Promotional Gift

Many of you have probably just survived the annual corporate summer picnic, complete with hot dogs, ice cream, soda, and maybe even a few beers. While all of these treats are to be expected at the event, along with the ever-anticipated performance by the company band (which could probably use some better talent), there is one more little treat that usually marks off the event: a promotional gift. While some colleagues may roll their eyes and toss it aside after picking up their grab bag, many often find these little pieces of appreciation worthwhile. A promotional gift from a company is more than just another piece of junk to add to the pile, it can actually be a valuable tool for your and your employer.

It is likely that many people won’t often use that heart-shaped stress ball a company hands out, or the mouse pads that hardly have any use these days. But, a well thought out promotional gift that will be used frequently by employees will be appreciated more and will result in more “free” advertising for a company when they are branded with a logo. When a promotional gift is both functional and relevant to employees’ needs, however small they may be, it will be well received and used on a regular basis. If a company spends a little bit of time recognizing the needs of their employees and making an effort to address their challenges through giving a promotional item, the workers will feel that their dedication and hard work is valued at their company.

There are many benefits of using promotional gifts in the workplace as a way of saying thank you or just as a way of recognizing and addressing employee needs and concerns. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when considering purchasing them for your employees:

• Quality counts. Employees don’t want any more junk to store in their desk drawers or items that break after one or two uses. Spend a few extra cents or dollars on quality items that will stand the test of time – remember, the longer your item lasts, the longer your logo will be out for people to see.

 

• Choose the item with a purpose in mind. Don’t just order 10,000 pens because they’re easy to hand out and “everyone can use one”. Sure, everyone uses pens on the job, but it may not be of such value as other, more considerate options. We mentioned before that the item should meet a need of your employees. Maybe you have overheard comments in the lunchroom about there never being coffee mugs available for employees to use, or that some departments need a way to transport files to meetings and conferences away from the office. Solution: Recognize their need and fill it. For this example, purchase some quality coffee mugs and stock the shelves of the break room, or buy some USB flash drives for the department that needs them the most.

 

• Shop around. There are many companies that find value in using promotional gifts as an important tool in their operations, and as such, there are many businesses out there dedicated to providing those items for any corporate gift-giving needs. Many businesses allow you to get free samples and quotes over the phone or online, so shopping around to find the best offers should not be too difficult. Find the company that can provide several options for your corporate gift ideas, as well as provide added discounts and assistance through the completion of your order.

 

• Make sure you send along the message of “thank you” or “good job” with the gift. Some companies choose to have those exact phrases printed on their promotional gift along with their logo, while others leave out the words and just print their logo. Either way works fine, but be sure that if you only include a corporate logo on the promotional gift that you also acknowledge the company’s appreciation and the value that employer brings to the organization. This can be done by including a small card along with the promotional gift, or through an announcement that is made when handing the gifts out.

 

• Consider the market your company targets when choosing a promotional gift for your employees. Not only do you have to think about employee needs and quality of the item when choosing the best gift, you should also consider your target consumer market as well. If you want your promotional gift to indeed be “promotional”, then you must think about how and where these items will be used and if they may be seen by those who can possibly be customers of your business.

There is certainly a lot to think about when choosing a promotional gift from your business. Hopefully these tips can help make the decision a bit easier and make your promotional gift an effective tool for acknowledging your employees as well as advertising your business.