By: Alan Grainger
With the economy still in a delicate stage of its recovery, businesses can't afford to go all out on Christmas corporate gifts anymore. The approach of buying high numbers of cheap promotional products and treating everyone to a festive treat are long gone and the new trend is to choose style and substance to the most deserving over high quantity to the masses.
So rather than just going buying nice looking Christmas corporate gift items it is important to think about what you want as a result of your Christmas corporate gifts. Do you want to market your company and promote your brand? Do you want to reward and motivate your staff? Alas, it is quite rare in the world of Christmas corporate gifts to find a selfless gift, so think about your recipients and what will make the biggest impression.
This is an important time for marketing, promotions and staff motivation so to help you get the most out of your Christmas hamper of corporate gifts we have put together this guide to make this Christmas go with a swing.
Practicality
It seems quite obvious, but if you are sending out Christmas corporate gifts with a marketing and promotional motive then it is the items that are practical and used most frequently that will be the most effective. If you are promoting your brand then chances are you will have the company logo on the gift and the gift itself will be an item that reflects the brand message, so the more often it is used the higher it's visibility will be.
Every day office items are a good place to start, and products like flash drives and paperweights make excellent Christmas corporate gifts because of their high practicality and visibility. An item like this that has your company's brand on it will be frequently seen and commit your company to the memories of those that matter the most, existing and potential customers.
Quality
As I mentioned in the intro, quality is becoming more important with Christmas corporate gifts. The days of sending out vast numbers of poor quality gifts has been replaced with the practice of sending out premium corporate gifts to only the best customers and the potential clients who matter the most.
Premium Christmas corporate gifts will make a real impression with both staff and clients and will stand out from any of your competitors who are still using the "spam" approach to corporate gifts. The feeling of receiving a special gift is the same whether you are at work or at home, so make sure you treat those that are close to you in business with the same level of thought as you would those closest to you in your personal life.
Price
After the subject of quality, the subject of price will inevitably follow. Everyone is working to a tight budget right now and it would be crazy to go and spend huge sums of money on Christmas corporate gifts if the budget is creaking. The trick is that items with a high perceived value such as flash drives or business card holders can actually be quite affordable. Premium corporate gifts don't have to cost a premium and items with a high perceived value can mean that your recipient's are happy with their gifts and your bank manager isn't shouting at you down the phone.
Message
The message is vital to your Christmas corporate gifts and it is something that you should think about right at the start when you are deciding what to get and who to give it to. Like a brand, the message can be portrayed through the physical item that you get or by what you have branded onto it, whether that is a logo, a slogan or a message. Are you advertising your passion for quality? Then make sure your gift matches this promise. Trying to build closer relations with a company? Show you have gone to the trouble to find out what it is that they do and the type of people that they employ. Personalisation is the key to delivering a powerful and lasting message.
Style
As well as being practical it is important that your Christmas corporate gifts look great. It's all very well having a useful item but if it is mind bogglingly ugly then there is no chance that people are going to want to be seen with it. Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder so unless you are certain that someone is going to like a particular gift, avoid anything controversial and stick to contemporary, fashionable items that will be appreciated by the most people. Of course, personalisation is extremely important but if you are buying gift in bulk then staying safe with the style of the item is a must.
Many of the ideas on the list are fairly common sense but it's always helpful to have a checklist in front of you to illustrate your guidelines. Think carefully about what you are trying to do with your Christmas corporate gifts and always remember your budget and you can't go wrong. It is the thought that counts, but make sure you have the right thought to start with!
With the economy still in a delicate stage of its recovery, businesses can't afford to go all out on Christmas corporate gifts anymore. The approach of buying high numbers of cheap promotional products and treating everyone to a festive treat are long gone and the new trend is to choose style and substance to the most deserving over high quantity to the masses.
So rather than just going buying nice looking Christmas corporate gift items it is important to think about what you want as a result of your Christmas corporate gifts. Do you want to market your company and promote your brand? Do you want to reward and motivate your staff? Alas, it is quite rare in the world of Christmas corporate gifts to find a selfless gift, so think about your recipients and what will make the biggest impression.
This is an important time for marketing, promotions and staff motivation so to help you get the most out of your Christmas hamper of corporate gifts we have put together this guide to make this Christmas go with a swing.
Practicality
It seems quite obvious, but if you are sending out Christmas corporate gifts with a marketing and promotional motive then it is the items that are practical and used most frequently that will be the most effective. If you are promoting your brand then chances are you will have the company logo on the gift and the gift itself will be an item that reflects the brand message, so the more often it is used the higher it's visibility will be.
Every day office items are a good place to start, and products like flash drives and paperweights make excellent Christmas corporate gifts because of their high practicality and visibility. An item like this that has your company's brand on it will be frequently seen and commit your company to the memories of those that matter the most, existing and potential customers.
Quality
As I mentioned in the intro, quality is becoming more important with Christmas corporate gifts. The days of sending out vast numbers of poor quality gifts has been replaced with the practice of sending out premium corporate gifts to only the best customers and the potential clients who matter the most.
Premium Christmas corporate gifts will make a real impression with both staff and clients and will stand out from any of your competitors who are still using the "spam" approach to corporate gifts. The feeling of receiving a special gift is the same whether you are at work or at home, so make sure you treat those that are close to you in business with the same level of thought as you would those closest to you in your personal life.
Price
After the subject of quality, the subject of price will inevitably follow. Everyone is working to a tight budget right now and it would be crazy to go and spend huge sums of money on Christmas corporate gifts if the budget is creaking. The trick is that items with a high perceived value such as flash drives or business card holders can actually be quite affordable. Premium corporate gifts don't have to cost a premium and items with a high perceived value can mean that your recipient's are happy with their gifts and your bank manager isn't shouting at you down the phone.
Message
The message is vital to your Christmas corporate gifts and it is something that you should think about right at the start when you are deciding what to get and who to give it to. Like a brand, the message can be portrayed through the physical item that you get or by what you have branded onto it, whether that is a logo, a slogan or a message. Are you advertising your passion for quality? Then make sure your gift matches this promise. Trying to build closer relations with a company? Show you have gone to the trouble to find out what it is that they do and the type of people that they employ. Personalisation is the key to delivering a powerful and lasting message.
Style
As well as being practical it is important that your Christmas corporate gifts look great. It's all very well having a useful item but if it is mind bogglingly ugly then there is no chance that people are going to want to be seen with it. Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder so unless you are certain that someone is going to like a particular gift, avoid anything controversial and stick to contemporary, fashionable items that will be appreciated by the most people. Of course, personalisation is extremely important but if you are buying gift in bulk then staying safe with the style of the item is a must.
Many of the ideas on the list are fairly common sense but it's always helpful to have a checklist in front of you to illustrate your guidelines. Think carefully about what you are trying to do with your Christmas corporate gifts and always remember your budget and you can't go wrong. It is the thought that counts, but make sure you have the right thought to start with!
About the Author:
Alan writes articles on issues surrounding the corporate gifts industry for The Corporate Gifts Company. They are aimed at professionals in the marketing, promotional and events industries, as well as those who are looking for effective ways of motivating and incentivising their workplace. You can find other helpful articles at The Corporate Gifts Blog
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