Counselor State of the Industry Issue Stirs Buzz on Big Bucks

Health care, education and financial top 3 markets

TREVOSE, PA – July 31, 2012 – The Counselor State of the Industry 2012 issue delivered good news for the ad specialty industry, with surveys showing election spending, order sizes and profit margins on the upswing.

Each year, the Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) surveys distributors and suppliers for the special Counselor^® State of the Industry issue. The 2012 report – the most important and influential in the promotional products industry – analyzes key sales, marketing and operational metrics used every day by industry practitioners.

The 152-page issue, available online by clicking here, also identifies 10 factors changing how industry companies conduct business and interact. Identified trends include the impact of election spending, the rise of the health-care market, the proliferation of price-shoppers, an increase in marketing spending and improved pay habits.

In addition to comprehensive reports, the issue includes interviews with business experts and industry professionals.

Highlights from the stats-packed Counselor State of the Industry 2012 issue include:

USB Drives: Broken out as a separate category for the first time, memory sticks accounted for $650 million in revenues last year.
Shirts: Represent one-fifth of the industry’s revenues.
Calendars: Despite technological expansion, calendar sales remained steady in 2011.
Housewares: Sales grew by 53% in 2011.
Food Gifts: Revenues doubled last year.

“Counselor’s comprehensive State of the Industry report is a blueprint for the future that should be read by everyone in our industry who wants clear direction on capitalizing on the top trends transforming this ever-changing business,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “While the industry faces its share of challenges, ASI’s research shows there is genuine cause for excitement and numerous opportunities for growth.”

ASI publishes eight catalogs and five magazines in addition to the Successful Promotions™ Trend Report e-newsletter. ASI publications have won 70 recent editorial awards, including three Jesse H. Neal Awards, considered the Pulitzer Prize of the business press. Melinda Ligos is ASI’s editor in chief and senior vice president of professional development. Rich Fairfield is publisher and EVP of marketing and user experience.

To learn more about Counselor State of the Industry 2012 contact editor Andy Cohen at acohen@asicentral.com.

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 27,000 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 Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the CEO’s blog.

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