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Wednesday
October 14, 2009 Sell This Product - Counter MatsFiled under: Sell This Product Your clients can make a lasting impression using heavy-duty counter mats as a point-of-purchase promotion. First impressions count, last impressions sell. This principle underlines the importance of point-of-purchase promotions. CounterPoint’s heavy-duty counter mats deliver targeted marketing and take advantage of a promotional opportunity at the last point of contact with the consumer. Pam Myers, director of marketing at CounterPoint (asi/46767), says the counter mats were developed for maximum durability that can withstand everyday usage in a high-traffic area, but still maintain the advertising message and display the information with high-quality graphics. In other words, they fill the void that would otherwise exist at a point-of-purchase and help create a lasting impression of the brand. Counter mats are not just for retail. They offer a helpful boost to sales in many different environments including banks, veterinarian offices, medical offices, rental car counters, automotive stores and liquor or convenience stores. “Because of the durability of heavy-duty counter mats, clients will be able to showcase the information and brand with great clarity,” Myers says. The mats have a natural open-cell rubber that has dimensional stability and adhesion characteristics provided by its unique Supported Adhesion Coating (SAC). The mats are waterproof and CounterPoint prints directly onto the plastic so there is no paper involved in the printing process. “The large imprint area on the mats enables clients to catch consumers’ eyes with a huge advertising area right where decisions are made and generate impulse sales,” Myers says. All counter mats are made in the USA. CASE STUDY The Burger King counter mat was created to draw the customer’s attention to all of the choices available. The custom-size mat allowed for a large imprint area to showcase the advertising needed, and yet not encroach on the limited counter space. The spinner was added to complete the promotion and has an element of fun by taking the “pressure” off of customers who are undecided. From the 2009 Advantages September Supplement.
Wednesday
October 14, 2009 Vote! Tie Tuesday Part IIFiled under: General Last week the men in ASI’s Editorial and ASICentral departments did an impromptu photo shoot on “Tie Tuesday” to find out who had the best tie. This week, we all stepped it up with our finest ties. Vote below in the comments area or send us an email to feedback@asicentral.com for your choice! Tie #1
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Tuesday
October 13, 2009 Sell This Product - Business AccessoriesFiled under: Sell This Product Neck wallets provide easy access to all the essentials – cell phone, cash, credit cards and name badges – and can be the perfect sidekick for your clients at their next trade show or conference. With the growing number of gadgets consumers use in their day-to-day lives, convenience and multifunctional capability are no small considerations for a distributor when deciding which product to purchase. The neck wallet from Alstar Creations (asi/34800) provides variable usage options in a clean, modern style. After noticing a need in the market for badge holders with additional pockets for other accessories, Alstar brought the AJ718, which is made of 600-denier polyester, to its offering of neck wallets. The wallet has a cell-phone pocket on back, zippered top pocket, two pen loops, a clear front pocket for a name badge and an open-top pocket for business cards. Alan Hsueh, president of Alstar Creations, says the product is ideal for attending trade shows, conferences or for travel agencies. Forget about ill-placed adhesive name badges – you can place your badge in the front pocket for visibility and easy removal. The top zippered pocket easily houses a small notepad and pen for note-taking, and the clear pocket on back will keep business cards crisp and clean. “This is also a great product because it’s something that can be used once people have left the event,” Hsueh says. “It’s great to have when traveling and it’s compact and organized.” For busy jet-setters, the neck wallet provides easy access to necessities, and is more secure than an average wallet because it is worn around the neck rather than on the back or in the back pocket – two hotspots susceptible to pickpockets. It’s available in black and blue, measures 5″ x 7″ and offers two excellent imprint locations: one on the front and a small spot on the back cell-phone pocket. From the 2009 Advantages September Supplement.
Monday
October 12, 2009 Roger Farmer To Kick Off Power SummitFiled under: ASI Power Summit 2008
And to learn more about the Power Summit, go to www.asicentral.com/powersummit.
Monday
October 12, 2009 Sell This Product - Grocery TotesFiled under: Sell This Product If you’re looking for premium quality at a value price, tout this terrific tote. The BG125 Atlas Grocery Tote from Jetline (asi/63344) was designed to satisfy the growing demand for a value-based alternative to the supplier’s massively successful BG110 – Titan Grocery Tote, according to Joe Hoffman, director of marketing. “The Titan is our original recyclable grocery tote and is a terrific match for end-users looking for the strength and durability that the premium 100gsm non-woven material offers,” he says. The Atlas Tote can be sold in a wide variety of markets due to the intrinsic value of a durable and functional product. “We see a wide range of markets represented in the bag and tote work that passes through our plant: public health awareness, credit unions, schools and universities, trade shows, sports and event marketing and more. The recyclable bag market hits on the sweet spot of the promotional success equation – value, durability of message and association with a positive social trend,” Hoffman says. “The fact that our entire non-woven polypropylene bag line is recyclable and reusable in an age of global awareness is a terrific selling point, especially when paired with an attractive price point.” Hoffman advises distributors to take a look at ASI’s Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, available on asicentral.com, which highlights many of the qualities that make bags such a great match for the promotional industry. Bags are functional, durable and deliver an ongoing positive association with the end-user’s promotional message. “The next step would be to highlight the selling points of the Atlas Tote – value, color selection and the established selling history of the grocery tote in the industry,” he says. Color selection is a critical point – the Atlas is available in 12 colors, which means greater flexibility for the distributor salesperson. With the Atlas Tote, the end-user receives a bag with most of the qualities and perceived value of the premium tote offering at a significant discount. GREAT MARKETS FOR TOTES
From the 2009 Advantages September Supplement.
Friday
October 9, 2009 Sell This Product - WristbandsFiled under: Sell This Product Wristbands provide security and accountability at various events, while also serving as a form of advertisement. Wristbands serve two big functions at events – providing safety and identification for participants – both of which are important to Marathon Mfg./Prestige Lines (asi/68707). “There was a need for better security and accountability at events for crowd control,” says Frank Rocco, vice president of Marathon. “Our wristbands give the customer a highly visible means of accounting for every person entering an event, indicating who has paid and verifying age.” Besides safety and identification, wristbands are a great tool for advertising a company, brand or event. In addition to vinyl, Marathon also uses graphic-grade Tyvek in their U.S.-made products that can be custom-printed with logos, custom numbering and barcodes for clients. Tyvek wristbands come in a variety of colors: aqua, black, coral red, kelly green, neon blue, neon green, neon orange, neon yellow, pink, purple, red, silver, sky blue, violet, white and yellow. Tyvek, a material used in medical packaging and air and water intrusion barriers, gives the wristbands their sturdiness. DuPont, the chemical company that developed Tyvek, designates Marathon as a preferred printer. “DuPont only gives that status to manufacturers who exemplify their highest printing standards,” says Rocco. “We submit this to them, and they determine if our printing meets their standards. This is a designation that most of our competitors do not have.” The possibilities are endless when it comes to where wristbands can be used, showing their versatility and their significance as a staple product. While Rocco says, “Applicable markets are so numerous, it would take pages to list,” he did mention some examples: concerts, amusement parks, nightclubs, casinos, invitation-only events, outings, carnivals, grand openings, restaurants and hospitals. “One of our distributors works with the Southern Baptist Church Convention that attracts over 100,000 followers, and the wristbands are a must for attendance,” says Rocco. All of Busch Gardens Theme Parks and The Water Club at the Borgata Casino and Spa in Atlantic City also reorder the wristbands time and again. Almost every end-user you come in contact with has a need for wristbands at some type of event they sponsor. MORE GREAT USES
From the 2009 Advantages September Supplement.
Thursday
October 8, 2009 Sell This Product - UmbrellasFiled under: Sell This Product Wind-resistant umbrellas help companies and their customers weather the storm. Companies strive to withstand the elements, and their promotional products should, too. Take umbrellas, for example. They’re popular items for imprinting and giving away, but not all umbrellas are created equal. “It was becoming increasingly obvious to us that the typical quality available in the market would not withstand the extreme wind and weather conditions umbrellas are subjected to,” says Bob Hechler, spokesman for Windbrella (asi/97247). “Salespeople were asking clients to place their most valuable asset – their corporate identification – on products that failed quickly and ended up in landfills.” Contrary to many promotional offerings, Windbrella’s 62″ golf/oversized umbrella carries a 100% lifetime guarantee. The product features an automatic-opening, pinchless runner; 100% fiberglass shaft, ribs, spreaders; and a double-canopy, vent mesh system, which Hechler says allows the wind to vent through to prevent inversion in high winds. Windbrella introduced its golf/oversized umbrella as a promotional product, targeting the golf, corporate and nonprofit event markets, though Hechler says all markets can use umbrellas. He adds that Windbrella developed a Target Market Program that contains a series of brochures focused on the 19 largest end-users of promotional products, letting them know why umbrellas should be part of their advertising and promotional product budget. “This has allowed our distributor partners to penetrate almost every segment of end-users,” he says. “There is a place for our distributors to customize the brochure with their contact information, making it a tool that can be used to sell more than just umbrellas.” The first step in selling any promotional product is to create a company or personal business plan, says Hechler, because the job becomes easier once a direction is determined for salespeople. “Once that is accomplished,” he adds, “tools like ESP Online and our Target Marketing brochures will assist in the creative selling process.” GREAT TARGET MARKETS
CASE STUDY Two retirees from an automotive aftermarket business decided to sell umbrellas to the industry they knew from their past careers. They reestablished their contacts with dealerships and developed a package to send to every consumer who buys a car. The package contains a Windbrella with the dealer’s logo and a thank-you letter from the general manager, asking the consumer to give the dealership a 10-point rating on a soon-to-arrive survey. “Their volume was over six figures in 2008,” says Hechler. “While 2009 is slower, they are still finding success with the strong dealerships, and Windbrella is sure to be the supplier of choice, as we climb out of the current economic situation.” From the 2009 Advantages September Supplement.
Thursday
October 8, 2009 Tie Tuesday @ ASIFiled under: General There are some real characters here at ASI. From the outwardly flamboyant Matt “Mr. Wearables” George to the subtly hysterical Andy “Captain Killjoy” Cohen, never a dull moment is had here in the hallowed halls of Advertising Specialty Institute. So when for no reason I — who literally works in a dark closet with designers and developers and has no real pressing reason to dress formally – donned a tie a few Tuesdays ago, I received a bevy of snarky comments such as:
And on and on. But then someone mentioned or said in passing that we should all dress up next week, and, not thinking of who I was dealing with, said, “We should do a Tie Tuesday.” Boy am I sorry I did. Now almost all the men in both Editorial and ASICentral are dressing up like members of the Young Republicans Club on Tuesdays (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and I’m taking the heat. Anyway, this past Tuesday, thanks to Editor Joe Haley of The Joe Show, we had an impromptu photo session to ascertain the best tie @ ASI and, according to Joe, of course, he won when votes were solicited via email. But I’m not convinced. In fact, I think the results were skewed with everyone’s favorite cranky editor voting for himself multiple times. He was the gatekeeper of votes, so … Yeah. Since I have my own blog, let’s do this thing fair and square. The following are the ties … let us know which one you think is the best by commenting below or emailing us at feedback@asicentral.com – ASTie-Central Tie#1
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Wednesday
October 7, 2009 Sell This Product - Holiday OrnamentsFiled under: Sell This Product Custom, brass bookmarks and ornaments are valuable keepsakes at a low cost. With the holiday season approaching, gift giving will be on a lot of people’s minds, if it isn’t already. With money concerns in the current economy, it would be ideal to give a premium gift at a not-so-premium price. Leslie Greenberg, sales and marketing manager for Marbex Inc. (asi/68708), has a suggestion for such a present that is available from her company: a PageMarker bookmark. “For the price of a Mother’s Day card, you get a completely custom gold- or rhodium-plated, etched bookmark — on a custom duplex card bearing your client’s message,” she says. Instead of imprinting a logo on a bookmark or building on a pre-manufactured blank, Marbex can take a company’s actual logo or any other image and turn them into metal bookmarks with custom etching. The supplier can then use duplex card stock and metallic inks to create a card that can include a client’s message and contact information as a package for the custom bookmark. Greenberg says the bookmarks can be mailed without extra postage. “For universities, hospitals and non-profits that often send donor recognition gifts or solicitations by mail, this is a huge advantage,” she says. Bookmarks make universally appreciated gifts that can be used regularly by everyone, keeping the client’s name in front of the recipient to serve its promotional function, but do so in a stylish way. The PageMarker is also seen as a valuable keepsake. “There’s no denying the ‘wow’ factor,” says Greenberg. “They are elegantly packaged, beautifully designed and etched, and unforgettable — yet they only look expensive.” The supplier also offers totally custom-etched and plated-brass holiday ornaments, which are perfect for this time of year. They are pre-strung, with a folded custom gift card, and packaged in a black velvet bag. HOW TO CREATE YOUR CUSTOM-DESIGNED PAGEMAKER BOOKMARKER OR ORNAMENT 1. Working from your camera-ready artwork, Marbex will work with you to create a custom-made gift, using your building, logo, or relevant symbol – regardless of shape. From the 2009 Advantages September Supplement.
Tuesday
October 6, 2009 Sell This Product - Paper ProductsFiled under: Sell This Product While many have “plugged in,” the market for paper products still exists, and this company has a winning selection of journals, calendars and more. When the recipe calls for a proven product line, CPS/Keystone’s (asi/43051) line of paper products includes practical, USA-made, value items that will give clients bigger impact and help distributors get return sales. CPS/Keystone built its line of paper products after seeing the success of its core line of USA-made plastic products, which includes water bottles, flyers and more. Kippie Helzel, vice president of sales, says adding paper commodities to its product offerings was a logical step. “In today’s economy, there is a strong interest in USA-made items, and the demand for traditional paper products, including calendars and hand fans, remains very high,” Helzel says. Despite the technology push and plethora of electronic products on the market, Helzel says the need for journals for business meetings, conferences and trade shows hasn’t diminished. At least in the promotional industry, she says “The computer hasn’t supplanted the written word yet.” And value-priced calendars have traditional appeal across all markets. “Whether your client wants to do a promotion with wall calendars, an envelope-stuffer calendar, or a desk-planner calendar, people appreciate receiving them, use them both in the office and in the home, and there will always be demand for them,” Helzel says. “Any distributor who is not selling calendars is missing an important and reliable marketing opportunity for his customer, as well as a great recurring sale for himself.” Hand fans are another great way to create an interactive environment in a large group, both indoors and outdoors. They can help a group unite to show the spirit, and, on hot days, to keep cool. “With our hand fans priced so competitively, you may find that there are budget leftovers to give your customer additional bang for their buck, and to give you another sale,” Helzel says. Each of these products has proven popularity and reliable quality, all at competitive prices. CASE STUDY “There was a major sporting event with an American celebrity frontrunner that was taking place in Europe. We drop-shipped over 10,000 two-sided hand fans to different locations throughout Europe to be used by American spectators to spur on the team in different cities,” Helzel says. “This project had also been cosponsored by one of the major U.S. cable channels; so one side was designed to support the athlete, the other to promote the cable channel. What a great example of co-op marketing!” |
Roger Farmer, UCLA’s Economics Department Chair and accomplished author and financial forecaster, will kick off the first day of sessions at the 2009 ASI Power Summit from Carlsbad, CA on Nov. 1. After an interview with ASI’s president & chief executive officer, Tim Andrews, focusing on the state of our business economy, Roger will host a Q&A session. Read more about Roger at 
