They don’t have to be grand, they can be as simple as a gift basket to a company swag such as t-shirts, tumblers, or personalized items.
Why is Corporate Gifting Important?
It helps build brand recognition, engagement, and overall loyalty. It creates an experience that sparks an emotional connection which strengthens the relationship with your brand.
As a result, it attracts new prospects to work with your company, encourages existing clients to continue doing business with your company, and motivates employees to take pride in your company.
Did you know?
Receiving a physical gift triggers the Endowment effect—a feeling of ownership of an item—which results in the recipient associating meaning and value with that particular item.
Which in turn directly affects the receiver’s thoughts and feelings towards your company, creating an almost positive brand association instantaneously. The Theory of Reciprocity also comes into play with corporate gifting since the recipient is more likely to respond to your inquiries because you have taken that first step.
Types of Corporate Gifting
Marketing Gifts
Personalized email messages have a higher open rate than generic messages, but you can take it to the next level by giving marketing gifts to your audience. It’s never been more important to go above and beyond in making an impression with meaningful gifts!
A few examples are:
1. Thank you gifts for attending an event
2. eGifts
3. Marketing swags as a gift
4. Referral gifts to clients who share your products/services
Sales Prospecting Gifts
Sales prospecting gifts aren’t just any old gifts. They should be strategically and personally selected items given to prospects during the prospecting process. No, these aren’t just branded giveaways. It’s important to know that generic gifts don’t usually work. They should be thoughtful and intentional gifts. Your goal is to create a genuine connection with your prospect before the sales process even begins which will create a level of trust that your potential buyer will remember and value as you nurture them through your business.
Some great examples of gifts are:
1. A small, personalized item to make a connection or to thank them for their time
2. A swag item to strengthen the bond before or after a demo
3. A welcome package with a branded gift
4. A renewal gift to thank a repeat customer for their continued business
Some more personalized gifts can be seen below
Corporate Gifts for Clients
Gifting to clients is another way to show how much you care about their business and it's also an excellent way to improve your connection with your most valuable source of new revenue. The investment in giving your clients gifts is minimal compared to their impact when they become engaged, valued, and become repeat customers. These gifts can be anything, from live plants to swag boxes, to sweets and indulgent treats. Even experiences and tickets make great gifts to show your clients how much their business means to you.
Personalized Gifts for Customers
Sending personalized items is the most important aspect of gift giving, whether to a customer, client, or employee. If it’s to your customers, it gives them the impression that you value their business, and that you’re interested in them as an individual. It’s okay to take your time thinking about what items to give based on their professional interests such as the products they use, or personal interests like sports, hobbies, pets, food, and more. In turn, it creates a strong connection that resonates with your business in the long run.
Holiday gifts are great, but there are many places within your customer journey that can be perfect for making the connection. For example, sending something small during event registrations, in welcome packages, in their milestones or renewals, if they referred another customer, or even just as simple as “just because” you thought of giving them a gift. They can be digital or physical items, like these here.
Corporate Gifts for Employees
Of course, making our employees feel welcomed and valued in our company is the first and the best way to make sure they enjoy a long, happy, and fulfilling working relationship together. A well-personalized gift will make them feel recognized and appreciated for all the hard work they’ve put into the business.
You can give gifts during important occasions such as personal milestones (baby, marriage, new house, or even a new shirt!), or professional milestones (years of service, hitting a goal, or a promotion). A team building event or a get-together is also a great way to let them know how important they are to the business.
Unique Corporate Gift Ideas
If you’re into creating a mark for your business and want to go the extra mile, unique gifts might be a good way to make that impression. And of course, the first step is good personalization. There are different ways to make it fancy such as:
Fun office & desk items, old-school nostalgic items
Coffee kits, swag boxes, or luggage tags
