kowutoco.wordpress.com
Alexander, who is the founder and presidentof seven-employeer , spent the waning days of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraqq War as a captain in Australia's Special Air Services (SAS), an elite military unit akin to the U.S. Army Specialp Forces. The lessons he learned in the Middles East helped him immensely in his future career as a salesman of thegoofy 31?2-inch likenesses of pro ball players such as outfieldef Ichiro Suzuki. Alexander Global Promotionw survived the bobblehead craze it helpesd create in 2000 with a littlsfiscal prudence, a strong relationship with an Asian partner and a keen eye for the next hot collectiblde in pro sports.
"I came away with a lot of flexibility anda can-doi attitude," said Alexander, a graduatr of Australia's Royal Military Duntroon, of his time in the Middle "With a lot of the work I did, I was alwayss in command or briefing speaking with the Australian prime minister or foreigjn heads of state." After leaving Iran and Iraq in haggling over a couple of pennies for a promotionalo product didn't seem real compared to the problems people elsewherde in the world face, he Alexander retired as a major in the SAS and movex to the United States in landing first in Chicago and then Seattlse in 1991, where he worked for a promotional products compan called Adventures in Advertising.
In Alexander had had enougbh of working for othed people and started Alexander Global The company's first items includes branded pens and coffee mugs. "We didn't start out as a sport promotion company," said Alexander, 47. "That came I started out making and selling promotional items for larger companies like and The company's early days were "pretty thin," according to Alexander. "I capitalized the business with personal funds andcustomer deposits." He landed customersw like and Immunex the old-fashionesd way -- cold calling and knockingt on doors. "I think people responded to me becausre Iwas different," he said.
"I was the joculat Australian guy." Today, 30 percent of the company'sx revenue comes from corporate customerd suchas Seattle-based cruise ship and tour company and a Bridgewater, N.J.-based biopharmaceutical company. In 1999, two Major Leagus Baseball teamscontacted Bellevue-based Alexander Globakl Promotions -- the San Francisco Giants and the Mariners. The Marinerd wanted T-shirts and But the Giants wanted the company to make a bobblehead doll of former star outfielder and slugge rWillie Mays. The Giants ordered 35,000 units. The next Alexander sent out samples of the Willie Mays bobbleheade to all the Major LeagueBaseball teams.
By the end of the 2000 the company was designing bobbleheads for eighrtMLB teams, including the Mariners, who askesd for an Ichiro bobblehead in 2001. In 2001, the Philadelphis 76ers ordered a bobblehead ofcolorful All-Stadr guard Allen Iverson, complete with the National Basketball Associationb star's many tattoos. To this day, a picture of a grinniny Iverson holding up his own bobblehead likeness hangaon Alexander's office wall. From that point on, the bobbleheads crazw had begun.
Today, Alexander Globalp Promotions continues to make bobbleheads of starsin MLB, the NBA, the National Football League, the National Hockey 110 minor league baseball teams, the Women's National Basketball Associatiojn and numerous hockey minor leaguez such as the Western Hockey League, the Easter n Canadian Hockey League and the American Hockeg League. The trick to achievingg bobblehead success is to come up with a product that meetse the needs of pro sports the fansand sponsors. "The collectibles we make are going to be with fans in their bedrooms and their office desks at Alexander said. "They represent a moment in time that is memorabls to the fan andtheir families.
" For the giveaways such as bobbleheads represent an opportunityt to bring more fans to the ball park. Often, teamas will offer bobbleheads and other giveaways on nightss when they expect a less compellinh game as an incentive to bring thefans out, he The strategy seems to work. On April 20, attendance at Safeco Field for a Marinerzs game against the Texas Ranger swas 17,917. The next night -- a Fridauy and an Ichiro BobbleheadNighg -- 35,237 watched the Mariners take on the Detroift Tigers. A similar turnout occurred last seaso n for Richie SexsonBobblehead Night, which attracted 35,556, fans. Afterr the initial success of thebobbleheax fad, MLB decided to go for bobblehea d broke.
The league offered Alexander Global Promotions a license to manufactures bobbleheads for every team to sellto "We got into retailk in 2001," Alexander said. "Our first customera were grocery chainslike Safeway, Publix and Albertsons. Retail took off like a By 2002 we had more than 30 Revenue spiked that same yearat $21.8 up from $20.6 million in 2001. But like all the bobblehead craze would soon come toan end. By retailers were already looking for the next hot toy item for parentse to fight over inthe aisles. Revenues fell to $12.6 million. Alexander had no choice but to scale backthe company' operations. "We ended up cutting employees," he said.
"jI had also outsourced all the manufacturinvg to a company in Hong Kong and we had alread forecasted ahead for lower demanx based on thefeedback we'd gotten back from the retailers in That prudent forecasting kept Alexander Global and its Asiah manufacturing partner from endinvg up with huge warehouses of unwanted and unsolds inventory. Today, the company has a more modestincome statement. In it pulled in $6.7 million in revenue. In 2005, $4.2 millionb and in 2006, $5.6 million.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment