Crafting Your Corporate Gifting Strategy to Elevate Brand Presence and Improve ROI

With corporate gifting projected to reach $306 billion in 2024, it’s clear that there is a demand for generosity and gifting. There is strong backing behind gifting as a facet of any strong marketing strategy and business plan. However, companies aren’t just gifting nonchalantly. Each purchase is deliberately thought out to support company goals, brand identity, and values. With return on investment (ROI) kept at the forefront of decision making, the strategic approach to gifting is calculated to secure the desired outcome. 

Research suggests that corporate gifts for clients are a worthy investment – 52% of beneficiaries are glad to collaborate with a company after receiving a gift. This seems to be a well-known fact because 20% of companies spend upwards of $1,000 on clients during the holidays. In this corporate climate, there is real pressure to be generous to keep up with the competition.

This article will explore strategies to guide your brand as you personalize gifts for your business goals. 

1. Customize for success and client appreciation

Personalization is the name of the game. When you personalize a gift for a prospective client, you make a strong impression. You tell your recipient what you think about them and what their personality or needs might be, while simultaneously conveying information about yourself. You convey to them with your gift how generous, creative, cool, respectable, or reliable you may be. The gift itself represents your brand, your perspective of the recipient, and also makes a strong statement about yourself. These are all very important, and somewhat subliminal messages that need to be made very carefully.

Research suggests that custom promotional products and personalization of gifts yield superior results or return on investment (ROI). Your recipient will notice your added efforts and, in the best-case scenario, be flattered by your selection. Given that there is empirical evidence suggesting that personalized gifts make a stronger positive impression, it’s a safe bet that your efforts will be appreciated.  

2. Know that your gift is a reflection of your brand – be classy, high-quality, and sustainable

Corporate gifts for clients are a powerful reflection of your brand. Be strategic and always give business gifts that will have the maximum positive brand impact. Here is a brief list of dos and don’ts to be sure not to make any common mistakes.

Do:

• Go with custom promotional products
• Select high-quality and durable merchandise
• Always make sustainable decisions and support a good cause with your business gifts
• Be professional, and give appropriate items to your recipient

Don’t:

• Give cheap, breakable items that will end up in a landfill
• Gift things that could be interpreted as inappropriate or offensive
• Give edible items that can’t be consumed by the recipient 
• Be over the top, tacky, or give the impression of being unprofessional

3. Gift items to be seen by the world as a marketing strategy

It’s especially fruitful if corporate gifting includes items that are mobile and visible to the masses. With more people laying eyes on branded swag, your corporate gifting strategy will also boost brand recognition. That procures better results in terms of return on investment (ROI).

Here are some ideas for custom promotional products that are likely to be seen in the real world: 

• Any kind of bag, backpack, or fanny pack, especially used for travel
• General apparel like T-shirts, sweatshirts, or hats
• Mobile beverage containers like water bottles and tumblers
• Travel gear and items used on airplanes
• Sports gear and apparel
• Camping and outdoor gear, such as foldable chairs or tables

4. Do your research and give them what they want to improve brand loyalty

Gifts can fall short. We’ve all received gifts that were re-gifted or donated because we just didn’t like them, need them, or weren’t able to use them. Social Imprints can assist you in ensuring that your gifts are a home run. Any first-rate gift requires some amount of awareness and understanding of the recipient. In the corporate world and professional relationships, it is possible to do research on a company website to get a good feel of the needs and possible tastes of a client. Depending on the situation, it is also possible to drop subtle hints and inquiries to gather some gift ideas. 

One way of increasing gift success rate is by offering options. This can be challenging because too many gift options can be overwhelming. Stick with two or three options for gifts so you can provide adequate variety without working excessively hard on the back end. Your added effort will be noticed and improve customer retention, as well as return on investment (ROI).

5. Be Unique, Innovative, and Memorable

Know that your gift is a statement about your brand and company personality. You always want to be unique, creative, and innovative. Corporate gifts for clients are intended to manifest positive new memories. Novel and unique products that are especially cool will make a great lasting impression. Sustainable and innovative products will correlate with your brand’s perceived technical abilities and professionalism. Boost your brand presence by presenting something that people want to tell their friends about and use all around town. 

6. Cultivate a culture of celebration and support well-being

In today’s corporate climate, supporting positive well-being in the workplace is essential. There is a tremendous amount of funding and research going towards combating the mental health crisis in America. This has absolutely filtered into our professional lives and the corporate industry. This translates as enhanced benefits and general conscientiousness towards employees and their families. Furthermore, this even extends to clients’ perceptions of a business’s ability to care for their employees. In other words, people want to do business with a well-rounded, conscientious organization. Strategic gifting is one way to make a positive and lasting impression and boost client appreciation.

The takeaway here is that it’s fantastic to celebrate the little things. Say “thank you” and “awesome work” with corporate gifting. Here are some ideas for events that ought to be celebrated to uplift morale and facilitate professional bonding and camaraderie.

Events that should be celebrated:

• Holidays
• Birthdays
• Promotions
• New hires
• Retirements
• Engagements and marriages
• Welcoming new children
• Project Milestones
• Project kickoffs 
• Project setbacks and challenges
• Project completions
• New collaborations
• Final collaborations
• Company achievements
• Employees/client achievements

… you get the idea

Harness the power of corporate gifting to achieve your business goals

Corporate gifts for clients are a necessary facet of business strategy. Adequate thought and research must be put towards purchasing decisions to ensure that resources are used wisely. Gifts have the power to boost customer retention, brand loyalty, and even brand recognition, while simultaneously enforcing strong professional relationships and bolstering company well-being.  

For guidance on improving your gifting strategy, reach out to bizdev@socialimprints.com, and one of our product specialists will be in touch!