become stronger and more streamlined throughout 2009 and ASI is delivering.
The new ASIsecure design manager now provides distributors and suppliers with a time-saving way to update their site’s design and content, including featured products, and to pick up client order requests and traffic reports in one place. Users can also export orders, leads and catalog inquiries in batches to an electronic file to eliminate double entry and streamline order processes. Also, LogoMall customers who use ProfitMaker will have the ability to export shopping cart orders directly into ProfitMaker, allowing for a more seamless ordering system. ProfitMaker, from ASI Computer Systems Inc., is advanced business software that provides electronic links between distributors and suppliers. If you’re not a web designer you’ll also be happy to learn that ASIsecure doesn’t require you to know HTML coding, and comes with all the support, video tutorials and tips you need to create a more visually exciting online presence – one that clients are sure to notice. All of these features will provide distributors and suppliers with more time to hone in on selling.
Also, check out the earlier posts for four videos of unique products from ASI Orlando, and visit my YouTube channel for more product videos and ideas for your clients from our shows. If only sticking to the rest of my resolutions was this easy!
Monday
January 12, 2009 New Order Management System a Hit, Orlando Fashion ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, Education, Industry Initiatives, Using Ad Specialties People have been responding to news of our multimillion-dollar initiative to create a seamless order management system for the industry, so I wanted to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to learn more about this. The new system, announced at the ASI Show in Orlando, links distributors, suppliers and industry service providers across ASI’s full product suite and is designed to make you more efficient and save time and money in 2009. Click here for the press release with more benefits of the initiative. Designed based on continuing industry feedback, our effort has been under way for about a year, and in the test phase distributors placed over $10 million in orders with suppliers. So far, the results have been phenomenal and have provided consistent order structure, content integrity and order delivery. To learn more, check out the media release here. Additional elements of the initiative that we demonstrated in Orlando include:
The initiative is projected to include the launch of additional key components throughout 2009 and into 2010. Also, click here to see the latest trends in corporate and casual apparel for your clients in coverage of our Fashion Show in Orlando. There are many featured styles from leading apparel companies, including Dunbrooke, Global Traders and Suppliers Inc., Hanes/Outer Banks, Perry Ellis International, Charles River Apparel and Reebok. I also have a video from Orlando featuring products you can sell to your clients, including pens made from recycled currency and denim, a knit fleece jacket/sweater, a mini video camcorder, and more. Click here to watch. As always, I welcome your input anytime. Post a comment now or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com. |
We’re blogging from the site of the upcoming ASI Power Summit at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. We’re here to personally inspect every feature available to you come November. The industry’s premier event will be more interactive than ever, with a detailed agenda packed with proven strategies to ramp up your business in any economic environment.
Network at the two PGA Championship 18-hole golf courses, deepen friendships over a heated game of tennis, or swim out the tension in the pools or jaccuzzis.
