Corporate Gifts – The Do’s and Don’ts
There are many reasons you may need to give corporate gifts or rewards, whether to your employees or your clients. Such opportunities are moving to a new office space, corporate events, business anniversaries, meeting a special corporate milestone and of course holiday gifts. Whatever the case, if you find you need to send a gift, here are some guidelines to help you to choose the right item for your event.
Gifts for Employees
Do be consistent in giving – All gifts should be similar and everyone should be included.
Don’t play favorites – All employees should be considered as equals and the gifts should all be of similar value.
Do remember everyone – Including the cleaning staff, contractors and part-timers.
Don’t give gifts that are only used at work – Gifts that can be used outside of work are more appreciated by staff and will be used more often than if it has to be kept at the office.
Do work with other managers – If there are multiple bosses in an office, try to get them together to give one gift per employee to prevent competition in price and type of gifts.
Don’t be careless when choosing food gifts – When giving food gifts, consider the individual you are giving it to – are they diabetic? Do they have food allergies? Do they have an ethnic diet? The one exception is giving sweets over the holidays.
Do be discreet if not giving gifts to everyone – If you choose to only give gifts to employees who are part of a specific group, do so out of the office and make sure it is something that will be used outside the office.
Gifts for Clients
Don’t forget the gatekeepers and assistants – They are often your first point of contact, and they will appreciate that you have thought of them.
Do double check spelling of names on outgoing gifts .
Do send different gifts – If you send gifts to the same people every year, be sure to give a different gift each year.
Do send unisex gifts – Make sure your gifts are generic in gender and are not seen as a romantic gesture in any way.
Don’t send a group gift – Try to send individual gifts unless your client is a large company and you work with multiple people at the same location.
Do find out about corporate gift policy – Some companies may have rules about receiving gifts.
Don’t give gifts to former clients – It will look like an attempt to win back their business.
Other things to consider:
Give gifts that are unique – your corporate gift provider can often offer relevant, fun and desirable gifts.
Balance corporate gifts with originality and taste – it is important to be original but it needs to appeal to the wide audience of recipients.
Give a gift that the recipients will use – Often an everyday item, such as a scarf, umbrella or nice bag, will be appreciated instead of something that will just sit in a cupboard or get tossed.
Limit the use of logos and messages – Consider the item being given out. Each item will warrant a different message. Use discretion when putting logos on the items and try not to brand your company too much or unnecessarily.
Find out what they want – Trying to give a group gift that everyone wants can be a daunting task. But looking for items that will be appreciated by all is possible. Do a bit of research and find out if there are any specific needs that can be filled, such as they recently purchased iPads but didn’t get cases.
Go for quality – Any business gift you send reflects on the image of your company. Try to find the best quality items that fit your budget.
Deliver personally – If you are able to deliver the items yourself. It is much nicer to receive a personally delivered gift than to receive it through the mail or a courier service.
Consider your budget:
Low cost ideas (Under $5). Often these are the gifts that are used on a regular basis. Always consider useful, good quality items so they don’t end up in the trash. Suggestions are pens, ceramic mugs, electronics chargers, and notebooks.
Mid-priced ideas ($5 – 25). This is the most common price range for gifts and there are many, many options available to you. Umbrellas, blankets, scarves, bags, travel mugs, USB sticks and pad folios.
High-priced ideas ($25 – $100). Depending on the event, sometimes your budget will allow you to really splurge on a nice corporate gift. Get a classy gift that will be cherished. Items to consider are Bluetooth speakers, leather bags, travel accessories/luggage, jackets, and wine sets.
If you need any help finding items for your event, we can help. The options for corporate gifts are vast and can be overwhelming. We can take the stress out of your gift giving problems and make it hassle free.
Where do you go when you need special, unique and creative promotional items? The team at Level 2 Sportswear is waiting for you. We will work with you to source the perfect promotional product, trade show giveaway, corporate gift, or to develop a safety and service award program that your employees are sure to love.
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