The business landscape is highly competitive, and you need to think beyond excellent products
and services to retain customers for the long haul. You must think outside the box to win loyal
customers for your brand. Corporate gifts can go the trick because they have the freebie value
people love so much. You can win big favors for your brand by spending a small sum on
promotional merchandise. But everything boils down to giving unique ones that stand out
above the rest. After all, your competitors will probably follow the same strategy, and your gift
should be better than theirs. Let us share a few surefire tips to give away the best corporate
gifts.
Plan ahead
Making your strategy work is about planning and strategy. After all, you need to invest effort in
picking an ideal corporate gift idea, sourcing them on time, and ensuring they reach the
recipients on time. It can be a lot of work in busy seasons like the holidays, and you may mess
things up without a plan. Start preparing your strategy a few months beforehand to ensure a
seamless implementation and happy customers.
Narrate a story
Like all your branding assets, the free merchandise you give away should also narrate a story.
The narrative could be about your values, work culture, and mindset toward customers. But
remember to ensure an emotional connection. A story makes the merchandise memorable, so
the recipients feel connected with your brand every time they see the gift. In fact, your brand
may be on top of their mind even months after receiving the gift. QR codes can also be incorporated into the packaging design to add an interactive element to the unboxing experience, such as providing a link to a video or a special promotion related to the gift.
Replicate your mascot
Besides narrating a story with your corporate gift, you can replicate your brand mascot to
enhance its promotional value. For example, you can give away Custom shaped stress balls
replicating your product, logo, or mascot. Every time the recipient uses the stress ball, they will
definitely recall your brand or product. Consider it a way to stay visible and on top of their
mind. Companies also use a custom logo stencil to paint it on the gift for maximum brand visibility. This strategy is a win-win because everyone needs stress relief, and you will expose your brand to the recipient’s network as well.
Provide multiple options
Brand merchandise becomes more alluring when you have more than one option for the
recipients. They will surely want to own all options to build a collection. You may need to invest
some effort into brainstorming for ideas in the gifting option, but it surely pays back. More gifts
boost the engagement value and keep your audience hooked, so it is always better to go bigger
with numbers.
Create an unboxing experience
The unboxing experience for your corporate gifts matters as much as the merchandise itself.
Consider going the extra mile with packaging ideas so that the recipients feel more excited
about the present. You can add a personalized card to strengthen the emotional connection
with your target audience. Everything boils down to your creativity when it comes to packaging the gift. The owner of Toynk suggests enhancing corporate gifting with an unforgettable unboxing experience: “Personalized packaging and thoughtful touches, like a custom card, elevate the excitement of receiving corporate gifts. Creating a memorable unboxing experience adds value and reinforces the emotional connection with your recipients, making each gift, whether it’s trendy toys or Tiki mugs, truly special.”
Corporate gifting is a great way to hood your audience and make them stick with your products
and brands. But you cannot expect to impress them with ordinary stuff. Try these tips to win
the gifting game without spending a fortune.
Photo credits: Coworking London