Corporate gifting is a great way to show appreciation for your employees, clients, and partners. Corporate gifts are also a smart business move because they create goodwill with the recipient that can last for years.
This blog post will go over some of the best practices for corporate gifting so you can see if this strategy might be right for you!
What Is Corporate Gifting and Why Is It Important?
Corporate gifting is a marketing tactic that businesses use to create goodwill with their employees. Some of the best corporate gifts are usually small items or experiences designed to make the business seem more personable and less corporate.
Corporate gifts can be an incentive for your clients too! Customers will remember when they were given something extra special and will likely return the favor.
Benefits Gained Through Corporate Gifting
With corporate gifting, you can earn the following benefits:
Motivate and inspire your team
- Gifts received can help to strengthen existing relationships and create an emotional connection between the receiver and the giver, resulting in improved brand loyalty.
- Employees are more likely to stay with a company that provides them with gifts.
- Corporate gifts will increase your marketability for new hires and entice existing employees to work harder.
Build relationships with clients
- Customers appreciate receiving small perks from companies they do business with. This makes them feel valued as customers and leads to loyalty in future purchases!
How Does Corporate Gifting Work?
Corporate Gifts usually come in two forms – experience based or material items. Experiences are often used when there is no budget for an expensive item so it works well for smaller businesses who want their employees or clients to have something special but don’t have excessive funds available.
Who should do corporate gifting?
Any business could benefit from corporate gifting, but it’s especially useful for businesses that:
- Are in a service industry where their employees meet with clients daily (real estate agents, insurance brokers, etc.)
- Have large teams of people who do not work directly together (a call center that employs hundreds of people, for example)
- Have a high turnover rate. Corporate gifts will help to keep employees feeling appreciated and engaged.
What types of corporate gifts should you give?
Corporate gifts can be anything from:
- digital gift cards to restaurants, coffee shops, or stores
- corporate gift boxes with personalized sticky notes, stationery with your company logo or company name, even unique corporate gifts like branded socks – perfect for new employees or clients
- custom gift boxes such as customized snack boxes or picnics
- an e-gift to a virtual experience or event
The important thing is that it has value and will make a serious impression on whoever you give it to!
What types of corporate gifts should you avoid giving?
You don’t want to give something like paperweights, bags of candy, or stuffed animals. Employees usually find these things unprofessional and not very helpful in their day-to-day lives at work.
Also consider distance, shipping, and geography when thinking about sending a gift box. While healthy snacks and baked goods are usually a welcomed treat in the office, virtual employees or remote workers may find them inconvenient.
Keep in mind that while some goods may appear to be inexpensive, they might cost more than you expect if they must be sent separately so try to stick with one item per order wherever possible.
8 Things You Need to Consider Before Giving Corporate Gifts
The Corporate gifting process can be overwhelming so here are some helpful tips:
1. Just ask: take the guesswork out of the equation
Be sure to ask the recipient what they would like before you purchase anything. This will ensure that whatever gift you choose is something your employee or client wants!
Many gifting companies offer a wide variety of options and most have a website that you can share with your gift recipient that will make choosing and sending corporate gifts seamless.
2. Thoughtful gifts
Make it personal or relevant. Don’t just give a generic item such as an umbrella in the middle of summer and consider giving something related to the time of year.
Holiday gifts like a mug with hot chocolate packets are perfect for fall or winter while gift cards during Christmas or even the New Year when funds might be low are always appreciated. Be creative and make each experience unique!
3. Don’t go overboard
Don’t send several gifts at once unless necessary because this could overwhelm recipients. Instead, try sending one gift twice a year or every few months to keep things exciting and to maintain a consistent level of gratitude.
4. Corporate clients
Make sure Corporate gifts are sent directly from your company’s name to make the most professional impression on business clients or even employees. This ensures they know where it came from (and who it’s from) which makes them feel even more special!
5. Communication is key
Be clear about what you want done with corporate gifts such as if there is an intended purpose for the gift, like “use this coupon at my restaurant” then say that specifically and include any information necessary for redemption.
Avoid leaving corporate gifts up to interpretation by including all the important details when sending out messages regarding these gifts so recipients don’t waste time figuring things out themselves!
6. Check the fine print
Be careful when choosing digital items because many companies will not honor them if they have been distributed from a third party. Corporate gifts need to be sent directly by your company for them to have value and to be considered a tax write-off in some cases.
Check the policies of whoever you are gifting because some companies will not accept items that come from outside sources or limit what kinds of corporate gifts their employees can receive.
This is quite common with government employees so it’s important to stay within certain guidelines when sending corporate gifts. When in doubt ask before committing yourself – don’t assume anything!
7. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
Don’t forget your paperwork. Always include return information such as an envelope addressed “to the gift giver” with any physical corporate gift you send out.
If your present is returned because it was undeliverable, it will be sent back to the corporate gifts department or the individual in charge of your gifting program.
8. Go the extra mile
Always include a note with corporate gifts! This could be anywhere from handwritten on the card to typed out and included with the physical corporate gift itself. This is an important part of making corporate gifting personal and memorable for recipients!
How to Get Started With Corporate Gifting?
Corporate gifts are an easy way to show appreciation but also strategically position your business in a positive light. You can start corporate gifting with as little as $100. Just look for something that will help your employees or clients during their day-to-day lives and you’re sure to find the perfect gift!
How much do corporate gifts cost?
The amount you spend on corporate gifts is up to you but it’s worth thinking about the value and benefit of each gift before making a final decision.
For example, some gifts may seem like they offer good value but if they’re not useful or helpful in any way then this could reflect poorly on your business when used as part of an incentive program by employees/clients.
Think carefully about what message each corporate gift sends out to potential customers. Make sure that all items are relevant and help build better business relationships, not hurt them by sending the wrong messages.
Here are three steps to consider when getting started with a corporate gifting program.
1. Structure your corporate gifting program
One easy way to work out how corporate gifting should be structured is to answer the following questions:
– What are the corporate goals?
– Who are the corporate gifts primarily targeted at?
– What corporate gifts should I provide employees or clients with?
– How frequently should corporate gifts be given out?
– Where will gifts be stored safely while they’re not in use?
Once you’ve decided exactly why you want to implement corporate gifting at your workplace it’s time to start thinking about which vendors will provide high quality products that will suit your specific needs best.
2. Decide on a gift balance and accepted vendors
There’s a vast array of corporate gifts on the market to select from, so you’ll need to do some research before buying.
A corporate gift vendor should be reliable and professional. They should also have a vast selection of corporate gifts to choose from that will suit your corporate goals!
Look for vendors that offer drop shipping to help save you time and stress in sending gifts yourself.
3. Gifting strategies and policies
Once you’ve decided on corporate gifts and the best way to structure corporate gifting for your business, it’s time to start thinking about gifting strategies.
Make sure that each gifting experience is in line with your company’s principles and beliefs. Corporate gifts should be given with a clear purpose in mind.
These factors all contribute towards creating a successful corporate giving strategy that doesn’t just look pretty but actually makes sense.
Once corporate gifting has started you’ll need to implement corporate gift policies that outline the rules and guidelines for your program!
For example:
– will employees or clients need to apply in advance of receiving gifts?
– how frequently should they receive them or what personal milestone should they reach to receive a corporate gift?
– will gift recipients be nominated by managers or colleagues for a job well done?
– or will your corporate gift program be used to reward personal achievements such as years of service or positive customer feedback?
– corporate gifts should only be given out to employees or clients that have a genuine need for them.
– gifts shouldn’t be used as bribes, either overtly or covertly!
– corporate giving shouldn’t interfere with the company’s internal reward system.
Why Corporate Gifting Is the Way to Go
Corporate gifting is more popular than ever. Corporate gifts are thoughtful, personal, and show that you care about your employees and customers.
Corporate gifts can be used to show client appreciation, increase morale, improve productivity, create a sense of community among employees, or as thanks for being loyal customers.
No matter what type of corporate gifting program you implement, it should always align with your company’s principles and beliefs. So make sure it serves its purpose well before implementing one!
Have you ever received a corporate gift before? Did you love it or hate it? Get social with us and tell us all about it.
