ASI Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary Of “Promo For The Planet”

“I’m proud of all ASI has accomplished on behalf of the promo industry over the last year through Promo for the Planet,” said ASI CEO Tim Andrews

TREVOSE, PA – April 21, 2023

To commemorate a year’s worth of useful, award-winning content posted to its authoritative Promo for the Planet resource hub, the Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) kicked off a week-long series dedicated to sustainability initiatives taking place throughout the promotional products industry.

“I’m proud of all ASI has accomplished on behalf of the promo industry over the last year through Promo for the Planet,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI, the largest technology, marketing and information provider in the $25.8 billion promotional products industry. “We’re more dedicated than ever to supporting distributors learning more about sustainability while giving suppliers a platform to explain ways they’re leveraging the supply chain to meet ever-increasing demands for products sourced ethically and in a sustainable way. Clearly, what started as a trend has become a movement, making sustainability a business practice everyone in the promo industry needs to adopt.”

ASI’s continually updated resource hub helps explain and encourage sustainability best practices among suppliers and distributors, with the goal of creating a more socially responsible promo products industry. Since launching in April 2022, ASI has posted 166 pieces of content, including in-depth features on topics like the growing B Corp movement as well as informative infographics, expert podcasts and actionable tips. Promo for the Planet can be found at asicentral.com/promofortheplanet.

To celebrate its one-year anniversary, ASI posted a wealth of user-friendly content during its “Promo for the Planet Week,” including:

• An in-depth look at the circular economy, a model that seeks to eliminate waste and pollution in part by designing long-lasting products that are reused, remade and recycled, rather than landfilled.
• Five of the most common myths and objections to sustainability and ways promo companies combat them.
• Ten meaningful ways to make an office greener, helping promo companies save energy and reduce waste.
• A comprehensive infographic highlighting a range of sustainability stats on topics like greenwashing and packaging waste.
• ASI’s “do-gooders directory,” an up-to-the-minute list of giveback programs, corporate social responsibility initiatives and sustainability certifications offered by suppliers and distributors.

Plus, ASI is actively gathering eco-certification and diversity data from suppliers to include in ESP+, which will help distributors make informed sourcing decisions.

“It’s clear the promo industry has made some tremendous strides in sustainability,” said ASI Media’s Theresa Hegel, an executive editor of digital content who spearheaded ASI’s latest initiative. “Seemingly every other week, we share news of a supplier or distributor celebrating a major milestone or announcing a significant sustainability pledge. However, there’s still more we all can do, whether it’s to reduce packaging and other waste, invest in greener operations and production methods, or encourage the purchase of high-quality, long-lasting products that end-users will treasure.”

To help ASI’s efforts, Hegel (thegel@asicentral.com) also brought together a top-notch advisory board of suppliers and distributors savvy in promo sustainability to share best practices. This week, Hegel hosted a livestream with board member A.J. Dickson, senior category director of Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America (PCNA, asi/78897), and Holly Brown, chief revenue officer, to discuss PCNA’s “Proud Path” efforts and future sustainability initiatives.

This week, Hegel and ASI media staff also won a regional Azbee Award for Excellence for Promo for the Planet, which is also in the running for a 2023 national Azbee from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

Earth Day takes place this year on Saturday, April 22, to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a vast range of worldwide events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org in more than 192 countries.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI^®; asicentral.com) serves a network of 25,000 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $25.8 billion promotional products industry. ASI’s flagship products, the technology platforms ESP^® and ESP+, manage the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain. ASI also produces award-winning digital content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 53 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable. ASI’s media and research operation provides the most authoritative business content in the industry, and the ASI Certification Program features 200+ live and online education courses for industry professionals. The company, family-owned since 1962, is proud to have been consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA.