Turning Needs into Leads™

Welcome to the September NewsAlert from Promotional Merchandise USA: 18th Edition

Best Practices

What Do Suppliers Think Distributors Should Know?

Question: What should distributors be asking when they see a supplier at the Expo, ASI, table top shows, etc.?

Answer: Ask what the top sellers are and what market segment buys the most. For example retail, automotive, high tech etc. Tell the supplier the type of clients you have and they may surprise you with some good selling tips.
Also ask how the item is made, printed etc. The more you know about a product the easier it is to sell. It also helps you understand lead time for production.

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A Success Story from Capital Ideas

Kids Are Our Business:

Challenge
To encourage membership in Georgia’s largest educational organization. Useful and unusual promotional products were selected to give to new teachers, new members, and building reps.

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Industry Updates

ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo Delivers Hot Items for the Gift-Buying Season

The ASI Show announced that its Holiday & Incentives Expo, which previewed last week in Las Vegas, met with enthusiastic responses from distributors and suppliers eager to gather marketing and product ideas to help build momentum toward a strong close to 2009.

Highlights of the expo included:

• Education Day - Featured the “New Distributor Success Clinic” and the “New Distributor Networking Lunch,” created for those new to the advertising specialty industry.
• “Secrets from the Pros Keynote: Cash in on the $45 Billion Incentive Market” - A panel of industry experts and executives discussing effective ways to grow sales of incentives that attracted an overflow crowd.
• Gift Book Showcase – A new pavilion on the show floor that included proven holiday items featured in the 2009-2010 Gift Book.
• ASI Internet Radio Show – The editorial team at ASI broadcasted live each exhibit day before the show with marketing and business tips. Listen to the segments anytime, at asicentral.com/radio.
• Videos of Unique Products – Tim Andrews shares seven of his favorite product finds from the show floor in his video – watch it here.

Wondering What the Latest Legal Issues Are Facing Our Industry?

PPAI LAW - Your up-to-the-minute look at the most pressing issues and legislation impacting the Promotional Products Industry. Stay up to date on what's happening in Washington DC and around the country by reviewing the most recent postings to the PPAI LAW site.

To learn more about PPAI's Legislative Action Campaign click HERE.

Promotional Products Could Be Banned -- Take Action Now Click Here Physician Payment Sunshine Act, S.301

Call your Senators now regarding S.301--Sample Script

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Trade Show Advice

Developing a New Exhibit, Design Strategy

By Peter LoCascio

Gain insight on creating a new plan for your next trade show by learning first hand from an Industry Consultant. Get advice on how to save time and money and how to eliminate many problems by designing a new exhibit first. Then go out to bid for construction, transportation to and from shows plus the qualified labor required for installation, dismantling and emergency show services.

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Marketing

Web Evolution

Web advertising still provides the best combination of broad and selective reach as well as measurable results when used properly.

Scott Bedbury, CEO of BrandStream, comments that despite the fact that the Internet has in many degrees leveled the playing field for B2B companies, price is not everything. "Manufacturers also must recognize that they no longer can make one product and ship it to anything that walks, on or off the Web, and then turn their back on what happens next," he commented. "The value proposition increasingly is becoming important. Firms that create undifferentiated products eventually go out of business without the real or perceived value and enhanced customer relationship."

Regis McKenna, chairman of The McKenna Group, emphasized that the Internet has changed the course of many businesses but not advertising and branding thinking. "It is not a broadcast medium like television," he said. "It is much more of a service medium where you have people interact and exchange information with you. Because of this, Web advertising becomes increasingly important. Trying it once and not producing results only means that you were doing it wrong. It takes the experience of failure and time to learn and evolve to produce success."

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Laundry Softener Smells Like Flowers

This creative and very visual promotional campaign for Lenor laundry softeners in Romania replaced the flower pots at florist stands along Bucharest's most traveled street with Lenor bottles, thus communicating to consumers that the softener smells as pretty as the flowers. Unlike a lot of guerrilla promotions, this wasn't confrontational at all, and actually brightened up a lot of people's days, according to a survey taken soon after the promotion was unveiled. At times guerrilla marketing is used negatively--Lenor's example reminds us that this kind of promotion doesn't have to shock to be effective.

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Social Media

LinkedIn Group for Tradeshow Giveaways via The Trade Show News Network (TSNN)

Join TSNN's LinkedIn Group today to network and stay informed with 2,075+ Trade Show Industry Professionals. It costs nothing and it's viral! Join the helpful and informative discussions.

A Hot Topic Being Discussed Right Now:

What Are Your Thoughts About the Future of Event Marketing?

Participate in the featured discussion or post your own!

Make better introductions

LinkedIn Can Be A Valuable Networking Tool - But Are You Maximizing Its Potential?

By Scott Kirsner
Globe Staff

Lee Hower could be considered an expert on using LinkedIn. As a part of the founding team of LinkedIn and as an experienced venture capitalist Hower utilizes this growing networking business site to gain intelligence on entrepreneurs he is researching for investors.

However, Hower became more educated recently with the help of David Gowel, a former Army Ranger who said "LinkedIn is like a Swiss Army knife with a thousand blades," "There are lots of intelligent, Internet-savvy people who don’t know how to use it."

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Job Postings

Promotional Execution Planner

Marketing Communications Specialist

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