What's Trending In Corporate Gifting?
Need something special to send to a client, or want to thank your team members for a job well done? Why not tick all the boxes and showcase your branding at the same time with a well-presented gift box.
Corporate gift baskets or hampers are a great way to send a message of appreciation to a wide variety of recipients, including staff, clients, suppliers, business partners and more. Everybody loves a gift box full of goodies, right!
Why Do Companies Use Corporate Gift Boxes?
Gift baskets have been around for a long time and are great for business use because they suit a wide variety of recipients and are a clever way to get your brand out there in a positive way.
Setting the right tone for your gift box delivers a memorable statement about your brand; this message is something that recipients will associate with your brand moving forward. For example, if your company prides itself on reducing its environmental footprint, sending eco-friendly gift baskets is a great way to reinforce these values among clients and staff. Similarly, if you wish to position your brand in the luxury end of the market, sending luxury gift boxes helps cement this association.
5 Marketing Benefits Of Corporate Gifting
Corporate gift baskets are a great way to tick all the boxes when it comes to showing appreciation, and they are a great little marketing tool that, used wisely, can provide the following benefits.
- Build brand awareness
- Encourage brand loyalty
- Increase customer/client engagement
- Reinforce brand values
- Aid in better brand recognition
How To Create The Best Corporate Gift Box
The great thing about gift boxes is that they are customisable to suit the recipients. And you do your bit to support Kiwi businesses by choosing local products and corporate gifting services. Keep the following 4 things in mind when deciding on the best corporate gift, and you can't go wrong!
- Presentation Counts. Unwrapping a gift comes with all sorts of anticipation, mystery and joy - making sure its well-presented shows thought went into the gift along with the opportunity to add a bit of sparkle to make it more memorable.
- It Must Be Appropriate. This is most important in business gifting; make sure your gift is age and situation appropriate. You do not want to offend the recipient or misrepresent your company.
- This Isn't A Competition. Corporate gift-giving is not a competition – the gift is given primarily with appreciation in mind while also taking into account marketing benefits - not because you expect something in return or are trying to outdo your competitors.
- Build Your Own Gift Box. While most online corporate gifting companies will provide some stock standard gift options, the great thing about gift baskets is you can choose your own products to include or choose to support Kiwi businesses by choosing local products and services.
6 Tips On Choosing The Right Corporate Gifts
Decided to put together a gift box for a client or staff member and unsure what to put in it? It's important to choose the right products in order to maximise their effectiveness. The best corporate gifting for your business will depend on its intended recipient, companywide branding and marketing goals.
1. Understand The Recipient. Who and what the gift is for? Is it to say thank you to an employee? Impress potential customers? Show appreciation to existing customers? Cement businesses to business relationships?
2. Stick To The Goals. Always keep in mind what you want to achieve; is the gift designed to reward customers or staff? Are you mainly focused on getting your brand out there? What are your company-wide branding goals? The products you choose to include in a gift box should be strategically chosen to deliver the desired results.
3. Send The Right Message. Think carefully about the items included in your gift box; you don't want to be giving away products made from non-recyclable materials if you are trying to establish an environmentally friendly stance, for example. This includes taking note of the packaging used to deliver the items.
4. Think 'Useful'. The best promotional corporate gifts tend to be those that are used a lot, make life easier and/or offer a feeling of luxury. Including items that are retained for further use is a great way to keep your brand around for a bit longer, offering greater brand awareness value.
5. Set A Smart Budget. Lots of small items or fewer luxury items is always the toughest decision when putting together the perfect gift box. Are you rewarding large numbers of staff with a small gift or just the top-performing ones with a luxury corporate gift? All of your clients, or your top twenty percent?
6. Timing Is Everything. Often the best response from gift-giving is when it's least expected. You don't have to wait until Christmas when there is lots of competition to hand out corporate gifts – make it special any time of the year.
Corporate Gifting Trends For 2021
We all know the world is currently experiencing big changes; this is even more evident in 2021 with the ongoing effects of the worldwide pandemic. Like many industries, the practice of corporate gifting has shifted its focus somewhat to reflect the different work/life styles that have emerged; the overall trends for 2021 are as follow:
Wellness Gifts
It's no surprise that everyone has a greater awareness of their health this year, so any gifts that include a wellness aspect are at the top of the list. This can include anything from stress toys and aromatherapy candles, to all things fitness related and healthy food items.
Work From Home (WFH) Gifts
This one also comes as no surprise as the majority of the world has become accustomed to working from home for extended periods. Employee gifts are a great way to maintain employee morale. Popular WFH gift items include reusable mugs, USB sticks, chocolate and stationery.
Self-Care Gifts
With so many people stressed out by the goings-on in the world and the sometimes challenging WFH environment, carefully chosen self-care products are a winner. This can include things like luxurious blankets, PPE, Christmas cakes, handmade soaps, toiletries and relaxation products.
Personalised Gifts
Choosing the right gift for the right people is always going to be a success. If a gift holds a personal element people feel more appreciated and understood. Think about what your staff/clients enjoy – are they avid gardeners? Outdoor enthusiasts? Tech heads?
Electronic Gift Cards
An excellent choice for ease of delivery, flexibility and convenience. However, gift cards do not meet any of the criteria for reaping the marketing benefits and will not likely be remembered for long.
Finding The Best Corporate Gifting Service Provider
While you can go about the process of putting together gift boxes yourself or get a staff member to do it – this works fine for small numbers, but when you start to get more than 10 recipients, it is a good idea to look into professional corporate gifting services.
The good news is there are plenty of online gifting businesses that can get the job done for you. 6 things to look for in a corporate gifting provider:
- Build your own box options
- Eco-friendly choices
- Good variety of items
- Flexibility with packaging and contents
- New Zealand owned and operated
- Online ordering
We hope you have found our corporate gifting trends helpful in deciding on the best corporate gifting solutions for 2021. For more ideas on unique corporate gifts for employees and clients or gifts for any occasion - see the gift box specialists at Crowe & Co.
