Are you getting ready for the holidays and looking to take part in corporate gifting this year? We know all about it, and are here to let you in on what exactly corporate gifting is, what it can look like, and what the benefits are.

What is Corporate Gifting and Why is It Important?
Corporate gifting is the practice of creating touchpoints with employees, clients, or client prospects through sending them a gift. These gestures through gifting are designed to create a positive response in whoever you send the gift to towards your company. Most importantly, however, they are designed to send the feeling of appreciation: for the hard work done by an employee, or a thank you for support from clients.

As a practice, corporate gifting can become a valuable piece of your overall strategy for customer acquisition and employee satisfaction. There is a strong psychological tie to gifting which can create a positive outcome for any company, through fostering positive views of your business and its products. This in turn can develop the loyalty of employees and consumers. There is a reason why gratitude and recognition have become high priorities in businesses and the workplace: because they create positive results! This is why it is forecasted that corporate gifting practices are going to continue to grow within the next 10 years.

Types of Corporate Gifting

Who are you gifting for and what message do you want to send? Depending on the recipient and the meaning behind your gift, there are a few different styles that your corporate gifting might take. The major groups, however, are: Corporate Gifts for Clients, Personalized Gifts for Customers, and Corporate Gifts for Employees.

Corporate Gifting For Clients

Valued clients who are engaged with your business are not just likely to become repeat customers, but also go that extra step further and spread the word about your company to others. Word-of-mouth can be a powerful thing, and having a strong relationship with clients can help this to grow. When it comes to giving gifts to clients that you are still building a relationship with, these gifts can be anything that doesn’t require too much investment, but is still memorable enough to be impactful. From small plants or candles, to tasty treats and sweets, there are countless ways to give your clients those positive feelings that they will come to associate with your business.

Personalized Gifts for Customers

When you personalize a gift, no matter who to, it shows that you value the relationship between yourself and the recipient. When it comes to customers, it specifically shows that you both value that person’s business, and that you have an interest in them beyond a transaction as a person. In a time when there is so much marketing coming at us from every angle in such an impersonal way, this can create a powerful message to recipients about how you are paying attention to them as an individual. Finding out what valued customers like (their hobbies, favourite snacks, interests, or even favourite colors) can help in designing a gift that is perfect for them. In fact, at Bread & Butter Basket Company, we are all about customization! We can help you build a personalized gift basket that is filled with treats and items that you know your customers will love. And this doesn’t just have to be something that you do around the holidays. There are so many moments within the customer journey that make perfect times to strengthen your connection with a thought-out, and personally-designed gift.

Corporate Gifts for Employees

When striving to create a long, and happy working relationship with your employees, making them feel valued and welcome in your work space is one of the best ways to ensure your relationship stays strong. When an employee is unengaged with your business, they aren’t likely to put their best foot forward, whether intentionally or not. This can take the shape both in checked-out behaviors internally in the company, or with customers and clients in the external world. Nobody wants that! So what do you do when other options aren’t possible? A well-personalized first may just be the ticket! This conveys to a person that you recognize and appreciate what they do as an individual. If you are aware of a special occasion in the person’s life or an important milestone coming up (for example: a new baby, new home, earning a degree, a birthday, and more) this could be a great opportunity to show that you pay attention, and care about them outside of work. This is all without mentioning the many possibilities for celebrating career milestones or years of service to the company, too! Not only that, but special gifts can be used as incentives or for rewards when employees reach personal and professional goals, or regularly go the extra mile. As with personalizing gifts for customers, employees also appreciate when you show that you care, and we are always ready to get down to customizing a gift with a person’s favourite items.

At the end of the day, corporate gifting is beneficial to many companies today as a way of creating genuine and meaningful connections between the sender and recipient. It can be used as a powerful tool in connecting with individuals and building meaningful relationships that last for years.