Corporate Gifts Should Match Individual Tastes and Occasions
The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt are known to have made extravagant donations of gold, silver, chariots, and cattle to foster international diplomacy or form trade and military alliances with other rulers. Today, one needs to be more conservative regarding the value and nature of presents given or received for business purposes to avoid any contravention of local bribery laws. Nevertheless, offering corporate gifts as a promotional tool or to reward an employee’s achievement has become a worldwide phenomenon.
However, the monetary value of these gifts is not the only factor to consider when deciding what might best suit the recipient and the occasion. A business card remains a common means to provide customers and prospects with a company’s contact details, but it is easily lost and will quite often be consigned to the trash can.
By contrast, carefully chosen practical gifts will likely be used repeatedly, thus serving as a constant reminder of the individual donors and their organisations. The following sections of this article will provide some ideas on how to choose gifts appropriate for various occasions, explore the benefits of branded corporate gifts, and take a closer look at the extensive selection available from the XCO Group.
Choosing and Timing the Right Corporate Gifts
While gifts are often chosen and given at random, experience shows that, in business, timing can make a significant difference. Their impact is invariably greatest when delivered to coincide with some special occasion of the intended recipient. While birthdays and Christmas qualify as such, the timing of corporate gifting should be based on work-related events. These might include:
- A recent promotion
- An individual, team, or company goal achieved through exceptional effort
- Work anniversaries
- Gaining a qualification
- Retirement
An employer might reward an employee on these occasions with a small cash bonus, time off, or a trophy.
The latter might prove memorable but has no practical value, and the others will be quickly forgotten. To be safe, whatever the occasion, it’s wise to ensure the chosen items are both useful and enduring.
However, timing, the occasion, and practicality are not the only criteria one must consider. Corporate gifts should also be appropriate to the recipient’s gender and culture.
- Gender: There is, of course, no safe way to navigate the bewildering maze of extreme gender fluidity associated with “Woke” culture. However, spotting whether the intended recipient might prefer a Tiffany Duo cosmetic bag or a formal shirt should not be too challenging. Incidentally, both are available from XCO Group.
- Culture: South Africa is a multicultural society, and cultural mores must be respected, which, in some cases, could have a bearing on the choice of an appropriate gift. While it is generally safe to offer most things to Europeans and Africans, especially those who maintain Christian beliefs, more caution might be necessary when selecting presents suitable for those with different religious beliefs. In such cases, everyday items like stationery, digital tech, household goods, and watches are unlikely to offend.
The Benefits of Branded Corporate Gifts
While a quality off-the-shelf gift can help build and maintain a beneficial relationship with the recipient, it will have no further benefits. On the other hand, embroidering or printing the donor’s brand on something like a T-shirt, baseball cap, or tog bag could transform it into a powerful advertising tool that will be seen repeatedly by colleagues, friends, family members, and anyone the user may encounter on the street.
Applying a company brand to a corporate gift offers a highly effective but inexpensive and ongoing alternative to costly conventional advertising options while potentially providing a much broader reach. That branded T-shirt could establish visibility in previously untapped areas and create opportunities for expansion.
Types of Corporate Gifts Available from the Exco Group
When choosing a suitable gift, quality is paramount. Even a small, inexpensive item of high quality will be appreciated and will make a positive statement about the donor company’s standards. There will be special occasions when something more expensive is called for. Whatever the price tag, quality wins and is guaranteed when purchasing from XCO Group
Whether buying for staff or customers, you are unlikely to find a broader selection than our extensive selection of clothing, stationery, sporting gear, drinkware, leisure items and tech gadgets, a mere 20% of our popular stock categories. If you believe your organisation could benefit from our branded corporate gifts, contact us and let’s work together to optimise the power of your brand.
