Counselor® PromoGram®
Volume 674 / December 31, 2009
Click here to read this and past issues online.


Consumer Confidence Reaches Three-Month High

Beating the forecasts of analysts, the consumer confidence index recorded a three-month high in December, jumping roughly two points to 52.9. Other economic indicators, though, including the Conference Board's present-situation index, remain mixed, strengthening theories that a full recovery will take time. "Confidence is stronger than when we started the year, but for much of the last several months we've been moving sideways," said Lynn Franco, director of the Consumer Research Center of the Conference Board, a non-profit firm.

Along with a spike in consumer confidence, the Conference Board's expectation index also increased in December, rising five points to 75.6. Among respondents, 48.6% reported jobs were still difficult to find, down from the 49.2% in November. Despite those positive signals, the Conference Board's present-situation index, which measures the current economic state of respondents, fell nearly three points to 18.8, reaching its lowest level since of February 1983. "A more optimistic outlook for business and labor market conditions was the driving force behind the increase in the expectations index," Franco said. "Regarding income, however, consumers remain rather pessimistic about their short-term prospects and this will likely continue to play a key role in spending decisions in early 2010."

A separate survey, released by CareerBuilder.com, shows optimism among a greater number of employers. About 20% of employers said they would add full-time, permanent workers in 2010, compared with 14% who said they would do so in 2009.  Meanwhile, only 9% of employers intend to cut workers in 2010, a significant improvement compared to expectations for 2009 a year ago.

ASI NEWS


Vote Now to Select Members of ASI's New ASI Advisory Boards
Vote by Thursday, December 31, and help change the direction of the industry.

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New Sprint Wireless Savings for ASI Members
Check out our newest member benefit: savings on wireless services and equipment from Sprint.

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ASI STORE
Find, review, and purchase the latest exclusive ASI products...
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Podcast: Business Resolutions For The New Year
On Tuesday's ASI Internet Radio Show, the hosts took calls from audience members looking to share their resolutions for their businesses as they prepare for 2010. Looking for ways to start the year off with a bang? Check out this podcast.

Click here to listen to the business-resolution segment from Tuesday's show.

If you'd like to check out a recording of the whole online radio show, go to www.asicentral.com/radio. And, don't forget to join us next Monday and Tuesday, January 4 and 5, for our live broadcasts from The ASI Show in Orlando. Go to www.asicentral.com/radio at 9:00 a.m. eastern time both days to listen to the show. We'll be live outside of the trade show floor immediately before the exhibit booths open. Join us live for the first trade show of 2010.


Report: Online Marketing Spending Accelerates
According to projections from the research firm eMarketer, online marketing spending is increasing and is projected to rise even further in 2010. It forecasts that overall ad spending will increase in 2010 with more marketing dollars headed online – spending online will rise 5.5% thanks to a boost in search marketing, banner ads as well as online video investments. Still, despite these increases, eMarketer says media dollars will not likely return to pre-recession levels. Why? There are more measurement tools to help target ads, more media fragmentation that will force marketers into smaller niches and new technologies to help companies market themselves.
           
Web sites, blogs, online videos, e-mail and social media are especially helpful for small- and medium-sized businesses, says David Hallerman, senior analyst for eMarketer. For example, "blogs are a way to draw in prospects that wouldn't have been on your radar. You may not think customers or potential customers are there online, but they are."

Bobby Lehew is one distributor who has vowed to put more energy behind his promotional products blogs: Bobbylehew.com and Brandedmatters.com. The director of operations at Robyn Promos (asi/309656) says, "There is a dramatic increase in people getting information online. The biggest increase in Facebook users are people over the age of 55. It shows you that even people you don't expect to be on the Web are there." Lehew says blogs have taken a backseat to Facebook and Twitter, but in terms of doing business, they are superior. "For the small business world, people buy from people they know and like," he says. "They need to find you. Blogs help position you as an expert."

In other forecasts from the eMarketer report, the Twitter population is expected to grow 15.5% to 26 million users in 2010, and search engine ad spending will increase from $10.8 billion in 2009 to $11.4 next year, a 5.5% jump.


Podcast: Counselor's Industry News
Every week, the ASI Internet Radio Tuesday Morning Show delivers an audio version of the industry's top news. Click here to listen to the segment from this week's show. The topics: some positive holiday retail sales results, a top 40 distributor reports financials, and the incentive industry plans for growth in 2010. Click here to listen.

Have any news you'd like covered in Counselor PromoGram or on the ASI Internet Radio Show? Send an e-mail to newsdesk@asicentral.com.



Call For Entries: Counselor Product Design Awards
Counselor magazine is looking for innovative products for its Product Design Awards competition. Suppliers are invited to nominate their favorite eye-catching products in the following categories:

• Apparel/Caps
• Awards & Recognition
• Bags
• Calendars
• Computer Accessories
• Desk Accessories
• Drinkware
• Electronics
• Gift Cards
• Housewares
• Meeting Products
• Sporting Goods
• Watches & Jewelry
• Writing Instruments

In order to enter, please submit the following three items: 1. A sample of the product. (We recommend that the product be exclusive to the supplier that is submitting it, although this is not a requirement.); 2. A quick description of the product, including any special features; 3. The category that the product should be considered for. There is a limit of one submission per category, per company. All submissions will be judged on the following areas: design appeal, functionality and the ability to attractively feature a logo (when appropriate). Winners will be featured in the June issue of Counselor.

Please send all entries to: Karen Akers, Awards Editor, Counselor Magazine, 4800 Street Road, Trevose, PA 19053. Questions? E-mail Karen Akers at kakers@asicentral.com. Please note that only products from North American suppliers will be considered and that submissions will not be returned unless specifically requested.



Introducing ASI Show Live
The ASI Show Live is making its debut at The ASI Orlando Show – if you're not going to be at the show this year, you can watch select New Distributor Success courses and the 2010 Fashion Show LIVE at www.asicentral.com/asishowlive.

Be part of the action, even if you're not able to attend the show. Watch these courses and events live at www.asicentral.com/asishowlive:

New Distributor Success Track
Sunday, January 3

Ad Specialty Sales Overview: The Nuts and Bolts of Success
David Blaise, Top Secrets of Promotional Product Sales
8:30-9:30 a.m. EST

10 Proven Ways to Get Your First Customers
Rosalie Marcus, PromoBizCoach.com
9:45-10:45 a.m. EST

Inside the Mind of the Advertising Specialties Client
David Blaise, Top Secrets of Promotional Product Sales
11 a.m.-Noon EST

ASI's 2010 Fashion Show
Monday, January 4, 5-6 p.m. EST



New Course Available on ASI Education's OnlineLearning Center 
Be sure to register at http://www.asicentral.com/asionlinelearning for some exciting new courses available exclusively to ASI members. Brought to you by ASI Education, Online Learning is the newest and most convenient way for distributors to get educated. Here are some of the courses from our New Distributor Success Track available now:

NEW
Building Profitable Client Relationships.
In the advertising specialty industry, 75% of the average distributor's revenue comes from repeat clients. That's probably because it costs anywhere from five to eight times more to gain a new customer as opposed to retaining the ones you have. In this course, we'll explore ways to build profitable client relationships. This includes: tactics to turn one order into repeat business by building a positive relationship with your client; how to creatively reach out to clients; and how to patch things up when you've made a mistake.

Course Track: New Distributor Success
* Nailing Down the Basics
* Write Your Business Plan
* Marketing Your New Business
* Steps to Selling Success
* Creative Case Studies
* Avoid These First-Year Pitfalls
* Managing Your Business
* Wearables Crash Course
Coming in 2010: 
* Green Apparel From A-Z: Grown Your Eco-Wear Business
* Social Networking Tactics That Deliver Results



In The News
Fresh Beginnings (asi/55439) announced that it has reduced its minimum requirement for four-color process imprinting to 24 tins (from 48) and has reduced its set up charge to $50 (from $80). 



People On The Move
Gordon Sinclair (asi/57800) announced that it has named Ray Rodriguez, founder of Multiline Marketing Group, to the newly-created position of vice president sales and marketing. The appointment is effective January 1.

Pro Towels Etc. (asi/79750) has hired Chris Piper as territory manager for the west coast (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA).



ASI SHOW

The following are the dates and locations for The ASI Show in 2010:
Orlando: January 3-5
Dallas: February 1-3
San Diego: February 24-26
New York: May 4-6
Chicago: July 13-15

Plus, don't miss the ASI Advantages Roadshow, the industry's #1 traveling show. Visit www.advantagesroadshow.com for the complete schedule!