Giving gifts is just as fun as receiving them. Who can forget the anticipation of watching someone’s eyes light up when they see an beautiful box being delivered to them and see that beam of happiness to light up their face? Granted, when it comes to corporate gifting, we’re not usually there to watch the gift opening, but we can sit back and imagine and hopefully get a thank you email or call.
When your organising corporate Christmas gifts you’ll be buying for a list of people you may not know that well but really want to impress. So how do you make sure each one lands with a bang?
Get on to the task early (which means now) because the closer you get to Christmas the more time will get away from you. And worst of all stock will disappear and you will have less choice. If you’re a first-time Corporate Gifter you’ll find there might be more to it than you expected.
But here are five tips that will help you deliver a thoughtful Christmas gift. We’ve gleaned these from our experience in the gifting industry and personally guiding countless businesses through the process.
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? You’d be surprised how often it can happen, though. Corporate gifting can involve long lists of people, and lists that change as personnel come and go. Make sure yours is up-to-date, and confirm this with somebody in the business you’re gifting to. A little research can go a long way. What we want to do is avoid giving something alcoholic to someone who doesn’t drink, or food that contains gluten to a person who has an intolerance. This is well worth the effort – we all know how appreciative we feel when we get a present that clearly demonstrates thought and consideration!
Nothing could be more heartbreaking than going to all this effort only for the gifts to arrive after the office closes or, indeed, after Christmas. Make sure you know when they close for the year, or when the majority of staff is taking time off. Get in early and make sure the gifts will arrive before this date. In fact, you may want them to arrive earlier than usual; this way, your gifts avoid competing with other gifts from other companies and can have a little moment all to themselves, plus you avoid any delivery delays due to the Christmas crunch. Doesn’t have to be super early – the first week of December would do nicely.
As heartbreaking as the previous scenario. Make sure you have the right address. Businesses move, so make sure your records are up to date. And get a second set of eyes to make sure you’ve entered it in correctly. There’s a lot going on at the pointy end of the year, and we can all have passing episodes of dyslexia.
Corporate branding can take gifts to a whole new level. They can make gifts look ultra-professional and sleek, or more personalised and thoughtful. Whichever feel you want, you really need to plan early. We have myriad branding options at Creative Hampers – ribbons, postcards, mezze boards, etc – but there’s a bit of a creative process behind it, not to mention the printing or engraving. So plan early and get the ball rolling as soon as you can.
At Creative Hampers, we know some businesses have been doing it tough. That’s why we have created our Value Gift Boxes. Great value, Christmassy wrap and lots of yummy things inside and no shipping surprises at checkout as all our hampers include shipping! These ones in particular are for people who have a lot of love to give and want to gift to lots of staff or clients. Minimum order of 50 but when they start at $50 delivered then that kinda makes it affordable…and think of the impact you will make with your customers or staff.
So you’ve followed our tips and got all the information you need to do this corporate gifting gig right. Now all you have to do is find the actual gifts. Here’s another tip: don’t waste time trudging through shopping malls or endlessly scrolling online.
Send us an email or do it old school and pick up the phone. Female founders Learne, Sarah & Rachel run Creative Hampers, and you’ll find yourself talking with one of us.
With all of your research, we can help you match an appropriate gift to each recipient, based on likes, hobbies, allergies and budget. We’ll need time to prepare a list of recommendations, and you’ll need time to review them and approve or ask for alternatives.
Thinking of you thinking of a thoughtful Christmas. Reach out to us if you need help.
