’Tis the Season to Shop, Spend and Send

From ASI web site:

Whether you shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, give or receive, we’re hoping a business gift-giving tip sheet and the results from a recent survey on corporate spending will help you deck your customer’s and employee’s halls professionally and with style.

Nearly every company carefully considers what to give and how much to spend when it comes to gifts for employees and clients. According to a recent survey from ASI’s Successful Promotions magazine, gift cards are tops for year-end employee gifts and bonuses, and food and drink win out for clients and customers.

As always, there’s no limit on creativity when it comes to passing along your company name and logo. According to a recent feature on ASI’s popular “The Joe Show” video, this year’s hottest corporate thank-you gift ideas include:

• • Food gift baskets
• • Wine gift baskets
• • Clocks
• • Love Rocks
• • Caps
• • Bath robes
• • Kindle covers
• • iPod covers
• • Pocket watches

Food remains a perennial hit since it can be enjoyed and shared by the whole office or department. But there’s no denying the increasing popularity of high-tech accessories for and techno gifts, like charging docks with a four-port hub or a wireless USB laser pointer. Products made from bamboo or other recycled materials are also very popular from companies embracing their eco-friendly image.

Still having trouble deciding on a gift? Here are some tips that might help:

• • If you put your logo on a corporate gift, make it subtle, or put your logo on an accompanying note card. Recipients will still remember who they received it from.
• • Nobody throws away a personalized item. Make sure all information is spelled correctly.
• • Order logoed and personalized products early so there’s time to craft, ship and distribute.
• • Consider gifts that give back. For example, for each gift sent, a percentage is given to a local charity.
• • Know your audience and ask questions. Focus on your firm’s unique brand or style.
• • Make sure the gift is of high quality and useful. If you wouldn’t want the gift for yourself, chances are neither will your customer.