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Tuesday
August 2, 2011 Win $25 - Suggest An ASI Radio Show TopicFiled under: asi radio show
For instance, our June 14 show titled Should You Bring Your Suppliers on Sales Calls? was so interactive it simply turned into a forum for users and listeners to engage with our show hosts. It was brilliant! So, for our next radio show — August 9 — we are opening up show topic suggestions to you, our listeners, and offering a $25 Visa Gift Card to the suggestion we use! If you’ve got a great idea for a show topic, post a comment below to the blog, on ASICentral Facebook, in Twitter or email us at feedback@asicentral.com. So stay tuned, and good luck! – DJ VeeDee
Thursday
June 23, 2011 Hot Promotional Product - Text-Free DriverFiled under: Hot Product of the Week
My first thought was, what if this poor dude’s had a heart attack and he needs help?! So, with the strength of a 4-cylinder, 128-horsepower 2003 Corolla at my disposal, I hit the gas and caught up to him in, well, eventually … and once I got there, what did I find? Not only was he not having a heart attack or in any physical distress, but he seemed to be having a good ol’ time texting (and hopefully not “sexting”) with God knows who. OK, this is a major driving infraction. A huge penalty. If I had a yellow flag in my car I woulda thrown it at him. Instead, I began texting my friends at how appalled I was (Ok, that’s a joke …). Anyway, this got me to thinking about a specific promotional product that would’ve been perfect for Mr. Swerving Dump Truck Texter Guy and how it could’ve prevented some awkward and dangerous moments for people driving on Interstate 95 South this morning in Central Jersey. The “Text-Free Driver” is a little thumb band that can be worn by people before they get into a car to remind them of the dangers of texting and driving. From supplier BamBams (asi/38228), this is an awesome product for this day and age, and one that I certainly give a “thumbs-up” to (no pun intended)!
Wednesday
June 1, 2011 5 Fashion Items the Industry Needs NowFiled under: Uncategorized My colleague C.J. Mittica, Wearables magazine editor and recent newlywed, takes on an interesting topic in this month’s cover story - 5 fashion items that are begging to be added to the industry. It’s a fascinating, and bold, read, if I do say so myself. Why bold? Well, when you see the five items C.J. discusses, it’s just difficult for me to imagine the promotional apparel industry offering such products. But, oh boy, wouldn’t it be nice?! The following are the five items, along with a teaser explanation on what we’re missing with them, as well as my take. For the complete story on five items the industry needs now, click here.
BOLD PRINTS
FASHIONABLE JEANS
LADIES’ BOTTOMS
WIDER VARIETY OF MATERIAL
–FashionVINista
Friday
April 29, 2011 Standing In The CloudsFiled under: Uncategorized From Counselor Senior Writer Dave Vagnoni, our guest blogger who’s reporting from the land of China … Just got back a little while ago from a VERY late dinner where I visited with distributors from four different continents. The table conversation was direct and engaging. It’s true that a salesperson in Brazil faces different challenges than a salesperson in Japan, but the bottom line is they’re both still trying to do one thing – convince clients and prospects that promotional products are a great way to advertise. Certainly, selling direct was a topic of heated discussion at dinner. Here’s my simple take on a complex subject. Hey, we know some distributors bypass suppliers. We also know some suppliers cut out the distributor and sell to end-users. This is reality. It’s not going to change. The companies that display the most integrity are the ones that have the most staying power in the industry. Margins might be trimmed sometimes, but there is money to be made through ad specialties. If you’re not making it, your competitor will. Now, onto the rest of my day. It started with a breakfast meeting with Gene Geiger and Jo-an Lantz. I interviewed Jo-an on camera to get a domestic distributor’s take on the role of China in the industry. You’ll be able to hear Jo-an’s thoughts in a video to be posted in a few months. Gene, as always, also had some sharp insight, too. His comments will be included in my Counselor feature later this year. I also had the chance to spend time today with Philippe Varnier of Polyconcept and Trevor Gnesin of Logomark. I asked them what country could eventually emerge as the next China. Philippe said it could be India. Trevor said it could be North Korea. After our respective interviews, as a parting gift, Philippe gave me a pen. Trevor, meanwhile, offered me gifts – as only he can – that can’t be written about in a blog. If you know Trevor, you can understand what I’m talking about. If you don’t, he’ll be at the ASI Show in San Diego. Be sure to say Hi. Also today, on the advice of ASI’s Ron Ball, I journeyed to one of the top tourist spots in all of Hong Kong – Victoria Peak. The site attracts seven million visitors every year and is home to private residences and four signature restaurants. The view itself today was incredible, although much different than the scene you often see on postcards. Today was rainy, dreary and foggy here. Being up so high (nearly 2,000 ft. above the harbor), it’s as if I were standing in the clouds. Literally, it was like being surrounded by blankness. ASI Publisher Rich Fairfield (who came along) and I couldn’t even see the water from the highest overlook at the peak. We certainly couldn’t see the stunning city skyline. Hong Kong was basically invisible. Our enthusiastic cab driver kept urging us to come back on Sunday when the weather is predicted to be nicer, even though we mentioned at least four times that we’re leaving Hong Kong on Saturday. It’s all the more reason for me to make a return visit here someday. Before I sign off for the week, I want to thank everyone that helped me along the way, especially Danielle and Randee from Dard. What great people! They’re down-to-earth, hard-working, sincere and very patient. I hope you’ve enjoyed the blog. I’m sure I’ll write a few entries again sometime in the future…from wherever I am. Please keep in touch. Zai Jian! -Dave
Monday
April 25, 2011 The Year I Skipped EasterFrom Counselor Senior Writer Dave Vagnoni, our guest blogger who’s reporting from the land of China … It definitely was an odd feeling to leave Philadelphia Saturday morning and finally arrive in Hong Kong late Easter Sunday night. A delayed flight, three-quarters of a day in the air and a 12-hour time difference does tend to rearrange what seems normal. I wound up spending those “missing” hours catching up on some sleep, eating better-than-I-expected airline-provided Chinese noodles and watching in-flight movies (wish I would’ve dozed off during Gulliver’s Travels rather than The King’s Speech). Fortunately, my bags made it to China despite almost being lost in Chicago. Apparently, the destination tag fell off my luggage in transit from Philly. A U.S. Airways representative was nice enough to call me after seeing a contact card and find out where my next stop was. Otherwise, who knows where all my clothes would be now. My trip from the Hong Kong International Airport to my hotel – The W – lacked for drama and I’m grateful for that. The poor driver kept apologizing because more than once he flipped on the windshield wipers rather than the turn signal. He didn’t seem to be a fan of Japanese-made cars. My first impressions of Hong Kong were comforting. It’s amazing how familiar things can look in a strange place. We crossed over a spitting image of the Golden Gate Bridge, dealt with the hassles of some late-night highway construction and passed sign after sign that read: Don’t Drink and Drive. It did take me a while, though, to get settled in my hotel room. I stared at the shower for a few minutes before I figured out how to turn it on (see confounding image below). I suspected operator error when I couldn’t quite get the plug adapter to work. Turns out it was just broken. I couldn’t believe in-room Internet access was $40/hour. Then I remembered to convert the currency and the price significantly dropped. TV here isn’t quite what I’m used to in the U.S. There are versions of ESPN, CNN, CNBC and Fox News, but there’s a clear programming time lag. I quickly lost interest in the Yankees/Orioles game when I already knew who won. So there you have it. That’s a recap of my first hours in Hong Kong. Here’s what you can expect during the coming days: Over the next week, I’ll be following around a few of the good folks from Dard Products. We’ll head to a factory in Shenzhen, experience the massive Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and haggle to get some deals in a local marketplace. I also plan to interview other industry execs who are here in Hong Kong, as well as some locals to get a sense of trade/labor challenges (and benefits) in Asia. I’ll be taking pictures wherever I am for a slide show, plus I’ll be shooting video that will eventually be turned into a TV-type report, similar to what you might see on the local news (that’s the goal, at least). If anybody has any ideas for places for me to see, or just wants to say hi (either in-person here in Hong Kong or from back home), email me at dvagnoni@asicentral.com. And by the way…Happy Belated Easter! –Dave
Friday
April 15, 2011 Royal Wedding Promotional Products PhotosFiled under: Fun The Royal Wedding of England’s Prince William and Kate Middleton is just two weeks away, and since this is the ad specialty industry, we wondered just how popular are promotional products for this event. Apparently, so popular that royal wedding merchandise could top £26 million [$42.5 million]. Even more interesting are the kinds of promotional products … from shot glasses and tea kettles to condoms and bells, check out the haul of promotional products we found on the streets of London.
Friday
April 8, 2011 Small-Business Tax AdviceFiled under: Tip of the Day
If not, this month’s Marketwise section of Counselor magazine has a few pointers that small-business owners will want to keep in mind to ensure they are getting all the tax savings they deserve this year. Check out the story now. And while I have your attention, here are just a few of the pointers:
Hope this helps!
Monday
April 4, 2011 Tip of the Day - 10 Traits Of Great Family Team MembersFiled under: Tip of the Day Do you have family on your staff? Here are 10 things they can do to ensure their success at the company.
From Counselor magazine’s April 2011 issue.
Monday
March 28, 2011 Tip of the Day - Build a Better WebsiteFiled under: Tip of the Day
From Wearables’ April-May 2011 issue.
Wednesday
March 16, 2011 State of the Industry SurveysFiled under: Survey Industry people, we need your feedback! Our fine Research Department is currently investigating the overall health of the industry for our annual Counselor State of the Industry report. Take a few minutes to fill out our survey and you could win some great prizes, including:
Distributors, click here for the survey.
Suppliers, click here for the survey. So what are you waiting for!? Take our survey now! |
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