So you've decided to sell promotional products -- now what?
You've probably noticed that there are few forms distributors left—you may not even be one anymore.
Declining forms sales and changing client requests have turned you into a single source for all that is printed. Consequently, somewhere along the way you became a 'printed products distributor'—and if you haven't added promotional products to your mix, rest assured you soon will.
But then what? The ad specialty industry is, well, just that—another industry, separate from business forms. And, for many distributors, getting started can be tricky—especially when that means sourcing products in an industry that is all but closed to those outside of it.
Despite popular belief, ASI—the Advertising Specialty Institute—isn't the only source of product information, although it certainly is the oldest, the largest and probably the most well-known. Because of this, many distributors new to the industry turn to it.
For example, John Osborne, president of Wichita, Kansas-based Midwest Single Source, admitted that he knew little about the ad specialty industry when he first got involved nearly a decade ago—but he knew about ASI.
A business forms distributor since the mid-70s, Osborne remembered, "I had gone to enough seminars to know that I should be selling promotional products, and although I didn't really know very much about the industry, I knew about ASI."
Subscription requirements, however, include submitting a number of invoices from ASI-listed manufacturers. The number required depends on how involved the distributor already is in the industry.
Osborne needed 10, and recalled, "working our butts off to get them. We just didn't know who to buy from." Ultimately, the combination of a few business forms manufacturers that had crossed over into promotional products territory and a friend who produced acrylic awards generated the invoices needed to meet subscriber requirements.
Nearly a decade after its initial approach into the industry, promotional product sales comprise 7 percent of Midwest Single Source's more than $11 million in sales. In fact, the company was honored as one of ASI's top distributors at the Orlando, Fla., show early this year.
Bruce Breeger, owner of Coastal Forms and Data Products in Newport News, Va., also had problems sourcing products when he started selling promotional products. A forms distributor for 12 years, he initially turned to DMIA, which would provide a list of six to 10 manufacturers of promotional items, said Breeger.
Eventually, Breeger began subscribing to ASI, but only remained listed for one year. "It got us rolling, but once we had the information I didn't see the point of continuing the subscription," he admitted.
Today, about 7 percent of Coastal's $2.5 million in annual sales is ad specialties. "Once you find the major sources out there, they're more than happy to send you catalogs and give you the information you need," Breeger advised.
Jim Boucher, a sales representative at The Printing Press, Crest Hill, Ill., explained that his customers had been inquiring about promotional products for years.
"At first we would turn them away because we didn't have sources," Boucher explained. "Then, when we did attempt to locate suppliers, it took a long time." He added that while an attempt was made to subscribe to ASI, "We weren't selling enough at the time, and were turned down."
In the search for suppliers, Boucher also turned to DMIA, from which he was able to gather some information. Business forms manufacturers with promotional products divisions also provided a source for Boucher, as did the Internet and various industry trade publications.
Today, about 10 percent of Boucher's sales are ad specialties, and his expectation that that number will continue to grow is the driving force behind The Printing Press's current search for product sourcing information.
In truth, ad specialty supplier information is available to distributors in many forms, from many sources. Some, of course, are more reliable than others—and it will ultimately be the amount of money you wish to spend, and the degree of research that you require, that will determine the source that is right for you. Among the better-known outlets are:
- ASI. Operating out of Langhorne, Pa., this 50-year-old for-profit business provides research, marketing and sales tools to distributors and suppliers. Five subscription levels are offered, the most basic of which includes an ASI number listing and free attendance to the company's three annual trade shows.
The higher-priced packages offer additional benefits—including the Digest Quarterly, with information on more than 3,800 suppliers; access to asicentral.com and InfoLine, ASI's professional research service; and ESPplus, a 26-option search engine that includes more than 600,000 products.
Distributors must meet certain requirements to be allowed to subscribe to ASI services. For complete information, go to www.joinasi.com and click on the distributor link or call (800) 326-7378.
- PPAI. Members of the Irving, Texas-based Promotional Products Association International, a non-profit trade organization formed in 1965, receive the Membership Directory and Reference Guide, which includes contact information for all of PPAI's 1,500+ listed suppliers. Members also receive a Universal Promotional Identification Code (UPIC) number.
Additional benefits include attendance to its three annual trade shows, access to learning and training resources and inclusion in trade association activities.
Distributors must meet certain requirements to be granted membership. For complete details, visit www.ppa.org or call (888) 492-6891.
- Quick Technologies. Founded in 1992, Quick Technologies, Dallas, offers the SAGE line of products.
Included in the offerings are SAGE-Online and SAGE-CD, research tools that include more than 500,000 products as well as supplier contact information. Other offerings include SAGE-DataBook, with information on more than 3,500 industry suppliers; the SAGE-Catalog Library; and various Web tools.
Distributors must accept and sign the SAGE License Agreement to purchase products. For complete details, visit www.sageworld.com or call (214) 631-6000.
- Impact Publishing. Located in Dunedin, Fla., Impact has produced syndicated catalogs for the industry for more than 20 years.
The company's offerings include PromoSearch—a product research/sales presentation tool that includes hundreds of thousands of products—and The Source Book Quarterly, a reference tool that contains more than 3,000 supplier listings and more than 30,000 products.
Distributors must complete and sign a validation form to buy products. For more information, call (800) 222-6228.
- Graphtek Communications.This Boca Raton, Fla., publisher offers The Supersource Book of Promotional Product Suppliers. The book lists more than 3,400 suppliers' names and contact information cross referenced with more than 1,000 product categories.
More information can be obtained by visiting www.graftekcommunications.com or calling (561) 241-2445.
By Misty Byers
- Companies:
- Midwest Single Source