Corporate Gifting for your Clients

2020 is definitely not a gift but it certainly has kept on giving and with so many people having no other option but to stay at home away from their loved ones, gift giving has become more personal and meaningful as it becomes a gesture of love, for thanks and reminiscent of a better time.

To dive in further, Adele Thomas, Owner of corporate confectionery business; Distinctive Confectionery shares her view of the gifting market and why businesses should be getting personal with clients.

A growth in the market

Personalised and promotional gifts have been steadily growing over the years even without a pandemic, as the UK market alone for personalised products is worth over £1 billion.

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This growth could be determined by several factors, as consumers look for products that have a unique and bespoke touch to them, which in turn supports the fact that people are happy to pay more and wait longer for it to arrive because of the items circumstances.

This uniqueness has several benefits, especially from a B2B point of view, as it allows for businesses to stand out and shine against other businesses who may have opted for more generic promotional gifts.

Similar benefits are sought after from regular consumers who wish to gift a friend or family member and want to purchase a product that is personal to them and the person receiving the gift.

The current pandemic however, seems to have increased the demand for personal gifts as it holds with it, the opportunity to say more than just a thank you but also a ‘I miss you’ or ‘we’re thinking of you’.

Not on the High Street has experienced this demand first hand, as it has seen a huge surge of purchases after the pandemic struck.

Personalised products are a valuable aspect of most marketing strategies

It’s no surprise then with the rise of people working from home, having less personal contact with employees, workers, families etc. that businesses have also taken the time to incorporate promotional gifting within their own marketing strategies.

A 2019 survey from Cartwright and Butler identified that 95% of businesses see personalised gifts as a necessary part of their strategy, with 85% saying corporate gifts helped to strengthen the relationship between them and their clients.

It just proves that personalised gifts aren’t just for consumers and that many businesses rely on that bespoke touch to improve relationships, stay relevant and showcase their brand which could lead to new custom.

Corporate gifts are not just for the customer

Customers aside there is also the other face of businesses gifting their own employees which is also a huge market, in itself. Research by One4All Rewards discovered that the manufacturing industry receives a huge amount of incentive gifting which sees many clients engaging further and becoming a repeat customer to another business or supplier.

These rewards are more than just a ‘remember me’ they are the building blocks of positivity, trust and communication which keeps so many businesses engaged with one another.

Other industries to also receive some form of personal, corporate incentive includes the educational sector, healthcare, and local and national Government.

What personalised gifts are leading the market?

Naturally when people think of personalised or corporate gifts the usual, pens, notepads, mouse mats and calendars come to mind, and that’s because they’ve been successful for so long because it allows for a brands logo or tag line to be right in-front of their client by providing an item that can be useful in their day-to-day working routine.

As time goes on, businesses have wanted more from a corporate gift, one that puts them in a brighter spotlight, compared to the other businesses that have ordered the same personalised pen.

The same survey from Cartwright & Butler found that food and beverage products were one of the most sought after gifts with 49% of those who took part in the survey favoured chocolate, hampers and alcohol over more ‘modern’ concepts such as technology gifts, stationary and even gift vouchers.

One very good reason for this may come down to the psychology of gift giving. It’s no secret that chocolate makes us feel good as it increases our happy hormone; serotonin, which helps us experience happiness.

When you’re able to combine the act of gift giving with the positive experience that something like chocolate can create, surely there is a lasting effect between the client and the business, because of that experience.

That’s not to say you should only gift your clients chocolate, as for many businesses, it might not be the right type of gift. If you’re in the fitness sector for example, the last product you want to give potential customers is a box of chocolates, as you’re clearly sending out the wrong message.

How to utilise the power of corporate gifting

Personalised gifts can be effective all year round but more so at different points of the year where many people enjoy seasonal celebrations such as Easter, Halloween and especially Christmas.

Everybody enjoys receiving a gift and its naturally expected around the festive season between families and employees. This presents the perfect opportunity to send seasonal corporate gifts to your clients to thank them for their service throughout the year and perhaps offer them something for the New Year to increase their engagement.

Seasonal corporate gifting is fairly obvious as it’s a natural time to present a gift for someone, but what about events, trade shows and business conferences.

Festival events for example have experienced a huge uptake in corporate gifting and has turned into a 7.5-billion-dollar industry. If you find yourself wanting to create a personalised gift that is more unique than chocolate or stationary, events such as festivals provide lots of open doors for technology and clothing gifts, that will have plenty of eyes upon them.

Know your client, know your product

As mentioned previously, the type of corporate or personalised gift you choose to create should be considered once you understand your receipent.

Sending a box of chocolates to your recently signed up gym member is going to confuse them, but sending them a useful item such as a personalised water bottle will start their journey with you on the right foot.

Showing up to a trade show or business event with a unique or tasty item which will draw in potential customers can give you the opportunity to learn more about the type of people who are invested in your brand.

As the personalised and corporate gifting market seems to be showing no signs of slowing down, businesses should be considering their next gift as we enter the New Year. What types of products would your clients find useful?

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