Corporate Gifting Explained: Strategies & Ideas

April 25, 2022

The question that most people are left with is this: but what TYPE of gift do I give?

Well, the type of gift that is right for your business ultimately depends on what your goal is for you and your recipient!

What do I mean by goals? Ask yourself this: why am I gifting in the first place? how will this help my business and  what is the result I want for my recipient? 

In our experience working with businesses of all sizes, across many different categories, we have realized there are 3 main types of business gifts: 

Appreciation Gifting: is gifting anything that makes your clients feel appreciated and expresses gratitude for doing business with you. Not to be confused with a promotional gift that includes branded items. An appreciation gift is an authentic way to say thank you!

• Example: In an effort to maintain your client relationships and show your appreciation for continued business, you want to acknowledge your clients birthdays with a thoughtful gift (minus branded products!) with a hand written note celebrating them and showing your appreciation. Afterall, 94% of C-Suite executives believe that personal relationships are important to business success. So maintaining these personal relationships is key!

Informational Gifting: great for virtual cohorts, trainings and educational conferences. Informational gifts can include materials and products you need your recipients to use while working with you. Set them up for success by providing materials they will need along the way (vs instructing them to buy anything).

• Example: You have an 8 week long virtual DEI course you are hosting and want to set your participants up for success with your pre-printed workbook, extra curricular reading materials, weekly planner and a preloaded gift card for some coffee. They have a lot of work to do and this will get them motivated from the start!

Promotional Gifting: Promotional gifts are described as items used for promotional purposes in marketing. They almost always contain the company logo. Think corporate swag or PR kits. Many people think that a promotional gift is an appreciation gift and this is not the case. Promotional gifts are great for showcasing a rebrand or new product launch and they create awesome brand recognition when done correctly. My advice is to stay away from tchotchkes like fidget spinners with your logo on them. Stuff like that most likely isn't related to the work you or your recipient is doing.

• Example: You're a CPG brand and want to showcase your new line of beverages to your investors, partners and employees in the form of a branded gift box. Inside the gift you include your 3 new beverages, a branded insulated bottle to drink from and reusable straws in a branded sachet.

Can there be a hybrid of the above? Absolutely! the below is an example of all 3 types of gifting in one!

• Your company has a weekend conference coming up and you are looking to welcome your recipients upon arrival after they've traveled from afar. They will need badges for entry, an itinerary of events and several pre-printed materials. Upon check-in, you greet them with a branded tote of those materials along with with some snacks for their room, a branded portable charger and notebook to use during their back to back meetings and a voucher to the hotel spa or restaurant to use on their downtime as a "Thank you" for being here!

Having a strategy in place for your gifting needs is necessary for the results you want to achieve. Whether it's building relationships, keeping your participants engaged or developing a marketing tactic through gifting, not knowing the WHY behind your gifting can lead to money wasted and a failed initiative.

Working with a gifting service will not only lead you in the right direction, we will execute every logistical detail to ensure your vision is brought to life. 

Want to find out more? Work with us on your next gifting project!

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