By Christina Fiebich, Marketing Director
When you give a gift, you're giving an experience. Giving your recipients the best possible experience will boost your ROI and ensure that your gift and brand will be remembered positively long after the treats have been enjoyed.
Businesses make significant investments in their holiday gift programs, from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Too often though, gift purchases are left until the last minute and end up with someone rushing to the nearest big‐box store or the internet for gifts. However, with a little forethought and planning, you can turn your holiday gift program into one that results in a greater ROI, a more powerful impression, and a more memorable experience.
Keep in mind that sending prepackaged gifts from the big‐box stores may send the wrong message. After all, the worst notion a gift recipient can have is that you put almost little or no thought into a gift, which actually means you put little thought into them. Instead, let QRG provide you with tasty, personalized options. Our team members are business gift experts who can help you choose the right gifts, create memorable artwork, select the right method of distribution, and handle the particulars like greeting cards, mailing list management, and shipment tracking and follow-up.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT GIFTS
Gifts for individuals vs. gifts to be shared
When purchasing corporate holiday gifts for individuals you may want to consider hams, smoked turkeys, or other gifts that require preparation in the kitchen. However, when selecting gifts for an office environment, options like gourmet towers that can be opened and shared at once are a better choice. Think of your gift-giving strategy as any marketer would think about their advertising strategy. What are my audience’s preferences? Are there different personas within my audience that I should be aware of? What sort of message do I want to convey?
The correct gift size
Choosing the right‐sized gift is an important step. Sending a 12-piece box of chocolate to an individual is fine, but if it is to be shared in an office with 30 people it won’t go very far, so it’s important to select gifts tailored to fit the recipient. When sending gifts to be shared, you will want to send a gift that includes enough for all; it’s better to err on the side of sending too much than too little. Our experts will help you to narrow down gifts by the number of people they will serve. Also, consider if you want the gift to last past one day. Do you want your customer and their staff to enjoy a gift for several days or even a week, or is it your strategy to make a significant impression day-one, and that’s all that is required?
Branded gifts
Sending a gift that features your company’s logo on the packaging adds a classy touch and shows that you put extra thought into the gift selection. It also helps build your brand. If you’re sending gifts to individuals, you may want to consider gifts that include a branded item that will be retained long after the food has been enjoyed, such as a cutting board, desk accessory or collectible. By incorporating your logo on the gift, whether it’s a keepsake that stays in the office or travels to a customer’s home, having that logo visible will generate impressions day after day, and will enhance your brand at a far lower cost than an investment in, say, traditional media.
Special considerations
Do some of your customers or employees keep Kosher? If so, you will want to select gifts that are certified Kosher. QRG can help you identify gifts that are Kosher, gluten-free, sugar-free, and more.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION
Personal delivery of gifts, when possible, is the best way to distribute them. However, because of time and logistical constraints, this option is not always possible. Fortunately, there are a number of other ways to get gifts into your recipients' hands, but as is always the case, the further ahead you plan and take action, the easier and less worrisome, and in some cases, less expensive your distribution costs will be.
There are certain advantages to shipping gifts from your office or shipping department if you have all of the resources and the staff available to undertake this task. However, most companies, particularly those in the professional services sector, don't have these necessary resources available. Even if you do have a distribution staff, in the following situations it’s typically best for QRG to ship the gifts for you.
Perishable Gifts
If you are ordering perishable products like hams, smoked turkeys, natural cheese, or ice cream that require refrigeration, it is generally best to have us ship those gifts directly to each recipient. It can be difficult to receive a shipment of perishable gifts at your facility and then turn around and get them delivered to the recipients quickly.
Tight Timeline
If you are on a tight schedule and there simply is not enough time to receive the order and reship the gifts to your customers, shipping directly from QRG can save you valuable time and ensure that your gifts are delivered when you want them. And with QRG, you can be assured that all your items will be freshly-made, even with tight deadlines.
Large Orders
If your order is large, it may be unmanageable to handle the shipping yourself. It is easy to ship an order of 24 gifts, but if you’re ordering 240 gifts, it may simplify the process to have us handle the shipping. If it’s an order for 2,400 gifts you will almost certainly want to have our expert team do the shipping so you can focus on your core business.
With QRG you can be assured of getting the best ROI from your program. Give QRG a call today at 800.999.3468 and let our team of experts provide you with a free holiday food program consultation.