Corporate gifting has come a long way from the days of pens, notebooks, and mugs. These days, there are all kinds of ways to connect with your employees and customers through incredible team gifts. Personalizing or customizing your gifts to suit the needs of your target audience is one of the best ways to leave a lasting impression.

Here are some of the most effective strategies.

Focus on Products with Real Value

We’ve all collected numerous branded pens and mugs from different companies over the years, but few of these products actually inspire any real sense of loyalty toward the brand. The aim with corporate gifting should always be to make an emotional impact on your audience. That means thinking about what your recipient could benefit from.

According to one study, when a business gives a recipient a gift with real value (rather than a generic item), and the gift includes the business’s branding, 9 out of 10 consumers are more likely to recognize and recall the company.

First, know who you’re giving your gift to. If you’re sending a client gift to a customer, what do they value? If you’re sending gifts to an employee, how can you make them feel proud of working with you? Empathy is becoming increasingly important, so it might be worth sending a gift that promotes wellness or good mental health to show how much you value them.

Add Your Branding

One of the most obvious (and important) ways to customize your corporate gifting boxes is by including your branding. You need to brand the gifts you’re sending to customers and employees so they remember to associate the happiness they feel from the product with your business.

Adding your logo is a great way to do this, but be careful not to go over the top. For example, placing your logo over a shirt or blanket is a good way to ensure your customers might want to avoid using it. Instead, keep it classy with a small logo (and maybe a reference to your company’s slogan).

You can also get creative with other ways to showcase your brand. For instance, maybe you can choose colors based on your brand palette. You can also consider customizing the packaging with your brand, such as custom boxes or logo imprints.

Include Bonus “Extras” Alongside a Main Gift

Not every company will have the budget to send whole gift baskets brimming with branded products to their employees or customers. However, you might be able to include a little something extra, just to show you’re willing to go above and beyond for your community.

One of the simplest, and most affordable ways to enhance the emotional appeal of your corporate gift, is to add a custom “thank you” note to each gift. A hand-written or personalized message from the company owner can go a long way to developing a strong human relationship with your audience. Even the smallest “extra” item can make a huge difference to memorability.

The Housewarming Project is the best place to buy some employee appreciation gifts that make sure to keep your employees motivated at all times!