ASI And Premier Group Announce New Technology Partnership

TREVOSE, PA – April 28, 2015 – The Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) today announced a new technology partnership with Premier Group to provide its members seamless access to an array of world-class resources, including a personalized version of ASI’s premier product sourcing tool, ESP^®.

Premier Group is an alliance of leading distributors and suppliers located throughout North America. By partnering with ASI, the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the $21.5 billion promotional products industry, Premier Group members can immediately begin leveraging ASI’s technology platforms.

Under the agreement, Premier Group members can now access:

• A personalized version of ESP for Premier Group. Premier Group distributor members can set up Premier Group suppliers as the primary search companies on their ESP Websites™ or search engines, as well as access the full ESP products assortment.
• ASI SmartBooks^® by ASI Computer Systems^®, business management software fully integrated with ESP to enter and track orders, automatically calculate commissions, source products, generate business intelligence reporting and manage inventory. In addition, Premier Group distributors can continue to use ProfitMaker^® as their business management system.
• Customized website solutions developed to highlight Premier Group preferred products while keeping each member’s messaging and branding unique.
• Print and digital marketing resources such as ESP Social™, ASI TrafficBuilder™ and ASI’s award-winning catalogs, tailored for each member’s needs.

“I’m very excited Premier Group recognizes the value in providing its many members with ASI’s leading sales and marketing solutions,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “Through this collaboration, Premier Group members will gain access to the most up-to-date products, services and technology available to the industry, helping them save time and streamline their order-management processes. This partnership recognizes a growing trend of collaboration within the industry, and I’m proud we’re able to play a part in the success of so many companies.”

With nearly $250 million in distributor buying power, Premier Group is one of the largest partnering groups in the industry. Its mission is to contribute to the success and growth of individual member companies through a unique partnering structure that promotes best industry programs, encourages information sharing and fosters strong business relationships.

“The group is pleased to offer members the benefits and tools provided by ASI for use in their businesses and looks forward to working with ASI to more closely align these tools with the needs of Premier Group members,” said Premier Group Chairman Mark Stewart. “Many of our members currently utilize ASI technology, and our goal with this agreement is to offer our members meaningful benefits that help us meet our overall Group mission.”

For information about other ASI products, services and integration opportunities, contact Heather DiPrato, ASI’s senior vice president of distributor services at hdiprato@asicentral.com.

Interested distributors and suppliers can learn more about the Premier Group Network at www.premiergrouponline.net or by contacting Bill House, executive director, at bhouse@premiermember.com.

About Premier Group
Established in 1997, the Premier Group Network is a member-driven alliance of top industry suppliers and independent distributors who, as members, are dedicated to improving business relationships through networking and sharing best practices. The Group has over 75 members.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the promotional products industry, with a network of over 25,000 distributors and suppliers throughout North America. ASI leads the industry in technology solutions, providing cloud-based e-commerce, enterprise resource planning software (ERP) and customer relationship management software (CRM). ESP Web® is the industry’s leading tool for sourcing hundreds of thousands of products. A family-owned business since 1962, ASI also provides online research, marketing, advertising opportunities, trade shows, education, award-winning magazines, newsletters, custom websites and catalogs to help members sell, market and promote their brands. Visit ASI at www.asicentral.com and on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the CEO’s blog.