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Study Shows What Buyers & End-Users Really Think
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the promotional products industry, with a network of over 26,000 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)
New ASI Study Shows What Buyers And End-Users Really Think
First study to tell suppliers and distributors if they're delivering the right products
TREVOSE, PA – November 8, 2011 –The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) today released a landmark study that documents the discrepancies in attitudes and opinions between buyers, sellers and end-users of promotional products.
“Defining the Disconnect: An Analysis of Channel Beliefs vs. Customer Needs in the
Advertising Specialty Industry” was released at the fifth annual ASI Power Summit, an exclusive gathering in Dana Point, California, of more than 250 business leaders from around the globe.
“This is the very first industry study to cut through the clutter and tell suppliers and distributors straight out if they’re delivering products end-users really want,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “ASI’s detailed analysis lays out a plain case for paying attention to customers’ wants and needs - rather than your own, sometimes misguided beliefs. At the same time, it points the way to new selling opportunities.”
The most significant findings of the study show:
- Quality counts. Overall, distributors understate the importance of high-quality shirts to males. In fact, males have consistently higher expectations than females about the quality of promo products across each of the seven categories studied.
- Generic rocks, too. Three-quarters of distributors and suppliers felt consumer-branded items were important for promo products, but just 32.3% of end-users and 41.3% of end-buyers agree, suggesting a major disconnect between their beliefs and those of industry members.
- Give me canvas or give me ... canvas.
