Competition is intense in business, so customer retention is essential. Branded corporate gifts are widely seen as a way to forge lasting links with clients. If you have ever attended an open business conference, you were probably given a notebook and pen bearing the logo and contact details of the company sponsoring the event. Given that these are useful items, like the majority of delegates, you likely kept them to use in your office or at home. By contrast, if you had been given a company brochure or a business card, there’s a good chance you would have deposited these in a waste basket on your way out.

Now, put yourself in the shoes of the conference sponsor. How many times have you given your business card to a prospect only to have the recipient fail to recognise you on your follow-up call? In practice, even Christmas and Birthday cards from close relatives will invariably be discarded after a few days, while even an inexpensive present will become a treasured keepsake.

More often than not, receiving a gift from someone prompts a desire to give something in return. That urge is a practical manifestation of a principle known as reciprocity and the explanation for the power of corporate gifting. If you give your clients a colourful calendar with your logo and contact details, they will remember you each time it is viewed, and when they need the kind of product your company sells, you are the person they will call. Make that gift a T-shirt, and you will have an army of mobile billboards promoting your brand wherever they go.

The History of Corporate Gifts

It is remarkable how often we wish to take credit for ideas that originated centuries or even millennia ago. The concept of gifting as a means to promote trade was introduced not by the giant international corporations of today but by traders from early civilisations travelling on the Silk Road. Those early merchants believed that offering presents helped build trust and friendship and created respect and goodwill. Today, the extensive use and welcome results of distributing corporate gifts prove that they were correct.

Today, it is customary for royalty and other heads of state to offer their counterparts gifts when visiting as a means to strengthen international relations. Though effective, this is also not a new idea. It was first practised by kings and emperors in mediaeval times. While all the above activities helped forge long-term relationships, the use of gifts to promote a brand is much more recent. The move was driven mainly by a marked surge in business competition, an inevitable consequence of the Industrial Revolution. More recently, digital technology has changed the nature of gifts and how they are distributed.

The tactical use of branded corporate gifts has become a worldwide practice. The steadily growing demand for everything from branded stationery and sportswear to keyrings and mousepads has since birthed a new type of business dedicated to producing and supplying these items. In South Africa, we at XCO Group have earned the status of an acknowledged industry leader.

Branded Corporate Gifts from the XCO Group

We offer an eclectic selection of more than 450 useful gadgets and a wide range of clothing and sports equipment. Our product mix has been carefully compiled to accommodate all tastes and marketing budgets. The following are just a few of our most popular lines:

• Technological Gifts: We can add your brand to a host of must-have items for technophiles, including:

• VR Glasses
  • USB car charger
  • Earbuds
  • Selfie stick
  • Pocket calculator
  • Multiport USB hub
  • USB electric shaver
  • Bluetooth speaker and FM radio

• Sportswear: If you want to outfit your company’s sports team or sponsor some kit for a school as part of your corporate social responsibility, put your brand on one of these:

• T-shirts and vests
  • Tracksuits
  • Golf shirts
  • Baseball caps and visors
  • Shorts
  • Sneakers
  • Bandanas

• Exhibition Equipment: Need to promote your brand at a trade show? We have the answer:

• Gazebos
  • Umbrellas and stands
  • Folding chairs
  • Banners and pennants
  • Inflatable arches, towers, and barrels

Branded corporate gifts are tried and tested powerful marketing tools, but their quality is paramount. Contact us for all your branding requirements and guarantee unsurpassed quality. Let’s work together to grow your company’s image and drive business success.