As businesses are getting ready to send out their holiday gifts to customers, partners and vendors, it can be stressful to figure out what to actually buy for these people. Send a gift that’s impersonal or not relevant to your recipient and you risk hurting your own brand’s reputation and you partnerships.
As the CEO of Knack, a modern gift-giving company, I know how you feel. Pre-packaged gift boxes rarely fit the bill as companies want to give meaningful gifts that tell their stories and move forward their relationships. That’s what we focus on.
To help you figure out the best gift to give (and get a great ROI), I have provided some useful tips based on a recent survey we conducted.
1. Select gifts that embody your brand values.
Whether your organization’s values are supporting female-led businesses, cutting-edge technology or giving back to certain causes, your gifts should be an accurate reflection of your brand. So, if you’re an outdoor eco-friendly company, your gifts should be sustainably sourced. If you’re a service organization doing business in a tight geographic area, consider local artisans for your gift items.
A good business gifts supplier should start by asking you about your values and what message you’d like your gifts to send. If they don’t, find another supplier.
2. Make it memorable.
Recipients who reported receiving a memorable gift are 33 percent more likely to state that they feel more connected to the brand and 20 percent more likely to alter their behavior as a result, according to our research. So what makes a gift memorable? In a word: stories.
The story might be as simple as “I selected this for you because…,” “We discovered this product when…” or “This year we’re giving XXX because…” but the story will help them remember your gift long after the physical gift has been used.
3. Add a non-consumable item to your food gifts.
Adding one or two non-food items to the…
