Full Version: Ad Specialties
From: Liberty [#31]
23 Feb 2005
To: Pete (AWARDMASTERS) [#13] 24 Feb 2005
We used ASI services the first year in the Ad Specialty business. After a year we switched to a competitor to save money. The third year and since we are back with ASI. Their products, overall, are much better. The new ESP Online is great and you won;t have the same problems with outdated materials. With a mouse click we pull up the suppliers catalog pages from ACE so it has saved us filing all of the catalogs for reference. They aren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination but as our sales of Ad Specialties has increased we find it invaluable.
For us as well, promotional products are the top grossing line but the lowest net line due to market pressures but there is still room to stand out with exceptional service.
We've never had a problem getting the deposit up front from all but a few customers. Purchase orders from the governments are standard rule and we follow pretty strict credit policies for those that insist on terms. It's all just good business.
Great topic...
From: Rallyguy [#32]
24 Feb 2005
To: Liberty [#31] 24 Feb 2005
Would you mind telling me if you used Sage in the past, and if so, why it was something you gave up on? ASI's version of ESP is around $4,000 annualy, and you get a similar level of product all for around $500 through Sage.
We are a current ASI distributer, but have been considering switching to Sage. I would love to hear the long and short of why you went back if it will save us time and trouble in our decision making.
Thanks in advance,
Brian Genrich
Rallye Productions
1-800-236-2036
From: Liberty [#33]
24 Feb 2005
To: Rallyguy [#32] 24 Feb 2005
Brian,
My experience with Sage was a while ago, especially where technology is concerned. It was in 2002 that I last looked at Sage products so any comments should be with that taken into consideration.
On a positive note, the folks at Sage were always very helpful yet not at all "pushy." And since it has beena few years, I would recommend that anyone take a good look at all of the options. In fact, I just signed up for another demo of Sage's online product.
In a nutshell, here is why I chose ASI's products. I thought that the overall feel of their products, from the catalogs to the printout from Centerstage, had a far more polished look. The Sage catalogs looked like a quick copy and past job with no flow from page to page and I thought the product scans in the database were rough.
With that said, it is indeed difficult to compare prices. Our ASI package runs just under $4K a year but that gives us four users for the ESP online along with the internet products. It looks like a coparable package with Sage would be about $3K, give or take, and for the difference I thought the overall quality of ASI was worht it.
Now having said that, I am a little bothered that one of our primary suppliers, Norwood, is not including their products in the ASI Logomall. I also think that there are a few players on the fringe that have some neat products. In particular I think Smart Distributors has a good looking web package but a very, very limited supplier and product database.
Wouldn't it be nice to cut and paste the best of all of them into one package...
Mark
Liberty Sportswear & Awards
From: Rallyguy [#34]
24 Feb 2005
To: Liberty [#33] 24 Feb 2005
I guess our company approaches the promotional products differently than most. At this point we use them for jobs we get requests for that we can't manufacture ourselves, or that we can't be as efficient manufacturing. We haven't tried using sales materials from ASI, or pushing the products because we are pretty busy pushing the stuff we manufacture and retail ourselves. It is a nice option to have asi as a backup for what you aren't capable of doing.
The main problem I have with ASI now is that they limit the way you can reference/locate ASI vendors. They want everyone on thier ESP system, and to us, it's not worth 4000 to use the system as a web resource. I think the 500 per year is worth it for what we are getting, but they have just recently changed the way they post information making it more difficult to use their services if you don't have the ESP option. Sage includes the search engine and services as well as a rating system for their $500 annual option. ASI doesn't.
Thanks for the detailed feedback.
Brian G.
From: UncleSteve [#35]
24 Feb 2005
To: Rallyguy [#34] 24 Feb 2005
Brian, If you want more information on SAGE and PPAI (and ASI also), may I suggest dropping by:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShortysDistributors/
which is a group dedicated to the promotional product distributors.... constant "where can I get's", supplier "reviews" good, bad, ugly, etc.
From: Rallyguy [#36]
24 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#35] 24 Feb 2005
Thanks a bunch Steve, I will take a look at it.
Brian
From: Liberty [#37]
24 Feb 2005
To: Rallyguy [#34] 24 Feb 2005
Brian,
From the sounds of what you are needing, you should look at distributorcentral.com. It would provide you with supplier info for free. And with ASI you could just subscribe to the basic service and get the register every three months in paper and you would have the ASI number for the credibility.
Good luck in all you undertake,
Mark
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#38]
26 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#35] 27 Feb 2005
Steve,
Could you create a link for the Yahoo (Ad specialties) group in our "Links" section, under "Related Forums"?
Sounds like a good resource.
Thanks,
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#39]
27 Feb 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#38] 27 Feb 2005
David,
I have signed up to join this group. This appears to be a very private group. You really get the "20 questions" before they let you through the gate. I have still not been accepted. They must really have some good information in there that they are trying to protect.
EDITED: 27 Feb 2005 by DATAKES
From: UncleSteve [#40]
27 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#39] 27 Feb 2005
They are somewhat fussy about joining.... and for good reason.
First, they are trying to keep it to advertising specialty distributors.
Second, a number of members were sued by a supplier for "trying to organize a boycott" of this supplier.
Norwood is the company doing the suing. (No relationship to SG that I know of!) The whole thing started with a thread about suppliers that also sell to end users and whether they are actively marketing to companies whose orders were initially sent in by a distributor.
This is a VERY touchy subject with the industry as you can imagine.
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#41]
27 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#40] 27 Feb 2005
Steve,
We get a taste of that in our industry, but it is a major problem with the promotional products industry. I have an ASI supplier in my city who wants me to market their products, yet they have a retail operation under a different name that competes directly against me with the same products. Do you think I would stand much of a chance in a potential sale that involved bidding?
Fortunately, they have a pretty narrow product line.
The company owners and management are great people, they just don't recognize that they have business practices that do not sit well with those of us on the outside looking in. I have made them aware of my perception, but they continue to do as they feel fit and I continue to market their competitor's line of products in my community.
From: UCONN Dave & Lynn too (DANDL48) [#42]
27 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#41] 27 Feb 2005
David,
Just like CIP who have a beautiful line of of crystal awards but your bumping heads with AITG which appears to be their ASI, PPAI, UPIC,SAGE IMPACT clone. Same goes with RS Owens and on and on. We can compete for the smaller orders, but when you get large volume order you are out of the ballpark.
Dave
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#43]
27 Feb 2005
To: UCONN Dave & Lynn too (DANDL48) [#42] 27 Feb 2005
Dave,
RS Owens is a great example. I would be a rich man if I could have a nickel for every RS Owens plaque that was brought in by local civic organizations to have a name and date engraved on it. I bet I have not done $200 in business with RS Owens over the past 4 years because of that. I don't even offer their products to my customers.
EDITED: 27 Feb 2005 by DATAKES
From: gpvikings [#44]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#43] 28 Feb 2005
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#45]
28 Feb 2005
To: gpvikings [#44] Unread
Stories of R.S. Owens "torpedoing" their wholesale customers, while cultivating retail relationships are in no short supply.
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#46]
28 Feb 2005
To: gpvikings [#44] Unread
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#47]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#46] 28 Feb 2005
David,
I heard your RS Owens catalog hit the trash can all the way from Maui.
Chuck
Nameless Awards Inc.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#48]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#46] 28 Feb 2005
David,
Don't throw it away. It makes a great "idea" book.
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#49]
28 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#40] 28 Feb 2005
Steve,
The practice of large companies suing online newsgroups isn't a new phenomena.
Fortunately, a legal precedent has been set, in the form of a SLAPP law/ruling. <shrug>
The judge ruled the newsgroups were merely exercising their freedom of speech/expression. Furthermore, the judge found the sarcastic comments, contained within the threads, to be rather humorous.
We're not in Kansas anymore, and Guttenburgh himself, (the father of print media), would be proud to see so many of our modern converations being carried out in print :-)
Wouldn't you say?
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA
EDITED: 28 Feb 2005 by DGL
From: UncleSteve [#50]
28 Feb 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#49] 28 Feb 2005
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