It’s Christmas in July and you know what that means! Nope, not ugly Christmas sweaters over bathing suits or tacky holiday décor on a boat. It’s time to talk about corporate gifting, of course! The holidays will be here in 4 short months!
Why give customers a holiday gift?
Gift giving is a great way to express thanks and gratitude to your customers and partners around the holidays. Plus, giving a thoughtful gift that embodies your company’s values and personality is a great way to make an impression that lasts all year long.
Gone are the days of paper weights, pens, and stale cookies. Think bigger and cooler. We’re talking experiences, games, apparel, alcohol – honestly, the more unique the better! For example, check out these holiday gifts we put together for our client, IJA Strategies, last year. Not only did these gifts say “thank you” in a meaningful way, the recipients are still talking about them!
When should you start planning for corporate gifting?
This is kind of a trick question because you should already be thinking about your 2021 corporate gifts for the holidays. “It’s only July,” you say?! We know, we know…however, we recommend our clients start planning in July for December’s gifts. This allows for enough time to conceptualize, source the items, design custom print pieces and packaging where applicable, and ship items well in time for the holidays. This also gives our clients time to gather the list of recipients and their addresses – typically, the more time the better for this task!
Keep in mind, the more complex the gift, the more time you’ll need. Think about how personalized each gift will be, if everyone will be receiving the same gift or if there will be different versions, if it will be one item or multiple items packaged together, if everything will go in a custom box, etc. All of these things may require extra planning and time.
How much should you budget for corporate gifts?
One of the major factors you’ll want to nail down early on in your planning process is your budget. We recommend thinking about it per recipient. For example, think about someone on your recipient list. How much would you be willing to spend on a gift for that person? Then, multiply that amount by the number of people on your list.
Gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and values – you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot to make a big impact! Remember, though, that the true cost of the gift isn’t just the item itself. You’ll have to factor in packaging, print pieces, and shipping, plus the cost of coordination and packing if you’re outsourcing the job. Staying on budget means thinking of all of this in the beginning of the planning process so that there are no surprises come December.
And of course, don’t forget your own employees…
It’s wonderful to show appreciation for your customers but also the people you work with each and every day! Each year, our team members receive some form of Rosenberg swag from our leadership team…we all say that opening up the branded items is one of our favorite RA traditions! Throughout the years, we’ve been gifted sweatpants, t-shirts, tumblers, hats, wine openers, backpacks, and more all featuring our logo. If you come to our office on any given day, it’s almost a guarantee that someone will be wearing something branded! Let this post also serve as your reminder to start thinking about what you’d like to give your employees this year (we’d love to help!).
If you’re looking to give a gift that your customers will be talking about all year, we can make it happen. We’ll take care of everything – from ideation and sourcing to assembly and shipping. Give us a call to learn more.
