Different ways of customizing your corporate gift
Now that we, as a society has established that customised gifts in Singapore are forever superior than non-customized gifts – that expensive necklace you got your girlfriend, regardless how expensive it is, it will never have a bigger place in her heart compares to an equally expensive necklace with one or two elements that can be associated with her (Her name, her favorite animal…etc). Let’s talk about how can we customize your corporate gift.
First thing first, your corporate gift should have a logo on it, or even two if you believe you are pulling it off design wise. What NOT to have is your client’s logo on it, regardless how “customized” you want your gift to be, the legal and authorization issues that come with it is something nobody needs in their life.
Make sure you keep that in mind before you start brain storming your customized gift ideas. And we will help you start right here! Below are a couple tips and food for thoughts for you to play around when you’re pondering your next corporate gift ideas:
Let’s get personal
Customization is all about that personal touch. That one thing that lets your recipient know this gift is for him or her exclusively. Unfortunately, corporate gifts are not like personal gifts. The latter, you can always incorporate names or initials into just about any item to make it a “customized gift”. For businesses, another company’s logo and trademark is the two things you want to avoid.
Just because the easiest way to do it is a no-go, doesn’t mean you should be discouraged though. With some extra thoughts, you can still come up with a very personal and customized gift for your clients. Here are two ways to achieve just that:
- Look for items that have a lot of room for graphic design
For example, things like calendars, coasters, note pads, mugs. These things might not come across as the most interesting items in the world, but they all have a good amount of room for graphic design. This means that you can employ your creativity and come up with a design that can make it “personal”.
- Look for items that have a direct link to your clients
In the Chinese culture, it’s been a tradition that when there is a new born in the family, family members would purchase gold necklace, bracelet or accessory that is in the shape of theme of the Chinese zodiac animal sign of the new born. A fancy, and yet very personal gift. The same concept could work for your corporate gifts as well. Is the office of your client located in an iconic or famous building? Is it close to any famous travel destination? What is their representing or signature product? (Remember, never use the actual design of their products, logos nor trademarks). Think about what kind of item you can pick out as a gift that gets the “Aw, that’s so us” reaction when you give it to your clients.
It’s all about them, or your relationship together, but never about you.
Lastly, remember you want to get one of the following reactions when you give them the gifts.
“Whoa, this is so us.” – with “us” being their company.
“Aw, this reminds me of our working relationship together.
For the first reaction, the aforementioned two tips are both great ways to do so, for the latter one, you could try a series or display, or showcase of your past projects together. One thing to keep reminding yourself during your thought process is that “It’s not about me nor my company”, that is, with one exception and one exception only: Unless it’s funny.
Related (Customized Gifts for Your Business Clients)
Of course, if all else fails, you can always consult with your corporate gift vendors. While they might not know your history with the client as well as you do (Something you can always try to explain and share with them), they do have the advantage of knowing the trends and insights when it comes to corporate gifts. You can even ask to look at their portfolios for some inspiration, or have them guide you through the planning process to find something thoughtful for your client!
So don’t be shy! Talk to your corporate gifts vendors today to get some ideas, inspirations and advice from them, if you don’t have one already, our door is always open for you!