It’s fun to receive a little gift from your employer or your vendor during the holidays, especially when it’s a really good one. Give your employees and clients that feeling this year. Not only are gifts a nice gesture, but thoughtful corporate gifts can also improve morale and strengthen relationships.
How to choose the best corporate holiday gifts
So how will you decide what to send? You want your gifts to be special, while staying on budget. Here are a few other factors to consider to help you choose just the right items for perfect gifts.
Occasion
This might seem obvious but think about the occasion and time of year you’ll be sending your gifts. During the holidays, cozy is king. This makes items like throw blankets and gourmet spiced teas especially appealing – where they might not be for an employee’s work anniversary in the summer.
Employees vs clients
Gifts for employees and gifts for clients will look different. While an employee will likely appreciate “company swag” more than a client, because they’re more likely to personally identify with your company, logo, values, etc. For a client, something that symbolizes your partnership with them or their company’s industry will probably be of more interest to them.
Also, with clients, each gift can be different depending on your relationship with the client and what you think they would appreciate. For employees, you’ll want to keep gifts the same, as opening them in the office together is a real possibility and you want to avoid negative comparisons.
Number of gifts
An important detail: How many. If you’re just sending a few, you may be able to go bigger with your gifts. But if you’re sending hundreds, you’ll need to make it manageable for your budget and shipping considerations.
Budget
One of the biggest factors to consider is, of course, you budget. Once you know how many gifts you want to send, that can help you calculate how much you can reasonably spend on each gift. Keep in mind, gifts don’t have to be expensive to be meaningful.
Brand and company culture
Corporate gifts can be an expression of your brand, and should certainly align with your company culture. This is about more than simply adding a logo or wrapping the gift in your brand colors. Think about the pillars of your brand. For example, if one of your pillars is sustainability, think about gifting something reusable like a silicone snack bag or stainless steel straw set. Corporate gifts give you the chance to say something about your brand – make sure you’re saying the right thing.
Individual preferences
Think about some of the best employee or client gifts you’ve received. They may have been creative, practical, or sentimental but it was probably a personal touch that makes them stand out in your mind. This year, add that personal touch to the gifts you’ll be giving.
The best way to do that is to find out what they like, don’t like, might need. For clients, think back on your conversations with them and try to remember any hobbies or interests they may have mentioned. For employees, if your organization is large, you may need to ask team managers for some ideas or send out a short survey to gather everyone’s gifting preferences.
Holiday corporate gift ideas
Time to go shopping! Here are some gift ideas to get you started.
Gift baskets
Gift baskets are classic for a reason. They’re thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to theme to match any occasion. Spa gift baskets with high end soaps and lotions provide a moment of relaxation, and tea or cookie gift baskets are perfect for sharing. You could also try something a little unconventional, like a BBQ gift set.
Branded & custom gifts
Holiday gifts give you a perfect opportunity to give away something with your company name, colors, or logo, to keep your company top of mind. Branded gifts could range from tote bags to water bottles to wine tumblers. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something useful and high quality that matches your employees and clients interests. At Quill, our Custom Print Specialists can help with everything from finding just the right product to getting your design just right. Reach out to our team any time.
Desk accessories
Think of items that would make a delightful addition to the recipients’ desks. You could gift them a luxurious pen, a nice-looking notepad set, or a handy desk organizer. These items are both practical and special.
Add a card
Cards bring a heartfelt touch to any gift. At Quill, we offer a variety of holiday card options you can customize from your business. A custom holiday card is just the thing to take your gift from excellent to outstanding, especially when you include a handwritten message written with a smooth fountain pen. And if you’ll be mailing your cards, you can add one more special touch with USPS Holiday Forever Stamps.
Happy gifting
This holiday season, we hope you enjoy your corporate gifting and employees and clients alike appreciate the effort. Find everything you need to make your gifts memorable from Quill.
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