ASI Upgrades Website to Enhance Navigation, Education and Search

ASICentral.com Provides More Content, Videos and Blogs to Help Suppliers and Distributors Increase Sales

TREVOSE, PA – March 3, 2009 – Advertising Specialty Institute®, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, today announced an upgrade to ASICentral.com serving distributors and suppliers of promotional products. 

The upgrade includes enhanced navigation and search functions, allowing users to find what they need fast within one click.  The dynamic search function, powered by Google™, is positioned prominently at the top of each page, and most content areas also include text and thumbnail navigation menus.

The website also provides more interactive videos and articles with educational content from the award-winning Counselor® magazine and all of ASI’s six publications.  Exclusive content includes the ASI advertising specialties impressions study, information about ASI’s products and services, and links to the industry’s weekly Internet radio show.

To reflect the more prominent roles of social media, interactive industry blogs have been combined with social networks under a new “Social” category in the left navigation bar, while the rapidly growing eco-friendly market now features marketing tips, catalog information and new apparel trends under the “Green” heading.

“Our enhanced website is an integral and important part of our commitment to provide the best industry education for our members and to help buyers and prospects understand the power of promotional products, particularly in this economic environment,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI.  “The user-friendly design and enhanced content enables suppliers and distributors to find the tools to help them grow their business now.”

In addition, the news box in the middle of the homepage now includes a seven-part rotating channel that replaces the former static area.  This dynamic, multi-level feature serves content at timed intervals so visitors see a variety of useful industry and national news, sales tips and information about ASI Shows.

“The upgraded ASICentral.com offers users more news, trends and educational content so members can learn online anytime,” said Rich Fairfield, senior vice president and publisher for ASI.   “ASI is offering members yet another roadmap to success via ASICentral.com.”

The new website for the industry is currently live and watch for additional enhancements and increased industry education in the coming months.

To check out the Web site, go to uat-asicentral.com.  For more information about ASICentral.com, contact Rich Fairfield, at [email protected].

About ASI
Advertising Specialty Institute is the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, with a membership of over 26,000 distributor firms (sellers) and supplier firms (manufacturers) of advertising specialties.  Supplier firms use ASI print and electronic resources to market products to over 22,000 ASI distributor firms.  Distributor firms use ASI print and electronic resources, which contain nearly every product in the industry from more than 3,500 reputable suppliers, to locate supplier firms and to market services to buyers.  ASI provides catalogs, information directories, newsletters, magazines, websites and databases, and offers e-commerce, marketing and selling tools.  Visit uat-asicentral.com.