The Best Corporate Gifts for 2021 | Shadow Breeze
Finding gifts for clients or employee that showcase your brand, make a lasting impression and can be delivered quickly might seem like a daunting task but it doesn't need to be. Skip the boring "Swag Bag" and send a personalized, branded gift to your team today.
We understand that business gifting is probably not in your job description and you have many other things on your plate. Corporate gifting is exactly our job description so why not let us take your next gifting campaign off of your shoulders and onto ours.
This article will provide valuable insight into everything you should consider when looking for amazing business gifts. Whether you are looking for corporate holiday gifts for thousands of employees or a new hire gift you can send on demand, you will find plenty of tips and advice that will make your job much easier.
Corporate Gift Ideas
Does this situation sound familiar? Your boss calls you in and asks you to find a great branded gift for a reasonable price and get it delivered to all of your employee's homes as quick as possible and you are asking yourself, "Where do I start?" or "How am I going to get this done with everything else I need to do?" To help you get thing started we have outlined the five things you need to know to get started on your gifting project.
Five Things to Consider with Business Gifting
- What is the purpose for this gifting campaign?
- What is my budget and how can I maximize it?
- When do the gifts need to be delivered?
- What aesthetic or branding best represents my organization?
- Where will the gifts be shipped and how will that information be gathered?
1) Identify the objective or purpose for your corporate gifting project
The first thing you need to determine is what you hope to accomplish with this gifting campaign. Is your goal to express appreciation to your employees for a great year or maybe you want to keep your brand in front of perspective clients? Clarifying that purpose will not only aid in the selection of the gift items and the gift packaging but it will help you determine the ROI for your gifting campaign. Make sure the key stakeholders in your organization all understand and agree on the gifting objective(s) before you start so you can determine the success of your campaign down the road.
2) Determine the budget for your gift campaign
Once you have identified your gifting objective it is time to set your budget. Knowing up front what you will spend either per gift or overall will save you a lot of time during the gift design phase. Be sure your budget is consistent with your gifting objective. For example, if your objective is to thank your clients for their support you might want to consider multiple tiers of gifts so that your bigger clients get more impressive gifts.
When determining your budget keep in mind the cost of delivering the gifts. If your per gift price is low (less than $50 per gift) and shipping is included in that price, your shipping costs might represent a significant portion of your budget, especially if each gift is shipping to a different location.
3) Select your delivery date and work backwards to ensure you have sufficient time for each step of your gifting campaign
Lead times for getting your gifts delivered will be impacted by many factors such as the number of gifts, the items in the gift, custom gift packaging, etc. Other factors which can delay lead times are approval processes within your organization or new vendor set up processes which might require lengthy lead times on your end.
Due to the demand for corporate holiday gifts lead times in the 4th quarter might be significantly longer than at other times of the year. For most smaller orders you might expect two to four weeks before your custom gifts are ready to ship. For larger orders it might even be longer. Many corporate gifting companies stop accepting new orders for delivery in December by October. The best advice is to start your gifting campaign well in advance and discuss lead times in your initial conversations with any companies your reach out to.
4) Decide how should the gift look and feel?
Designing your gift and gift packaging is one of the key components of corporate gifting. As you being your gifting campaign you need to decide how important the gift aesthetic is to your overall strategy. With so many amazing options to choose from almost anything is possible. From branded gift packaging, wooden crates, bags, gift tags, belly bands and much more, you can showcase your brand in just the perfect way. Keep in mind that the gift packaging can quickly become a major portion of the cost of your gift, especially when your budget per gift is on the lower range. (i.e, $50 or less).
Your gifting expert will be able to help you determine which branding and packaging options are best for your campaign based on your objective and the contents you would like included in your gift.
5) Determine where will your gifts ship and who will provide the shipping address
A lot of organizations want will compile a list of recipients and addresses from their HR system. This is an easy way to generate a recipient list. However, if you don't have updated mailing address we can help.
We often work with clients to build a custom client branded landing page on our website. We will feature one or more custom gifts on that page and provide a unique link which you can use to share via email with your gift recipients. Using that link they can visit your branded page, select their gift and enter their shipping address, all at no cost to them. This is a great way to ensure your shipping addresses are correct which will help reduce the cost of reshipping gifts for employees who have moved but have not updated their address with HR.
If shipping gifts outside the USA there are a number of factors you should consider. First, shipping can be very expensive outside the US. It's not uncommon to spend $100+ to ship a gift so some locations. Second, with any international shipment you will need to provide a valid phone number and email address. Third, each gift will require the payment of duties or customs. When we ship gifts we include those costs in shipping costs we quote you so your recipients do not have to pay anything to get their gifts.
Shipping gifts internationally requires a lot of experience. We have shipped thousands of gifts around the world and can help you make the process each for you.
Best Corporate Gifting Companies
Not all corporate gifting companies are equal. Selecting the right partner for your gifting campaign is crucial. Your ideal gifting partner should not only help you build the perfect gift but should also ensure your business gifts are delivered on time and in perfect condition. You are looking for the perfect balance of creativity and attention to detail.
Here are four things your gifting partner should offer:
1) Dedicated account manager: You want a gifting expert who is available via phone, email or text and who will work at your pace. Look for someone who is invested in the success of your campaign and is comfortable pointing out concerns and offering suggestions when needed.
2) Full range of gifting services: Ask potential suppliers if they can handle special requests like allowing your recipients to select their own gifts, storing gifts you ship on a regular basis, in house personalization, etc.
3) Fulfillment & logistics experts: To ensure your gifts are shipped on time and arrive in perfect condition you want a partner who understands the complexity and nuances of sourcing product, fulfillment and shipping. Ask if your partner guarantees shipping dates, etc.
4) Post sale support: Look for a partner that offers support via email and phone for your gift recipients. Send a test email or place a test call to see how quickly they reply.