Lately, I have come across a lot of articles about Promotional Gifts where the author suggests that you give useful gifts to your staff and people who work for companies your company deals with. Then they add that such presents should be presents that could be helpful at work. I have a bone to choose with them.
They’re right about promotional gifts being a good, affordable marketing tool. They’re right about advising you give valuable Promotional Gifts,they’re only partially right when they recommend your promotional gifts should be helpful at work, then suggest you give desk clocks or desk photo calendars and such things.
They’re right when you are talking about offering promotional gifts to the people you work with that actually work for other companies. When you give them a desk calendar that has your brand name and information on it and they put the calendar on the table, they will see your logo and information when they need to check out a date. Same for desk alarm clock or pens, and so on.
Custom coffee mugs is the first thing that comes in my opinion. Perhaps you could also give them personal water bottles. Personalized coasters? Everyone drinks something when at the office. Thus, you can’t go wrong with such types of items. Depending on your employees and event, you can offer different items. Perhaps fine chocolate, or other edibles, perhaps in a nice basket.
What you give will also have to match the event not just your budget. You’re going to give different presents to people who just landed you a large contract than to people who have caught some spelling errors in a brochure. Nevertheless, the timing of your gift giving is essential in both cases so is the gift. Your presents lose value if they’re customized coffee mugs and the people who discovered the typos do not drink coffee and you should have known. (And that’s something you will have known.)