TIM ANDREWS BLOG
Thoughts and opinions on the advertising specialty industry
Rewind on a Redesign
Friday September 13, 2013 | Filed under:
One of the things I love about working in magazines is that when you work really hard on something and are unabashedly proud of it, you have a finished product you can actually lo...
SOI: Cautiously Optimistic
Monday August 5, 2013 | Filed under:
Remember the dark days of the Great Recession? We were mired in a subprime mortgage crisis, losing millions of jobs and experiencing 10% unemployment. Nearly every industry took a ...
1,000+ Certifications, and Counting
Wednesday July 31, 2013 | Filed under:
Whenever you think you’ve got it tough, consider what Michael Ryba recently accomplished. Michael, an account exec with Brown & Bigelow Inc. (asi/148500), earned his Bachelor of Ad...
Distributor Sales Hit Record High
Friday January 31, 2014 | Filed under:
The U.S. economy is on track to enjoy its best performance since the dark days of the 2008 recession and, I’m happy to report, the promotional products industry is doing even bette...
Red Hot Orlando Beats Arctic Cold
Wednesday January 8, 2014 | Filed under:
Despite near-record cold and the lingering effects of a horrific snowstorm that caused numerous flight delays, nearly everyone arrived at ASI Orlando in fine spirits, energized and...
Supplier Sales Rise Again
Wednesday September 3, 2014 | Filed under:
For the 18th consecutive quarter, suppliers in the $20.5 billion promotional products industry are reporting bigger sales, with revenues jumping an average of 5.1% in Q2.Data shows...
Taking the Industry’s Pulse
Wednesday August 6, 2014 | Filed under:
To most people, summer means family road trips, zeppelin-sized zucchini, backyard barbecues and lightning bugs. Here at ASI, summer means all that and more, since summer is when we...
Celebrating with Fun and Flair
Wednesday July 16, 2014 | Filed under:
ASI is celebrating its 15th anniversary of hosting a national trade show in the great city of Chicago with a ton of fun and flair. The show features info-packed education sessions,...
Driving Serious Fun
Tuesday July 8, 2014 | Filed under:
There’s no better time than summer to tackle an offbeat project, all in the name of fun. In that spirit, ASI created an “ArtCar” that we’re driving over 750 miles from our headqu...
On the Road with C.J., Melinda and Andy
Monday July 7, 2014 | Filed under:
When you think it’s Friday though it’s really Tuesday … when you’ve judged a dessert bake-off and participated in a wine tasting … when you’ve stopped in your third time zone in a ...
Happiness, Canada Style
Thursday June 19, 2014 | Filed under:
It’s no wonder polls officially rank Canada as among the happiest countries in the world. In general, Canadians seem like a very happy bunch, and it was a real pleasure to enjoy th...
Kicking it in Canada
Tuesday June 3, 2014 | Filed under:
Nearly every economic analysis I read is soon followed by one with seemingly contradictory information. Unemployment is down – but more people are chronically unemployed. Exports a...
Promo Power 101
Monday April 28, 2014 | Filed under:
Tom Athan is a college student who produces and sells a clothing line called Dudz from his dorm room (imagine low-slung, custom-made M.C. Hammer-style lounge pants for guys and gir...
PR for Promos
Monday April 14, 2014 | Filed under:
ASI scored some major PR for the industry recently, thanks to a national story that aired on the MSNBC Sunday morning program, Your Business, which exclusively covers small busines...
Swimming with the Sharks
Friday April 4, 2014 | Filed under:
Shark Tank judge Daymond John blew the crowd away at ASI’s New York show. His rapid-fire presentation – chock full of personal stories, funny anecdotes and frank business advice – ...