Corporate gifts are certainly on the rise again, despite the recent shift that the tax man disallows large corporate gifts. In the past, companies used to give costly gifts and wrote it off as tax refundable. More recently, companies have started opting for somewhat less expensive gifts that still make an impact. So when you're choosing corporate gifts, opt for something meaningful and memorable. Choose something that will remind the client of your company long after they have forgotten your name and face, but be sure that it has your company's name and number on it.

Typical gifts given by companies these days, include:

• Pens - everyone needs a pen!
• Mugs are great as practical gifts.
• Mousepads are still given, but not as popular anymore.
• Memory sticks are useful and the price is at an all time low.
• Lanyards are popular at conferences as they are handy for keys.
• Shopping bags are still popular and useful across a number of industries.
• Water bottles or towels are fantastic for sports events or related industries.
• Car lighter charger adapters are great for reps.

What Makes an Appropriate Gift?

It's hard enough to buy your elderly mother a Mother's Day gift, so how on earth do you choose an appropriate gift for strangers? First of all, knowing your target market like the palm of your hand makes it easier. Here's how you can make choosing the appropriate corporate gift easier.

Your Gifting Budget

The size of your event and your budget per head will help us decipher the cost-range that we're looking at. Determine your budget from the onset, as this will help you save time and money when you're choosing your corporate gifts.

Practical Gifts

Practicality matters. There are all kinds of novelty gifts on the market, but we'd recommend that you stick with something more practical; something that will stay on the person's desk or on their person. Rather hand out something useful. Look at what's on your desk that you use all the time, and use that as a guideline for choosing the right gift for your clients.

Event-Specific Gifts

Event-specific gifts are particularly handy, for instance golf-related gifts for golf days, or branded water bottles or wrist wallets for running events. Ideally, you should speak to your branding company about the type of event you are attending, and let them recommend some suitable options.

When choosing corporate gifts for a once-off event, you can go for something smaller and more generic. However, when the gift is to form part of a larger campaign, you should consider using the campaign colours and artwork in the gift in order to bring it all together. By better informing your branding company, they can advise you on the best options for your specific needs.

How to Avoid Common Corporate Gift Mistakes

Despite their best intentions, clients often make mistakes when choosing and ordering corporate gifts. Speak to your branding company upfront to avoid these common mistakes.

Don't be cheap

Don't make the mistake of being too cheap. Branding is an important investment into your company's future. If you don't want to overspend, give the branding company a budget to work with, and they will give you several options to choose from. Having worked with hundreds of companies on their branding campaigns, branding experts know exactly which corporate gifts to recommend that will make the most impact. From the various options, you will be able to find the perfect fit.

Don't over order

When ordering corporate gifts, you don't need to order thousands at a time. We have had clients with a database of 3000 contacts hand out only 200-300 pens before their phone numbers changed and the pens became redundant. Rather order small amounts at a time and be sure you get value for your money. Instead, increase your budget, order fewer items of better quality and be sure you hand them all out. That way your clients will be more appreciative and you will not sit with redundant stock.

There's no denying the value of a well-chosen, practical and good-quality corporate gift. Statistics have shown that:

• Promotional products generate greater recall than any other medium;
• 6% of recipients recall the company or brand advertised on a promotional product;
• Recipients often keep promotional products for more than 2 years;
• On average a promotional product is used once a day.

For more personal gifts to a small group of clients, choose a high-quality feel-good gift, such as a knife set with a subtle logo on it. These gifts are obviously inappropriate if you want to gift a large group of people, as it becomes very expensive. Therefore, it is important to target a specific group and to know them well.

We would like to encourage you to implement the guidelines in this article straight away. If you are not sure how to get started or how it best applies to your business, please contact us and we will be happy to share some further thoughts with you.