ASI Announces New Technology Alliance With AIM Smarter

TREVOSE, PA – January 6, 2020 – The Advertising Specialty Institute^®(ASI) today announced that promotional products distributor network AIM Smarter has chosen to power its new product platform with ASI’s ESP, the promo industry’s largest, most accurate, e-commerce enabled database.

AIM and ASI joint members will have access to AIM VIP suppliers and hundreds of thousands of promotional products through ESP, powered by ASI. The integrated product data will streamline business operations, while ESP's real-time inventory will help eliminate countless phone calls and emails to suppliers.

This alliance will provide significant benefits, and all AIM distributors will be invited to participate. AIM distributors will also enjoy access to ASI educational marketing materials and numerous new filters to narrow product searches, making it faster and easier for them to find the right product for their buyers.

“We’re thrilled AIM chose ASI’s ESP for their distributors, who will enjoy a dramatic expansion across a range of available products and product data, along with thousands of ASI suppliers,” said Bob DeFord, ASI senior vice president of distributor sales and marketing.

The integration of ASI’s ESP into AIM’s business tools will provide an extension of product data for AIM members. This additional benefit will be available in AIM’s proprietary order processing system, AIM Tech Suite, as well as the AIM Member Portal, CRM, Business Web Sites and Company Store solutions.

ASI President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy M. Andrews celebrated the alliance with AIM CEO Nichole Stella at a party on Saturday held during ASI Orlando, the first large promotional products trade show of the 2020 selling season.

“AIM has had a long-standing commitment to our distributor network to deliver incredible member benefits and now, through the ‘Even Better Together’ alliance with ASI, they will have access to all the benefits of membership available through both organizations,” said Stella. “AIM distributors will now be able to easily opt into this benefit at unparalleled pricing.”

For more information on the new ASI/AIM alliance, please contact Mike D'Ottaviano, ASI’s executive director of corporate accounts, at mdottaviano@asicentral.com or Ryan Beletz, AIM's vice president of distributor services at ryan@aimsmarterllc.com.

About ASI The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI^®) serves a network of 23,500 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $24.7 billion promotional products industry. ASI’s flagship product, the technology platform ESP^®, manages the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain. ASI also produces award-winning digital and print content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 55 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable. ASI’s Counselor^® magazine provides the most authoritative business content in the industry, and the ASI Certification Program features 500+ live and online education courses for over 40,000 professionals. The company, family owned and operated since 1962, is proud to have been consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA. For more info: asicentral.com.

About AIM AIM Smarter, LLC, is the U.S.'s largest promotional product distributor network. AIM offers innovative industry-focused cloud-based technology tools, business services and powerful benefits to its more than 2200 promotional product distributor affiliate members. With a focus on collaboration, community and innovation, AIM is one of the fastest-growing distributor organizations in the promotional product industry. For more information, please visit www.aimsmarter.com.