7 Mistakes to Avoids in Corporate Gifting

Every corporate person is blessed with two families—one at the sweet home and the other one at the office. When you spend almost 8-9 hours in the office surrounded by people from all walks of life sharing the same space and tiffin boxes, you are bound to form cordial relationships with them.

Gifting is known to be the best way to reinforce relationships; as a result, corporate gifting gained popularity. Corporate gifting is the practice of creating touchpoints with employees, clients, associates, and all those related to your business through gifts. At some point in your life, you must have received a corporate gift. That flashy piece of decor that is sitting somewhere in the dark and dusty corner of the drawer or a basket loaded with low-quality products often ends up in the trash.

We all have been here. Like you, most of the corporates remember bad gifts. But good corporate gifts are recognized as well. How to ace the game of corporate gifting? What mistakes to avoid when selecting gifts for corporate? We have answered all these questions below so that you do not make the same mistakes many corporates have done or are doing.

1. Giving Boring Gifts

Corporate Gifts should be practical, but not boring. Even on occasions like Diwali, where there is a ritual of corporate gifting, browse for practical corporate gift, like office essentials, Bluetooth speakers, instead of boxes of dry fruits. You can also go with gifts that tell a story, such as handcrafted pens and notebooks, etc.

2. Corporate Gifts That Look Like Marketing Gimmick

It is one of the biggest mistakes that many corporate clients are seen making. Your chosen gift should well-compliment your brand but shouldn’t look like a marketing piece. We recommend not to position the logo of your company on the front and center across the gift item. Receiving a gift with logos flashing at every corner may make the recipient feel less valued and more of a marketing gimmick. The gift should represent the brand thoughtfully and subtly like you can place the logo on the packaging or the inside edge of the gift. In case, the recipient leaves the company; he or she can use the gift without feeling weird.

3. Not Personalizing the Gifts

Corporate gifting experts believe that ROI is highest when the corporate gifts are personalized. Therefore, add the initials of the recipient on the gift to let the person know he or she is valued and that it is truly a gift. Nowadays, everything can be personalized. Whatever you choose to gift, whether journals, stationery, artisan-made items, daily essentials, get them all customized to the recipient. It would be much appreciated if you could include a personalized handwritten message with each gift.

4. Getting Too Personal with Gift Choices

You may be having friendly terms with your employees, but giving them personal gifts is a big “No.” Sending out gag gifts or tokens that are too personal can offend the recipient. Our advice to you and other corporations would be to look for corporate gifts that speak professionalism with a thoughtful appeal.

5. Being Biased in Gifting Approach

Firstly, include all your employees, clients, partners when giving out corporate gifts. Secondly, do not differentiate between recipients. Give the same corporate gifts to all. Even if you are sending out gifts at their address, make sure everyone receives the same corporate gift from you. Partiality, biasedness, differentiation, all these can make the recipient feel less valued or forgotten.

6. Not knowing the Budget Requirements

As per your company’s financial position, set aside a budget for corporate gifting. The budget will give you the exact idea of how much cost to be incurred and the best gifting options available within the budget. It is essential because you do not wish to overspend on corporate gifts as most companies tend to do. Always look for a corporate gift provider that accepts bulk orders, offers personalized products with no additional charges for customization, and free shipping.

7. Neglecting the Religious and Cultural Beliefs

Not everyone in your office or those working with you celebrate the same festivals or have the same cultural beliefs as you. So, delivering a corporate gift to a person of the Hindu religion on Christmas may be taken as insensitive. Therefore, know the person well before sending the gift. Moreover, you can take the opportunity to send them corporate gifts on occasions they celebrate.

Avoid these corporate gifting mistakes to level-up your game and to strengthen your relationships with your extended family at the workplace.