CORPORATE GIFTS
Almost everyone loves receiving gifts. Sure, there are the occasional black sheep who resent it because they see it as imposing an obligation to return the favour, but forget these fun sponges. Gifts make people feel appreciated and if it is carefully chosen, can make a tangible difference to the receivers life. Not many people appreciate that the philosophy and good spirit of gift giving can be transferred to the business realm. Corporate gifts provide a compelling way to strengthen customers’ relationships with your brand. Every time that a customer sees the gift, they will be reminded with a nostalgic tear in their eye of the peerless interaction they had with your company.
Now, I’ll take you by the hand through the art of corporate gift giving and the kinds of gifts at your disposal.
PERSONALISED PENS:
Pens always seem to be the one product that is absent when you most need them. You’re just about to sign the tenancy agreement to move into your new place, but you have no pen. You’re just about to deface your arch enemy’s prized new artistic piece, but you have no pen. Which is why it’s useful to have as many of these elusive escapees around the place as possible. A personalised pen is commonplace as far as corporate gifts go, but that doesn’t negate its effectiveness and usefulness. The pen provides just enough space for you to print your logo and a brief slogan that you feel sums up your business offering.
Ideally, the pen should be offered as a freebie at your business trade fair. In addition, to really consider every single one of your customers, consider having 10% of your pens designed for the left-handed user. This will ensure that your brand image and slogan is visible to them when writing. It’s a minor detail, but shows attentiveness and could spur your left-handed customers to hold you in greater respect, increasing the chance that they will order from your company again.
The personalised pens can be ordered in a spectrum of colours and provide a low-cost marketing strategy which gives us enduring publicity.
Personalised notebooks and pencils:
Continuing the stationery theme, notebooks and pencils are two further items that customers will appreciate and provide favourable branding opportunities. Despite our world becoming increasing more tech orientated, people yearn for good old-fashioned pencil and paper in a backlash against these newfangled devices. There is a timeless and authentic connection to jotting down notes using pencil and paper and your company should tap into this lust.
The front of the notebook provides a large space for you to plaster your brand image and any relevant company information. Meanwhile, the pencil is the perfect accompaniment and stops them from immediately discarding the notebook out of frustration at the lack of an implement to note anything down.
Personalised notebooks and pencils are a highly valued product for the educational sector as well as stationery and book stores.
They also have an internal application. For example, let’s say company morale is low and the economic climate means that sales and performances are dwindling. By offering personalised notebooks and pencils to your employees, it can offer a slight boost and increase levels of gratitude. Offering corporate gifts is a basic gesture that can have a deeper impact. Perhaps using this gift, one of your employees brainstorms and innovative idea that is acted on and results in an uptick of sales.
Similar to personalised pens, notebooks and pencils come in a mix of colours, sizes and designs. Pencils with rubbers attached. Pencils without rubbers attached. Leatherbound and hardback notebooks. Ringbound notebooks. all can be provided, depending on your budget and tastes.
PRINTED USB STICKS:
As anyone who has experienced the blue screen of death or a system failure can attest to, computers are fragile creations that are prone to error. Such a circumstance can leave your precious files in jeopardy, which is where USB sticks can come into the equation. USB sticks are the optimal tool to backup your files or your professively valuable bitcoin wallet. Even if it’s just a case of wanted to transfer some documents from one system to another, USB sticks can be a godsend. So why not offer personalised USB sticks as a gift? You can rest assured that they will be used and provide a branding opportunity that is firmly rooted in the 21st century.
This gift is especially pertinent to customers and the IT sector, code moneys and anyone else who has to slavishly grind away in front of a screen for large portions of their working day. To really up the ante, your company could fill the USB with software or images which may pique your customer’s interest. Furthermore, the USB stick offers plenty of space to paste your company logo and website address or email.
It goes without saying, that there are a raft of styles and colours that you can opt for when selecting your personalised USB sticks.
This is arguably one of the most useful items on our list of corporate gifts and will be greatly appreciated by any receiver.
Personalised coasters and pillows:
Is there any more unsightly than ring marks all over your new glass-top coffee table? You invite people round, offer team and coffee and the outcome is akin to the carnage of a battlefield. This is where personalised coasters come in. The passion that people can demonstrate toward the collecting of coasters is demonstrated by the fact there is a literal word to describe it; tegestology. Enthusiasts of this hobby are particularly enchanted by vintage beer coasters, but people will be incredibly appreciative if you offer them a charming and aesthetically pleasing one.
Undoubtedly you can think of numerous occasions where you’ve been to a pub or cafe and been captivated by the custom-made coasters, to the point where you’ve flirted with the idea of stealthily slipping one into your coat pocket.
If you business designs a quirky and kitschy coaster that features your brand logo, offers them as a gift to anyone who makes an order with your business then you really the extra mile with your customer. This helps to establish an emotional bond with your customer and the gift acts as a memento that spurs them to frequently think of your business and its offerings.
By the same logic, a pillow can have a similar impact. The usual associations of pillows are those of comfort, relaxation and release. By offering pillows as a corporate gift, your customers will link these emotions with your company and its services. Especially considering pillows are a product which can inexplicably go AWOL and require replacement.
They can be integrated into your business’ lounge area as well. Image a customer walking into your hotel, kicking back in the lobby on some of your customised pillows and being offered such a pillow when they check out. Doubtless, their initial shock would give way to boundless delight.
Gift-giving is a manifestation of one of the most human tendencies, altruism. I believe this article has shown that it also has an important role to play in business to customer interactions, helping you to form strong and deeper connections with your customers. If the idea of using corporate gifts for this purpose takes your fancy, call us and we’ll personally advise you on the stand-out products for your industry or event.
Zip through to the next section to discover how promotional materials can accelerate your branding efforts.
