admin If you ask someone to tell you 5 words that they associate with Diwali you would find them saying – firecrackers, sweets, new clothes, puja and gifts.
The age old tradition – continuing to this day – is of giving gifts to the people you love. Today, it is about giving gifts to everyone that you care about. So businesses and companies invest a lot of money and energy to show their appreciation to major clients and their gratitude to business partners and company employees by way of Diwali premium corporate gifts. Unfortunately though, because of this increasing trend in corporate gifting, most of the gifts received by the clients and partners either go unnoticed, unused or are disposed off immediately.
It is therefore important to hit the nail on the head when it comes to gifting your business partners and major clients because there is plenty of evidence to show the positive correlation between gift giving and business activity.
So how do you separate the gifts that will be remembered from the gifts that will be forgotten, untouched or even resented?
1. Appropriateness
The relationship that you maintain with your clients is very important in deciding the kind of gifts that you send them. This has nothing to do with the length of time that you have been doing business or the amount of sales that the client has generated. It is simply about the closeness of the relationship. Some clients simply like to keep it professional and may not appreciate the gesture. For newer relationships, it is necessary to maintain a balance such that the gift should not be too lavish or personal or give the impression that it is a bribe.
2. Usefulness
Gifts are more valued by people when they can be put to use in their day-to-day lives. Such well thought out gifts are not only beneficial to the recipients but to the company as well because all of their money and energy have been put to good use. Plus, such gifts do have a higher company recall value by the recipients. It is also a great idea to gift a useful item in bulk for the entire office of your business partner to use as it creates a very favourable impression about your company.
3. Presentation
Presentation matters. Period. Invest in some good wrapping paper and some ribbons to create a memorable impression. Throw in a handwritten card with a personal message for more impact. These little things go a long way in pleasing the recipients. Depending on the relationship, hand delivering the gift at their offices or homes can also be considered. While most companies believe in Diwali corporate gifting, giving gifts on personal occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries helps improve the relationships even more.
4. Personalization
It might be very tempting to buy some products in bulk and distribute them to the stakeholders. But such gifts usually do not touch them. Try to find out more about them like what’s her favourite colour? Is he crazy about cars and plane miniatures? Finding such information about them and using it to personalize the gifts delights them and gives them the impression that you really care about them and have taken the time to understand their style and taste.
5. Promotion
You might think putting your company logo on the gifts is a great way to promote your brand as it is basically free advertising; especially when the gift is one with practical use like a bag, a mug or a calendar. But there is a tackiness quotient to consider. Most people do not like parading around with some company’s logo on them. Plus, it takes away the personalization factor. So it is important to realise when to logo and when not to logo. An easy rule could be not to put in your logo when you’re gifting something expensive or when you want them to feel that it is personally coming from you.
6. Healthy
Giving sweets and dry fruits is typical and a convenient corporate gift idea during Diwali. However, these days more and more people are becoming health conscious and appreciate the less sugar during the festival. Opt for diabetes-free Diwali corporate gifts and look for some healthier options… their waistlines will thank you!
