ASI's Vinnie Driscoll and Melissa Newman talk to Callie Rojewski, a marketing and brand strategist, about the customer journey: what it is, why it's important to your business, and the role social media plays in it.
Kevin Quinn of Boundless talks about the daily emails of encouragement he's sent to colleagues since the beginning of the pandemic.
Ohio-based screen printer Brian Baxter opened a brick-and-mortar location last summer. In this podcast, he talks about some of the challenges he faced.
In this quick-hit Social Angle podcast, ASI's Vinnie Driscoll and Melissa Newman discuss the hottest new social media platform Clubhouse. What are the features, benefits and potential drawbacks of the network? And is it right for your promo business? Listen now to find out! Photo by William Krause on Unsplash
In this episode of Promo Insiders, Executive Editor Sara Lavenduski speaks with the 2021 Distributor Salesperson of the Year, Brett Marz of BAMKO.
The first quarter of 2021 is jangling the nerves of many distributors in the promotional products industry. And not without reason: The fourth quarter holiday sales surge is over, while the monumental business challenges presented by COVID-19 remain. Nonetheless, it’s possible to achieve success in the first quarter and beyond. In this podcast hosted by ASI Executive Editor Christopher Ruvo, which is adapted from a January 19 webinar, two distributors that engineered banner years in 2020 (despit...
In this fun and informative episode of the Social Angle, Search Engine Optimization Team Lead Nick Morales speaks with Melissa Newman about improving SEO using social media and demystifies it for our audience. Nick gives insight into the top SEO trends for 2021, how you can improve your keyword research and why you should always optimize your social media profiles.
At the end of 2019, Jamie Young made a long-term investment that immediately paid off. The founder of Battle Ground, WA-based Uptown Screen Printing (asi/184812) hired a speaking coach. Instead of rambling during panels and presentations, she wanted to speak confidently about her business and the power of promotional products. That confidence ended up being her biggest asset during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of Promo Insiders, Senior Writer John Corrigan talks with Young about the un...
It's no surprise the effect COVID has had on the events and trade show markets. Concerts, conferences and large gatherings have either been put on hold indefinitely or moved into a virtual environment, putting a damper on one of the biggest markets in the promo industry. But there's still opportunity if you know where to look.
Despite the countless business challenges spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic, some highly adaptable distributors and suppliers had record years for sales and growth in 2020.
Personalization in marketing isn't new, but it’s definitely a top trend for 2021. Consumers face a flood of marketing messages daily and using personalization helps cut through the noise to grab their attention. In this episode of the Social Angle podcast, ASI's Melissa Newman chats with Jayde Powell the Head of Social & Community at Sunwink. Jayde shares how she leverages data and analytics to create engaging social media campaigns, why “spray & pray” marketing is out and what’s on the ...
Adrian Molina, a senior brand manager for Aviation Gin, discusses a trends that businesses who use social media should be mindful of in 2021.
When promo sales across the industry dropped precipitously in March, firms scrambled to freeze expenses and shore up operations in order to weather the storm. For Russell Bird, owner of The Promo Addict (asi/302225) in Sherwood Park, AB, that meant locking down the entire company and making the tough decision to lay off several team members. But a few months in, Bird had an idea: Tapping into his love of competitive barbecue, he decided to open a small retail store in The Promo Addict’s offices ...
Clothes are just pieces of fabric, right? Far from it. According to personal and corporate stylist Lani Inlander, clothes define not only how others see you, but how you see yourself. For 15 years, the founder of Washington, D.C.-based Real Life Style has been helping people dress for success so they can focus on what they do best. “What all of our clients have in common,” says Inlander, “is that they just want to look and feel put together every day and get on with their lives – and do what the...
As we turn the page on 2020, ASI's Vinnie Driscoll and Melissa Newman take the lessons of the year and try to predict some of the hot trends we'll see on social media in 2021. In this informative Social Angle podcast, the duo also talk to three experts in the field about their opinions and open the question on Twitter to see what their audience thinks.
Filming of the fifth season of Small Business Revolution began in March… You know what happened next. Thus, the new season offers a real-time look at how seven small businesses in Fredonia, NY, handled the pandemic. In this episode of Promo Insiders, Senior Writer John Corrigan discusses the surreal situation with co-hosts Ty Pennington and Amanda Brinkman, chief marketing officer of Deluxe Corp., which is the parent company of Top 40 distributor Safeguard/Deluxe (asi/316203) as well as Deluxe B...
In this episode of the Social Angle podcast, ASI's Melissa Newman chats with Theresa Hegel, executive editor of digital content, and Chris Ruvo, executive editor of Counselor magazine, about social media’s influence on journalism over the past 15 years.
Sarah Sumner, a digital media manager, discusses two trends that businesses who use social media should be mindful of in 2021.
ASI executive editors Christopher Ruvo and Theresa Hegel talk about some of the challenges the promo industry is facing right now, when it comes to shipping, and lay out several actionable strategies firms can take to deal with potential delays.
Taylor Gaines, a social media expert and CEO of Social Gaines, discusses two trends that businesses who use social media should be mindful of in 2021.
When it comes to promo sales (or really, sales in general), few methods are more successful than the classic Good/Better/Best method. To break down this “ole faithful” of sales strategies, today we’re speaking with Rande Marin, Inside Sales Manager at Next Level Apparel. We’ll hear her thoughts on why this method is so effective, which end-buyers fit into each category and which Next Level styles fit each group’s specific needs.
We’re eight months into ongoing COVID-19 shutdowns and remote work, with no end in sight. In fact, states across the country are now seeing huge surges in virus cases that dwarf the highs set in the summer months. Meanwhile, remote work has its benefits – comfy clothes, minimal (or no) makeup, no stressful commute – but there are downsides; it turns out, even for the most introverted among us, we miss the in-person interaction we once took for granted. We’re finding that valuable rapport among t...
In this episode of the Social Angle, ASI's Melissa Newman chats with Roger Burnett, founder of Social Good Promotions, about cause marketing and how your business can benefit from it.
ASI staffers tried a cornucopia of odd foods, from apple pie Kit Kats and bacon soda to brussels sprout puffs and a turkey gravy-infused cocktail.
2020 has been a beast. 2021, promo leaders believe, will be substantially better for the promotional products industry, with sales improving over the current year. That’s just one of the predictions for 2021 that ASI editors Christopher Ruvo and Theresa Hegel discuss in this podcast. All the predictions are based on extensive feedback from a cross-section of promo professionals, as well as ASI data about the ad specialty space. What emerges are insights into major opportunities, challenges, tren...
Raging pandemic. Hotly contested election. Divided nation. There's no doubt this year has been tumultuous. And in the middle of it all, ostensibly stoking the flames of bitter conspiracy theories and misinformation, is social media. In this episode of the Social Angle podcast, ASI's Melissa Newman and Vinnie Driscoll put aside the negativity of the past year and discuss the four reasons they are most thankful for social media.
In addition, Catherine Monson talks about everything from surviving an abusive childhood to starring in an episode of “Undercover Boss” and how it helped her improve her business.
Julie Woodall’s sales are up, her margins are steady and she has great prospects for 2021. How’d she do it? Find out here.
ASI's Melissa Newman interviews Javier Melendez, of All Star Incentive Marketing, about his winning submission for ASI's #PromoOnTheGo social media campaign.
Sales rep Chrissy Mazzola discusses how she used video to connect with clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
