While Christmas is often described as the “most wonderful time of the year” by many, it can also be the most hectic and overwhelming time, too.
This is especially true for 2020 – the year of COVID (and US Presidential elections) which has made a lot of business owners and employees change the way they go about their day to day business and operations.
The holiday season, though, is a fantastic time to connect or reconnect with customers and show great appreciation for any business received in the previous year.
And let’s not forget staff who have also undergone immense pressures by giving little gifts that say “I appreciate all your efforts,” in a way that a bonus might not. Yet, there are some right ways and wrong ways to go about it. Let’s quickly review some hints and tips and then consider some savvy corporate or promotional items that make good gifts.
So, what are the most important things to consider as you scour the options for promotional or corporate gifts? We’d say the following tips should guide your decision-making:
- Think useful – The one thing you don’t want to do is give out items that are tossed before the year ends or in a few months. Wall calendars, as a prime example, are no longer a good idea unless directly associated with your business (printing, photography or art, and so on). A tumbler or travel mug, on the other hand, is usually very appreciated and heavily used!
- Think tech – It is quite amazing to consider how many industries can be covered by technology-oriented gifts. Whether it is a set of good ear buds, a wireless charger, a small wireless speaker…these are all gifts that can be subtly branded and gifted to happy recipients.
- Think outdoors – with travel and social gathering restrictions introduced for COVID, a lot of us are rediscovering our local outdoors so why not revisit the humble picnic bag, picnic blankets, sun hats etc. You could put together a Summer pack consisting of a beach towel, sun hat, sunscreen all packed up in a beach or tote bag, branded with your logo.
- Think unbranded – While you may want to use the season as a way of promoting the brand, it could be a good idea to package it up with a branded card, and skip the logo altogether. You can turn to promotional product providers to offer amazing goods, but you can then just buy in bulk without all the branding. Food baskets, as an example, can have ribbons with the company logo, and even a mug, but nothing more with branding.
There are a lot of great ideas for gifting at Christmas to staff and clients, but start with those basic principles to determine the best fit for your needs.
It is important to show clients and staff that you appreciate them, and a good way to do so is to give a bit of thought to the gifts you give. Use the tips above and you’ll see lots of pleased smiles as you hand out those gifts in December.
For corporate gifts ideas for staff and clients, click here
