Yet another controversy has reared its head and roars in the jungle. It seems that ASI is trying to find new customers by offering them a way to become a player in the business. They say: “Congratulations on taking the first step of owning your own promotional products distributorship. An ASI representative will be in touch with you soon to review this great business opportunity.” The link is at https://www.tryasinow.com/
Many of the comments and emails I read about this issue seem to castigate ASI for their attempt to feather their nest and expand their business. Hum… isn’t that what a business is supposed to do?
The last time I checked, the definition of “capitalism” reads: “an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.” (Merriam-webster.com) Or: “Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for a private profit; decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investments are made by private actors in the free market; profit is sent to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers employed by businesses and companies.” (Wikipedia.org)
Without trying to be an apologist for ASI, I do believe that their practices are an effort to be capitalistic in their approach to business. They are a private company engaged in the selling of information and products that enable their customers to sell promotional products to end buyers.
The controversy is a holdover from the old PPAI/ASI rift that occurred several years ago. That is an issue that has never been and will never be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction. It set ASI on a course that put it in direct competition with a not-for-profit association and encouraged each entity to try and become more like the other in every way. The situation is exacerbated by which side of the line you stand upon while rendering your opinion. If you are an Association member, then you have an association viewpoint. If you are unaligned, then you have no opinion whatsoever.
The truth is that nobody who is not an Association member really cares about this. The people that ASI is encouraging to join the business are not, for the most part, “full time” distributors. They are people who resell products and services of some kind to businesses that are legitimate prospects for promotional product sales. Yes, they become competition for the small legion of distributors in the business right now. But if history is a guide, they are short time irritants who take an order or two from our best clients but in the long run, they are not a competitive factor. The unfortunate truth is that our industry apes the greater world. Most companies are competing against companies from more than 40 world market centers who are now playing in their game on their field.
One email I received alluded to “the rules” in the impression that there are “rules” for playing in the promotional marketplace. I will concede that there were once rules for the business when we had fifty manufacturers who controlled manufacturing and distribution of pens, mugs, caps and shirts. Today, however, we have 3500 suppliers trying to feed 30,000 salespeople by moving 20 billion dollars of merchandise through the distributor/supplier/end buyer pipeline. The only rule of the game left is “SELL, BABY!”
Today, most suppliers subscribe to the notion that one who sells promotional products to an end buyer and can produce a resale certificate is a valid sales partner. They don’t really care what they are called because the line between who is and who is not a “distributor” is blurred beyond recognition. Once someone learns the lingo, they learn how to bluff their way through the gate guards and act like a distributor. We don’t check and if you can “talk the talk,” we let you “walk the walk.”
The final dirty little secret is that we are really not a very supportive industry. Suppliers try to forge strong relationships with distributors but those are mostly built upon a “give me better pricing” landscape. There is very little loyalty and there can’t be. Everybody in the game is trying to make a living under the rules of engagement which are: “Buy at the best price and sell at the best price, and repeat as often as possible to as many as possible.”
That is the way our industry operates. End buyer companies find the distributor they like- one who takes care of them- and they stick together until the distributor or their supplier screws up. Not one buyer cares who the distributor spends their money with or what association they belong to. They only care if the distributor can find the product, insure delivery and do it right. Whether the industry thinks they are a “distributor” matters not a whit to the buyer. If they issue a purchase order then, as far as they are concerned, they are dealing with a legitimate “distributor.”
Well, kids, I have invested as much time as I can afford in this discussion and I’m going back to identify opportunities to engage in more…
Happy Selling!

