But there’s another channel, helping brands grow and that operates more quietly, but far more consistently. The promotional product industry is a place where demand doesn’t spike and fade in the same way. It builds, repeats and compounds over time, leaving you with a lifetime of opportunities.

A Different Kind of Business Model

The beauty of promo is that you’re stepping into something more structured and repetitive than the classic retail space. Businesses are constantly sourcing products to support how they show up in the world, whether that’s through events, client relationships, employee experiences or brand campaigns. The key to all of that is that it is repetitive, meaning that buyers in the promo industry aren’t looking to make just a one-time purchase, they’re looking to buy year after year and even month after month.

When your products become part of that ecosystem, it’s no longer a one-time sale. It becomes something that gets reordered and reused. A hoodie might start as part of an onboarding kit, then reappear in a seasonal campaign. A bag might move from a one-off event item to a standard piece in a company’s gifting program. The product never changes but the role of it does, shifting you into a consistent sales stream.

Why So Many Brands Miss It

If the opportunity is this strong, it raises an obvious question: Why aren’t more surf brands already doing this?

The promotional products industry doesn’t operate like retail. You’re not marketing directly to end-buyers. Instead, there’s an entire layer of distributors who act as the connection point between products and the businesses that use them.

The tricky part is that these distributors aren’t just searching anywhere and everywhere for products. They rely on specific platforms and networks, like ASI’s ESP+, where they can quickly find, evaluate and trust the suppliers they choose to work with. When they’re under pressure to deliver options fast, they aren’t looking to go beyond those environments and often don’t even have time to. So even if your product is exactly what they need, it won’t matter if it isn’t visible in the right place.

Where the Shift Happens

ASI connects your products to a network of 125,000+ buyers who are already sourcing and making decisions. Instead of trying to navigate the industry from the outside, you’re immediately positioned directly within it, where visibility leads to opportunity.

The promotional products industry isn’t something you need to build demand for, the demand already exists and buyers are already sourcing. For surf brands, the path forward doesn’t require reinvention, it doesn’t even require new products or a complete shift in strategy. It simply requires a new level of exposure where what you’ve already built is connected to a different kind of buyer.

Where ASI Turns Potential Into Performance

Capitalizing on this promo opportunity is where many brands get caught up. Often because they’re not consistently visible where distributors are making decisions. ASI bridges that gap.

By becoming a supplier member, your products aren’t just listed, they’re placed directly into the sourcing flow of the industry. Through platforms like ESP+, the industry’s leading sourcing platform, your products show up when distributors are actively searching and selecting options for their clients.

ASI also gives you the tools to turn that visibility into real, measurable growth:

• Centralized Dashboard: Keep your product data and activity aligned through one streamlined platform.
• Sales-Driven Insights: See what buyers are searching for, how well ads are competing and so much more to keep you informed on every decision.
• In-Person Events: Year-round events in a variety of meeting styles allow you to showcase products to buyers with hands-on opportunities.
• So much more!

With opportunities like Hosted-Buyer Events, you can connect directly with distributors who have real purchasing power, turning introductions into relationships and relationships into repeat business. What once felt like a hard-to-access channel becomes supported and scalable.

Start turning what you already sell into repeat revenue.

The post How Surf Brands Are Turning Lifestyle Products Into Repeat Revenue appeared first on ASI.

Brands today are looking for products that feel authentic—not generic. That’s exactly where surf products stand out.

This guide shows how to take what you already make and position it for the promotional products industry—a space driven by branded merchandise, corporate gifting and repeat orders.

What You’ll Learn:

• How the promo industry works (and where you fit in)
• How to reposition your products for campaigns, kits and programs
• Where surf products show up—from events to corporate gifting
• How to tap into a network of active buyers

Why It Matters
Promo isn’t about one-off sales—it’s about ongoing programs and long-term relationships. With the right positioning, your products can move beyond retail and into consistent, scalable growth.

Ready to Get Started?
Download the guide and discover how to break into promo with confidence.

The post Your Guide To Surf Products In The Promotional Products Industry appeared first on ASI.

Your customers already come to you for print. Learn how to expand your offerings with promotional products and position yourself as a more valuable partner.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

• Spot hidden growth opportunities

• Ask smarter questions that lead to larger orders

• Package print + promo into full campaigns

• Grow revenue without adding major overhead

The post Webinar (On-Demand): Grow Bigger Orders with Promotional Products appeared first on ASI.

1.) It Starts Before You Even Know There’s an Opportunity

Picture a distributor working against a deadline, their client needs ideas – and fast. They open ESP+, the industry’s leading sourcing platform, apply a few filters and quickly pull from a shortlist of suppliers they recognize or can immediately find.

If your products don’t appear, or your brand isn’t familiar, you’re not going to be on that list. Not because your product isn’t a fit, but because it wasn’t visible when it mattered. That’s where having the right presence matters. ASI® places your products directly into the environment where sourcing happens every day, helping ensure you’re not relying on chance to be discovered.

2.) Search Is Where Most Decisions Are Made

When distributors search, they aren’t browsing; they’re filtering with intent. Price, turnaround time, category and imprint method all play a role in narrowing down options quickly. If your product data isn’t complete, structured or up to date, your products won’t appear. And when you don’t show up, you don’t get considered.

What makes the difference is not just being listed but being aligned with how buyers actually search. Through ESP+, ASI helps ensure your products are positioned to surface in those key moments when decisions are actively being made.

3.) Momentum Matters More Than You Think

Even when you are discovered, timing becomes critical. Distributors are often juggling multiple projects at once. And if they don’t have an existing relationship with you and can’t quickly understand your turnaround times or get a response, they’ll move on. Not because they prefer another supplier, but because they need to keep things moving.

That’s why visibility isn’t just about being seen; it’s about being easy to work with. ASI helps bridge that gap by making your product information clear, accessible and connected to buyers, so conversations don’t stall, and opportunities don’t slip away. With a top data team and a seamless system, keeping product descriptions updated and everyone in the loop is easier than ever.

4.) Trust Is Built Before the First Order

At the same time, every supplier decision carries a level of risk. If a distributor can’t quickly validate your reliability, through signals like performance, consistency or credibility, they’re far more likely to default to a supplier they already know.

Even if your product is stronger and pricing is better. Being part of a trusted network changes that dynamic. ASI helps reinforce your credibility within the industry, making it easier for distributors to feel confident choosing you, even if it’s the first time they’re working with your brand.

5.) The Suppliers Who Win See What Others Don’t

The most successful suppliers aren’t just reacting to demand, they’re anticipating it. They understand what buyers are searching for, which products are gaining traction and when demand is about to spike. Without that kind of visibility into the market, it’s easy to miss key moments, whether it’s Q4 gifting, trade show season or emerging trends. By the time you adjust, the opportunity has already passed.

ASI provides access to these insights, helping you align your strategy with real demand instead of relying on guesswork. Try out seasonal catalogs, education, learning opportunities on how to maximize key points in the year, and strategically placed in-person trade shows and hosted-buyer events to keep your brand and products front facing all year long.

What This Means for Your Business

Most lost sales aren’t about capability; they’re about connection. It’s about not being seen early enough, not showing up in search, not building trust quickly enough or not aligning with demand at the right time. All of these challenges point back to the same issue: visibility.

The suppliers who grow in promo aren’t necessarily the ones with the most products. They’re the ones who show up consistently, are easy to find, build trust quickly and stay aligned with what buyers need.

ASI was built to support exactly that.

If your products aren’t visible where distributors are searching, evaluating and choosing, you’re not just missing exposure, you’re missing real opportunities.

Make My Products Visible

The post 5 Ways Suppliers Lose Sales Without Visibility (and How To Fix It) appeared first on ASI.

For many suppliers, it’s not just an interesting space – it’s a powerful growth opportunity they didn’t realize they were already positioned for.

A Different Way to Think About Your Products

Most suppliers think about their products in terms of where they’re currently sold: retail, e-commerce, wholesale or direct to consumer. But in promo, the same products take on a different role. A drinkware item can become a giveaway at a trade show, a backpack can become part of an onboarding experience and a tech accessory can become a client gift sent to strengthen a relationship.

The product itself doesn’t change, but what changes is how it’s used, and how often it’s reordered. That shift is what turns a single transaction into something more consistent, more scalable and more valuable over time, making promo a great place to be.

Why More Suppliers Are Quietly Expanding Into Promo

For many businesses, growth feels like it requires something new – a new product line, a new offering, a new direction. But suppliers who are finding success in promo are doing something different. They’re taking what they’ve already built and placing it into a new channel where demand already exists.

Across industries, companies are constantly sourcing products they can customize for marketing campaigns, events and corporate gifting. That demand doesn’t come in waves – it’s ongoing. And because these programs, events and moments often repeat, suppliers gain new customers and recurring opportunities.

The Part Most Suppliers Don’t See

If the opportunity to sell more often is there, why doesn’t every business take advantage of it? It usually comes down to one thing: access.

In the promotional products industry, suppliers, like you, don’t typically sell directly to businesses. Instead, distributors, a.k.a. buyers, act as the bridge, sourcing products and recommending them to their clients. But distributors don’t search randomly. They rely on established platforms and networks to find suppliers they trust, discover new products and make decisions quickly.

How Suppliers Actually Break Into the Industry

The businesses that successfully enter promo aren’t necessarily the ones with the newest products. They’re typically the ones who understand where sourcing happens, and how to make sure they’re part of it.

ASI connects suppliers to a network of more than 125,000 distributor reps who are actively searching for products every day. Instead of trying to navigate the industry from the outside, suppliers gain a presence inside the ecosystem where those decisions are made. Through platforms like ESP+, the industry’s leading sourcing platform, their products become searchable, discoverable and easier for distributors to work into their clients’ needs.

What Changes Once You’re Visible

Once suppliers are in front of the right audience, the impact is immediate.

Instead of relying solely on their existing channels, they begin to see:

• New types of buyers
• Larger, more consistent orders
• Repeat business tied to ongoing programs

And just as importantly, they gain insight into what the market actually wants. ASI has an elite data and analytics team that makes sure you have accurate info and insight into what distributors are searching for, what products are gaining traction and how demand is evolving. That kind of visibility doesn’t just create opportunities; it helps suppliers make better decisions.

Where Promo Can Take Your Business

For suppliers who step into the promo space, the result isn’t just incremental growth –it’s expansion. Their products reach new buyers, become more visible and are a part of a new stream of opportunities that builds over time.

The promotional products industry may feel unfamiliar at first, but for many suppliers, it turns out to be a natural extension of what they’re already doing. With the right visibility and the right connections, your products can move beyond their current channels and into a space where demand is constant and opportunity is ongoing.

Explore how ASI helps suppliers break into promo and start reaching ready buyers.

The post The Industry Behind Branded Merch (And How Businesses Are Breaking Into It) appeared first on ASI.

The Opportunity Hidden in What You Already Sell

Whether you manufacture apparel, drinkware, accessories or anything in between, your products already serve a purpose. They already meet demand and generate revenue. Now imagine those same products being used in a new context: Not just sold, but branded and ordered repeatedly for campaigns, events and corporate programs.

This is where many businesses discover the promotional products industry, not as a new business, but as a new channel for growth. It’s not about changing what you sell – it’s about expanding where your products can go.

You’ve developed the product, built the operations and created something that works. That foundation is exactly what makes expansion into promo so powerful. Across industries, businesses are constantly sourcing products they can customize for their next corporate gifting or marketing campaigns. The need for quality, reliable products is ongoing and growing.

So, What’s Holding Suppliers Back?

Many suppliers simply aren’t connected to the buyers who are actively sourcing these products. They don’t have visibility in the platforms where decisions are made, like ESP+, or insight into what distributors are looking for at any given time.

And in the promotional products industry, visibility makes all the difference, because even the best products can’t sell if the right people never see them.

Where ASI Fits In

This is exactly where ASI comes in, not as a replacement for what you’ve built, but as a way to expand it. ASI connects suppliers to a network of more than 125,000 buyers actively searching for products for their clients.

Instead of trying to break into the industry on your own, your products are placed directly into the ecosystem where sourcing happens every day. That shift is what turns potential into real opportunity.

Once your products are visible, the next step is understanding how to grow them. Suppliers gain access to data that shows what buyers are searching for, which products are getting attention and how trends are evolving. That means you’re no longer guessing what might work – you’re making decisions based on real demand, adjusting your strategy and positioning your products more effectively over time.

Credibility Matters

As you expand into a new channel like promo, trust becomes just as important as visibility. In promo, buyers rely on established networks to find partners they can depend on. Being part of the ASI network signals credibility, making it easier for distributors to choose your products with confidence.

ASI membership helps establish trust while also providing ongoing support to help you navigate and grow within the industry.

You’re Closer Than You Think

The biggest misconception about promo is that it requires something new. In reality, it often just requires a new level of visibility. Your products may already be a perfect fit. With ASI, you can turn your existing products into new opportunities, new relationships and new revenue streams.

Explore how you can grow with ASI and start reaching buyers who are already searching for what you offer.

The post Growth in Promo Starts With Being Seen, Not Starting Over appeared first on ASI.

• Move from order-taker to strategic campaign partner
• Integrate promo products to increase revenue
• Package high-impact, tiered campaign kits
• Deliver more personalized, standout client experiences

See how top distributors are expanding their value—and how tools like ESP+ make it easy. Fill out the form to watch instantly.

The post Webinar (On-Demand): Graphics Glow-Up: Turning Single Orders Into High-Impact Campaigns appeared first on ASI.

The Moment Many Brands Overlook

Most golf products are positioned for retail, sold through pro shops, e-commerce and lifestyle channels to individual buyers. But the same types of products, apparel, drinkware and accessories, are being purchased in bulk by businesses all over the country. They’re customized with logos and used for corporate golf outings, sponsored tournaments, client gifts and executive programs and even employee engagement initiatives.

But in the promo industry, your products shift from something someone can buy once to something a company will buy hundreds of. Opening this door leads the way to a completely new growth path.

Instead of one-off retail purchases, you unlock:

• Larger, bulk orders tied to events and campaigns
• Repeat business from corporate programs
• New buyer segments beyond traditional channels
• More predictable, scalable revenue streams

You don’t need to redesign your product line or pivot your brand. The demand already exists; it’s just coming from a different type of buyer for a different purpose.

The Missing Piece: Access

So, if the opportunity is there, why don’t more brands tap into it? Even brands with strong products often don’t have a clear way to connect with the buyers who operate in this space. Without that connection, your products stay within the channels you already know, even if they’re a perfect fit for something bigger.

That’s where ASI® fits in.

The promotional products industry runs on connections – specifically, connections between suppliers and buyers who are actively sourcing products for real programs. Instead of trying to navigate a new channel on your own, ASI provides a structured way to enter and grow within the promotional marketplace.

Through ASI, your products can:

• Appear in front of 125,000+ buyers actively sourcing promotional products
• Be discovered through year-round product listings and marketing opportunities
• Benefit from data and insights that show what buyers are looking for
• Gain credibility through an established network and dedicated support

Expanding What You’ve Already Built

The brands that grow fastest aren’t always the ones creating something new. They’re the ones who recognize where their products can go next. If you’re in the golf industry, that next step might not be another retail channel. It might be a completely different audience – one that’s already buying products like yours, just in a different way.

Join ASI and Dive Into the Promo World Today

The post Where Golf Brands Find Their Next Growth Channel appeared first on ASI.

In this webinar, we’ll walk through how distributors search for products in ESP+, how they evaluate and shortlist items, and the ways they share products with coworkers to build ideas and campaigns. You’ll also see how those same products move from a search result into client-facing presentations, helping distributors win business.

Suppliers who list products on ESP+ gain visibility far beyond a simple product listing. Join us to better understand distributor behavior inside the platform and learn how being on ESP+ helps position your products where distributors are actively working, collaborating, and selling every day.

The post Webinar (On-Demand): Inside ESP+: Usage, Visibility, Opportunity appeared first on ASI.

Join us for an insider webinar that reveals how suppliers are using ASI^® tools, resources, and support to grow their business without overcomplicating their strategy.

In a competitive promotional products landscape, staying visible and connected is everything. This session shows you how to do both efficiently.

What You’ll Learn

• How suppliers are leveraging ASI to increase visibility
• Practical ways to connect with more distributors
• Tools that help drive consistent, measurable growth
• Strategies to stay competitive without adding complexity

Featured Speaker

Zac Means
Sales Director, Rush Service

Hear directly from Zac as he shares how his team uses ASI to maintain momentum, build stronger distributor relationships, and generate real results.

The post Webinar (On-Demand): How ASI Supports Supplier Growth: A Real Member Story appeared first on ASI.