ASI Adds User-Focused Features to ESP Online

Improved catalog and decorator searches, management of client proposals, and enhanced purchase order tool

TREVOSE, PA – July 8, 2009 – Advertising Specialty Institute^®, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, completed the launch of an ESP Online™ upgrade to provide new, user-focused features.

The ESP Online upgrade includes improved catalog and decorator searches, management of client proposals and an enhanced purchase order tool, which all allow suppliers and distributors to save time, increase sales and manage their business better.

“ASI is always looking for ways to use our advanced technical capabilities to make the ESP Online user experience even better,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of the Advertising Specialty Institute.  “We aid businesses in operating more productively and efficiently, and at a time when distributors and suppliers need it most.”   

The new features of the upgrade include:

• Catalog Searching – Distributors can search for items found in the latest editions of Spectrum, Select and Gift Book catalogs on the ESP home page. 

• Improved Decorator Search – Distributors can search for decorators based on embellishment type and by distance-radius from any local zip code.

• Enhanced Client Projects Center – Distributors’ clients are now accessible by name through an A-to-Z clickable list.  In addition, client projects can now quickly be searched by type of item.

• Updated Purchase Order Tool – ASI’s industry standard purchase order now automatically fills in the net cost, based on the quantity being ordered, reducing errors.

• Safety Notices – Active consumer product safety warnings are now displayed in the “additional information” area. 

In addition, many of ESP Online’s 32,000 users continue to participate in the exclusive ASI Supplier Ratings System, allowing distributors to rate their experience with a supplier among six categories using a five-star scale.  Users can also view how many distributors have rated a supplier, similar to Amazon.com.

ESP Online also features the industry’s best picture quality, with high-resolution product images that have white backgrounds.  Images can be changed and showcased for clients by using the industry’s premium virtual sample tool. 

In the PromoCafe, a chat application, ESP users can communicate with other members of the ESP Online community instantly.  There are multiple chat rooms for discussing a variety of topics and users can also send instant messages and can create buddy lists to maintain frequent contacts. 

To learn more about the ESP Online upgrade and for a free demo, visit www.asicentral.com/esp, or contact Christian Brandt, executive director of distributor services, 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 www.asicentral.com.