1. Yes, but …
2. The boss will never go for it
3. I don’t have time
4. Get a committee to look into it
5. We tried that before
6. It’s not in the budget
7. It’ll never work
8. No!
9. We’ve always done it this way
10. It’s not my job

Source: Chic Thompson

Give up? Well Advantages’ magazine has done a terrific feature this month called What’s Hot in Your Neck of the Woods where all of these questions are answered, and more including regional sales forecasts for 2010!

And best of all, we here at ASICentral took the liberty of creating an interactive map that allows you to simply mouse over the region for a pop-up of all the details. Simply click here to see the map! (Or click here for entire article.)

And for those of you who would rather get the numbers right here, below are all 4 regions ranked by overall sales in 2009 (Go South!).

– VINteractive

Then the recession hit, and the cards were shuffled a bit.

According to a recent article in Counselor magazine, not only is the green marketing losing steam,  but a number of experts agree that it is no longer as integral a focus as it had been just months ago.

“A lot of businesses jumped on board because it was trendy, not because they believed in it. They did it because the polls showed this or a focus group said that. Others never got started,” says Simon Sinek, owner of strategic marketing consultancy Sinek Partners. “Now it’s not trendy.”

But according to Marc Held, national sales manager of Bodek & Rhodes, not only is the green market doing well, but it’s poised to make a significant comeback, especially with apparel. Watch the video here, or click on the video below.

What do you think? Is the Green movement losing steam? Take the new ASICentral poll now, or post a comment to the blog.

–MeanVinGREEN

Joan, this ain’t helpin’ us!

Anyway, enjoy the pics …

Gotta be California …

Two clowns and a red snapper fish head. Nice.

Ahhh, California sunsets.

Giant statue of the sailor and nurse in that famous kiss pose.

Melinda and Kathy on the entrance to the Gaslight District.

Group shot posing with Andy. Strangely, we all think it looks like we’re visiting Andy (one of the youngsters) in the old-age home “Wave hi to the camera Andy!”

USS San Diego.

USS Midway.

Anchors aweigh!

Statue of Bob Hope entertaining the troops.

Southern California!

CJ and Matt.

Gaslamp Quarter.

Yes, it’s actually quite an interesting and fun industry.

Anyway, we here are ASICentral want to know, What Is Your Favorite Promotional Product?

And we’re encouraging you to upload images of your favorite promotional product to our Facebook page (NOTE: chance for egregious self-promotion!) for a future vote. In a few weeks we’ll post all the products to our Facebook fans and let them decide which one is the best one.  

So, go to our Facebook page now and upload an image of your fave promotional product, tell us a little bit about it, and you’ll be automatically entered in the contest. (Not a fan yet? Just click the “Become A Fan” link at the top of the page.) And if you’re wondering what the spoils are, it’s bragging rights, a blog writeup and a mention in our newsletters!

That’s all folks!

– Buggsy

Sure, they were lovely and big and bright, but why would I always wake to them? Did Tony Robbins own the late-night infomercial market? Well, if you grew up in the ’80s and had, like, only a handful of stations, then yeah, I think he did!

Anyway, my first impression of Tony Robbins was of an annoyingly verbose, albeit well-spoken, talking head who seemed to have an excellent grasp of what he was talking about, though I never listened. I was too fixated on his bleached teeth, and so I just didn’t like him.

But in the early 2000s, he appeared in the movie Shallow Hal with Jack Black — the movie where i not only discovered how ginormous Robbins is, but also that he has “banana hands” — and a newfound respect was born. He played himself in the movie and really came across as endearing and genuinely interested in helping others help themselves.

Since I joined ASI in 2007, Tony Robbins has been a keynote speaker at one of our ASI Shows and is set to be the keynoter next week at our San Diego show and, though I’m not going, I really wish I could. Because from what people have told me from the last time Tony appeared at a show, he’s really something special.

So if you’re going to the ASI Show San Diego next week, but aren’t going to see Tony Robbins, then I need to ask … what’s wrong with you!!? It’s FREE!!! And all you gotta do is click here to register!

And if you simply can’t make it, I’ll be glad to go in your place.

– deezTV

1. Pro sports. Lori Coulter, president and CEO of Lori Coulter LLC (asi/46771), says professional sports teams in the NFL and Major League Baseball are buying bikinis – but fortunately, not for the players. “We get a lot of requests from cheerleading teams, particularly for professional teams,” she says. “They may do a calendar and need everybody in the same swimsuit.”

2. Car and boat dealerships. Coulter also sells some of her skimpier swimwear to high-end auto and boat dealers for what she calls the “age-old image” of an attractive woman standing next to a shiny new car or boat to add appeal for the consumer. “The dealerships are very interested,” she says. “If a decorator has a relationship with a dealer, it’s an easy add-on to the account – so decorate a branded Lexus or Porsche bikini that models can wear for an event.”

3. Fishing. Stan Rudman, a principal owner of Sportailor Inc. (asi/88796), has taken advantage of the fishing industry’s newfound interest in swimwear via one of its brands, Hook and Tackle Outfitters. “The fishing guys are wearing boardshorts,” he says. “My company came out with boardshorts for the fishing industry, but added features to make it fit into that industry, like utility pockets. They can also be sold to beach stores.”

4. High schools. John Amsterdam, president of Neet Feet Inc. (asi/73525), says flip-flops have come a long way in terms of popularity, both in swimwear and in general fashion. “At first they started as a novelty,” he says. “They’ve become more mainstream and visible, from celebrities wearing them to the Northwestern University championship women’s lacrosse team showing up at the White House with flip-flops.”

5. High fashion. Who knew that flip-flops are high fashion? “We do private-label projects for retail customers,” Amsterdam says. “One of our biggest customers is a top New York City fashion designer and we do flip-flops for his retail stores.”

6. Lifeguards. At municipal swimming pools, lifeguards have always been a popular target in terms of swimwear, but Gulbenkian says business is picking up in this area. “This has been a growing market,” he says. “Drownings are up, and people are a lot more safety-conscious. What’s the first safety item at a pool? It’s the lifeguard, just as the policeman is the first safety item downtown.”

7. Swim teams. “The competitive swim-team market grew a little bit after the Olympics and Michael Phelps, no question,” Gulbenkian says. “What is growing is a solid swimsuit with the individual team logo on it.”

From Stitches’ February 2010 cover story, “Suit Up“

1. Find a hot-selling product. Joe Stile, the national account executive at Halo/Lee Wayne (asi/356000), calls himself the calendar king, with good reason, since his annual calendar sales alone total $600,000. “My best-selling product has been an African-American history calendar, which features sports figures, singers, scientists and other notable individuals,” he says. In 1969, Stile sold his first order of 500 calendars to a Brooklyn, NY, independent funeral home for $17,500; today, that client buys 80,000 a year for $170,000.
2. Be a little off the wall. Write a unique tagline for your business and use it on all your collateral. Or, take it one step further and compose a rap song. Keith Wilson, an account executive for PromoShop (asi/300446), starts out his video series to show off products with a catchy rap: “I grant three wishes ’cause I’m Promogenie./ My competition’s played out like Sergio Tacchini./ If you’re lookin’ for the best – and I’m not just in the West –/ Put me to the test, ’cause the Genie never rests./ I’ve been takin’ care of clients for a decade and half./ Livin’ off referrals. Now you do the math.”
3. Network like crazy. As many times as you’ve heard it, you should network in person (think local business meetings or charity events) and online (use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn). Plus, have your elevator pitch down cold, and use it all the time. Patrick Doyle, owner of Proforma Synergy (asi/300094), has a great pitch: “I’m not the ‘promotional products guy.’ I sell promotional programs and campaigns. I have four services: print, promotional products, multimedia and graphic design. I put all those together by creating effective programs and promo campaigns that get measurable results for my clients.” He also gives out unique business cards, like a chocolate bar with his contact info on the wrapper or a desk game that people tend to keep.

From Counselor magazine.

Enjoy!

– DEEZ

Gunnar lovin’ the snow. (Photo: Sent in by Samantha Tucker)
Gunnar’s about to pounce on something in the snow. (Photo: Sent in by Samantha Tucker)
Editorial’s newest employee Jennifer Vishnevsky snapped a pic of her “Little Snowmen!” (Photo: Jennifer Vishnevsky)
A classic pic! Joe Haley, chomping on a cigar, out and about in the neighborhood. (Photo: Joe Haley)
From Designer Hillary Braubitz, a snowman with style - damn, I love that scarf! (Photo: Hillary Braubitz)
Hey Joe, cigars are good in the snow, but beer is better. This is how we do it in Jersey. (Photo: ME!)
Snowmageddon 2010 - don’t I look thrilled?  (Photo: ME again!)
Counselor Editor Andy Cohen’s five-year-old Jason happily learns a valuable lesson: Making a snowman is really hard work.(Photo: Andy Cohen)
Counselor Editor Andy Cohen and his son, Jason, hit the slopes.(Photo: Andy Cohen)
NJ license plate. (Photo: Dawn Shurmaitis)
From Melinda Ligos, on her dachsund: “I bet Daisy wishes she had some logoed doggie apparel about now.” (Photo: Melinda Ligos)
A snowy and “icicly” scene from Kerry Boderman’s porch. (Photo: Kerry Boderman)
From Joe Haley: That busted fence in the back makes it look like Ralphie’s back yard from A Christmas Story.(Photo: Joe Haley)
A scene from my pal Michele Bell’s neck of the woods. (Photo: Michele Bell)
From Kerry Boderman: My full-time job today is clearing the birdfeeders of snow so that the birdies can find the seed. Here we have a white-breasted nuthatch on the right feeder, and a goldfinch peeking around the side of the left feeder. (Photo: Kerry Boderman)
Ice in the Lambertville, NJ, canal. (Photo: Dawn Shurmaitis)
Mannequins in downtown New Hope. (Photo: Dawn Shurmaitis)
From Nicole Rollender: View from south jersey. What a post-groundhog day winter wonderland! (Photo: Nicole Rollender)
From Joe Haley: Nigel’s snow-covered snowtube looks like a frosted donut … ohhhh, donut! (Photo: Joe Haley)
From Scott Fuhr: What’s left of the grilling possibilities on our back porch. (Photo: Scott Fuhr)
From Scott Fuhr: OK, now which one is my car? (Photo: Scott Fuhr)

Looking for a hot idea for a Valentine’s Day promotional giveaway or business gift? Look no further!

From chocolate lips (#5) wrapped in red foil, to contrasting color thongs (#4), this list is smmmokin’ hot!! Want to know which product is the hottest?! Check out the list here, and read more about it in today’s press release.

And as an added bonus, watch a special edition of The Joe Show, where our very own Joe Haley shows us some of the products on this year’s list. Just click on the video below and enjoy!

– BarryWhite’sGhost