Christmas is just around the corner and many companies are now thinking about what to give to their clients as a present, because give-aways are a great way to thank your customers for their loyalty and to stay on their mind. Here are my top tips on what to consider when choosing your gifts.
The Selection of your Products - The Essential Decision
1. Give Value
Think carefully about which items make sense for your customer and your company. Because your gift will only have the desired effect if it is relevant to them. So ask yourself what can be useful for your customer and what items he gains value from. Because not every customer needs a cap and t-shirt with your logo on it. So if you give away items which your customer cannot or does not want to use, they very quickly throw it in the garbage and the advertising effect is gone. You could just throw your money out the window...
Idea: If you, as a butcher, only supply restaurants, you could give cooking aprons to the kitchen staff.
2. All-Time-Favorites
If in doubt, you can use all-time favourites. These are articles that are always well received by every customer. Yes, that includes the ballpoint pen (but only if it writes really well and doesn't spill).
Or you can give away food items such as pasta, coffee or drinks and design the packaging with your own design and label. Because everyone eats and loves to eat!
Attention: Please pay attention to the quality of the selected products. You can find out more about this at number 8.
Keep an Eye on the Design
3. The Logo as a Design Element
Many companies only use their logo for promotional items. Unfortunately, this means that promotional items end up in the garbage very quickly. Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. Would you use a mug with only another company's logo printed on it? Your answer is probably no now. And with good reason, because someone else's company logo has nothing to do with your company and screams "promotional items". Also, in most cases, the item isn't particularly appealing because it wasn't well designed.
Think about what other design elements you can use to make your chosen promotional item as appealing as possible.
By the way, there is nothing wrong with using your logo. It even has to be planned for on all promotional items! However, pay attention to the size and let the main motif work its magic. A small integrated logo on an effective advertising item is 1000 times more effective than a huge logo on an item that is immediately thrown away.
4. Find Alternative Motifs
Are there motives in your industry that point to your company? These can be items and objects of all kinds. Maybe you already use illustrations in your corporate imagery that are suitable for this.
If this is not the case yet, it might be time to expand your corporate identity with illustrations or pattern designs to be able to use the full potential of promotional items.
Idea: Would you like to give away mugs to your customers for Christmas? You could design a snowflake pattern in your corporate colours or hire a hand-lettering artist to turn a greeting into a handwritten masterpiece.
5. Packaging is your First Impression
Unfortunately, companies give far too little thought to the packaging of gifts. And if they do, then they come much too late and something is thrown together in a makeshift way. However, the presentation of your gift suffers enormously as a result. The packaging is the first impression that should make your client want to see what's inside. Just receiving the gift should be an experience in itself and one to remember. However, if the gift is only loosely placed in a bubble envelope, this effect is gone.
Think carefully about how you want to package and hand over the present. Is a printed shipping box best suited for this or would you rather give the whole thing a personal touch and wrap each gift by hand?
Idea: With your specially designed company wrapping paper, you will definitely make a lasting impression! 😉
6. Your Personal Touch
Your clients will know that they are not the only ones who have received your gift if it is impersonal. However, you can show them that they are special to you by personalizing the gift. The easiest way to do this is with a postcard or greeting card. This requires little effort, but will help your customer to remember your package with a smile. The entire card doesn't have to be handwritten either. You could scan a handwritten note and have it printed on a postcard.
Idea: Depending on the number of customers you have gifts for, you can add more personalized words to the card and thank each customer individually for the collaboration.
7. Design with Memorability in Mind
How does your customer recognize that a gift is from your company? With a uniform design!
Of course, your name and logo should be used. But there are other elements that make you unique to your clients.
Stay true to your corporate identity colors and always use the same fonts. Once you have determined your visual language, continue to use it for promotional items and packaging as well. Every company has its own way of communicating - even visually. Some use minimalist icons, others textured and detailed illustrations.
Important: Your style of communication must be consistent so that your customer gets used to it and associates you with it.
Pay Attention to Quality
8. Quality Selection
You can have the best and most relevant idea for a promotional item. But if the quality of your product is not right, it can cast a bad light on you and your company. If you give away a pen that doesn't write or a t-shirt that shrinks the first time you wash it, the joy of your gift will quickly disappear. Or worse, your client may think you're stingy or suspect that the quality of your product or service is also of poor quality. And that's exactly the opposite effect you want to achieve with your gift!
Important: Make sure you only use good quality products, as their image will be transferred onto you and your company.
Stand Out from the Crowd
9. The Timing
Most companies give presents almost exclusively at Christmas. Therefore, customers receive a lot of mailings and gifts during this time. It will be all the more difficult for you and your company to attract attention. If you haven't just invested in an extremely unusual and funny campaign, you won't achieve this effect with normal promotional items.
Have you ever thought about giving gifts outside of the Christmas season? This way you reduce your competition in one swoop. For example, congratulate a client on a special event such as an anniversary or a new opening, or send your gift for Easter.
Idea: Use the International Thank-You-Day. By the way, it's on January 11th 😉
Do you want to use promotional items to market your own company and would like us to support you? We are happy to help you develop creative ideas together and implement them in a coherent way for your company.
Write us an email to info@milkyrosa.com and write us your request.
We look forward to getting to know you and your company and creating something great together!
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