Everyone who has worked in any industry has received overexposure to pens, mugs and tote bags with the company name and logo pasted on them.
What is more infamous than the Sports Direct mug, measuring a gallon of tea, god-forbid you fill it to the brim and drink for a week or worse still drop the flood-inducing cup. It may have developed its own tacky legend but I dare you to find someone who says “Sports Direct mug, what’s that?”.
Whilst these gifts remain on your desk and are a constant reminder of the brand, they generate very little emotion or fail to encourage any loyalty. In Layman’s terms, a pen is a pen. The trouble with these as gifts is they have been rendered unimportant and cheap; people are indifferent to them. What were once novel items, mousepads and USB sticks, have now become nothing more than landfill stockpilers.
The key is now gifting items that people don’t need or require but what people actually want! Cocktails, wine and chocolate are today’s fancies, that with them being tasteful and carrying the weight of consideration with them.
So this begs the question, how can your company garner loyalty and be unforgettable to your recipients?
We all had shared experiences with Zoom chatrooms and Microsoft Teams parties, in some ways, ironically, bringing us closer together. I believe this was achieved by everyone involved sharing an experience where they could compare it on neutral grounds.
Reminders were being sent to houses that the outside world still exists and companies out there were still working away to provide experiences to the masses. At MicroBarBox Ltd we were bringing the bar to all and were proud to have our branding represented in houses all over the country. We were also spreading the logos and names of fellow companies who were trying their best and showing the human race’s resolve during times of crisis. This resolution inspires loyalty!
Today, we believe branding is still just as important. Why wouldn’t it be? It adds a personal touch to a gift when it can be perceived as a corporate pen just ticking a box to cater to the clients and employees. It shows mindfulness and is an obvious example of going the extra mile.
This is especially true when you’re catering to 100+ recipients and adding a personal message to all is a monumental task, even more so around a certain festive period when everyone’s gifting mindset is stretched thin and preoccupied with so many things at once.
A perfect example arose when we received a Fortnum & Mason hamper from a client, a stunning gift. However, as it was unbranded, a year on I cannot for the life of me remember who sent it and it’s left a lingering feeling of guilt on our behalf. You might keep the gifts (and the hamper) but forget whom you got them from.
On the flip side of this, we have also been sent individual pressies from Virgin Wines, these were customised with gift messages directly on the bottle with messages of thanks from the sender. With their brand represented directly on the product, it becomes instantly special. When you pull that bottle out of the fridge on a Sunday to enjoy with a roast and family you are reminded of the company that presented you with the perfect accompaniment to end the week.
Here are my top tips for corporate gifting to wow your clients and team.
- Look for a wide product range; with a large product range, you have options. You can find products which match the individual but you can also find something to cater to all with a variety.
- Find somewhere with exceptional customer service. No one wants to spend 2 days waiting for a reply whilst needing to get the wheels in motion.
- You don’t want to be doing individual orders! Find somewhere with will take a load off your shoulders and help you to do a bulk order.
- Find somewhere with personalisation options, if a company is only offering to put your brand on display for a charge then you are likely not going to go for it but if they have a free option and a bespoke service to pay for you can pick and choose.
- Personalisation isn’t an exclusive club for 40+ employee companies, show your team their value and give them the best.
We at MicroBarBox Ltd can accommodate companies from all walks of life, providing a corporate service which is not afraid to try new things and have fun doing it.
Whether you're ordering 1 company gift box or 1,000 company gift boxes, every one of our corporate gifts is carefully hand-packed at MicroBarBox HQ and can be delivered across the UK for you.
We can listen to your needs, provide the best solutions and most importantly make the whole process easy and enjoyable for you. With our range of high-quality products and represented brands, your giftee will be sure to find as much pleasure with us as you do.
No one is turned away and with prices to fit every budget we are happy to greet everyone.
To check out our corporate gifting page, click here: https://www.microbarbox.com/corporate-gifts
In the meantime we will be, as always, bringing the bar to you!
Luke Smith - Warehouse Manager at MicroBarBox