Corporate gifts are appropriate to give at many different times during the year.  They may be a symbol of appreciation when a new client is signed, or a thank you present after a large deal has gone through.  You may want to give away corporate gifts as a marketing tool, or at certain holidays to remind your employees or customers of how much you appreciate your business relationships.  Whatever the reason, it is important to put careful thought into choosing the right corporate gifts before you purchase and send them along.

Think about the occasion that is causing you to send corporate gifts.  Are you welcoming a new customer to the fold?  Perhaps an existing customer has renegotiated their contract with you, or has presented your company with a large deal.  If so, it is very appropriate to send along practical corporate gifts with your company logo emblazoned on the fronts or sides.  These little mementos are a way of saying thank you while providing a useful tool that will keep your organisation’s name at the forefront of their minds.  Some examples of these kinds of corporate gifts include personalised pens, notepads and other desk-related paraphernalia.

Using corporate gifts as marketing tools is a very common business practice.  By sending something useful along to a prospective client, you are sending a specific message: look how useful your company is now, and imagine what a business relationship could bring.  It is wise to plan ahead before sending corporate gifts to market your organisation, however.  You won’t want to send giveaways to every single potential client you’ve ever had; rather, you should target those clients with whom close relationships have already been forged and can thus be greatly benefited with a little reminder of your company’s name and logo.  Similarly to the thank you gifts noted above, you’ll want corporate gifts for potential clients to include practical, desk-related objects that have your organisation’s name and logo strategically placed.  Some examples may be notebooks, folders, calendars, pens, or key chains.

There is no better time than around the winter holidays to send corporate gifts as thank you tokens to both your own employees as well as your clients.  You’ve worked side by side throughout the year, and as the year draws to a close, you’ll want to ensure that your employees and clients know how much you appreciate them and look forward to continued relations in the new year.  It is very appropriate to go beyond the typical desk kinds of gifts in this situation and send gift baskets, plants, candies, baked goods and other pampering types of corporate gifts at this time.  Ensure, however, that outer wrappings always include your company’s name and logo – there are no inappropriate times to continue to market your image!

Bear in mind any time you are ordering corporate gifts that you will most likely be entitled to generous discounts when you buy in bulk.  Even if you’ll only be sending mementos to a small group at a certain time, you’ll want to keep logo items on hand to give away at various other times of the year as well.