Different ways of customizing your corporate gift

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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.

customised gifts singapore

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!

The Three Standards of Corporate Gifts Giving

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Before you pull the trigger on ordering your first batch of corporate gifts, you might want to be more well-prepared than “Ok, I’m going in.”, Corporate gifts are more than just gifts, they are also a marketing tool, hence, an investment. In almost every part of the world, including Singapore, customized gifts have been a standard practice for companies in all industries. But just because it’s very common, doesn’t mean that you can do no wrong when it comes to corporate gifts giving.

customised gifts singapore

Image source: imimg.com

And if you are doing it because “Everyone else is doing it” – it is even more important that you try to maximize the benefits of giving out corporate gifts and avoid mistakes that will make this investment worthless.

If you don’t know where to start or where to avoid in your corporate gifts planning, then you’ve found the right place. Here are our three standards of corporate gifts giving, hope to be helpful for your corporate gifts giving planning!

 

  1. It’s a gift, not a bribe.

 

Avoid anything too flashy or expensive, especially if your customers include government organizations or bribe-sensitive industries like finance, pharmaceuticals or healthcare. Just because you would have no problem giving your friend an iPad as a gift doesn’t mean you should be giving iPad to your customers and potential customers. Most large companies have their own guideline when it comes to the value cap of corporate gifts. If your business does not currently have such guideline, an experienced corporate gifts vendor should be able to advise you based on industry standard. You don’t necessary have to follow big companies’ restriction of the value of corporate gifts, but being around the same range would be a safe play, and this is exactly the kind of matter that it’s best to play safe with.

 

  1. It’s not about you, it’s about your recipient.

 

Yes, corporate gifts can be a powerful marketing tool. And yes, you should definitely put your logo on the corporate gifts you are giving out. But no, you absolutely should not make it all about you.

This means that in the design and planning stage, you should have your recipient in mind, don’t focus on how big your logo can be or how many messages you can squeeze in to promote your service or product. Nobody likes a gift with agenda (Or, obvious agenda.) and this can backfire easily, causing negative reaction from your recipient.

Be subtle, be elegant with your marketing, market with moderation. Don’t give out a T-shirt that is filled with your business logo or has a big, oversized logo of your business right in the front and center. The best case scenario, it would never be worn. But the worst case? It could end up being used as a mop in a dirty bathroom somewhere near you. Nobody wins there. Except the bathroom.

 

  1. The more mobile it is, the better.

 

You can always give out gifts that will stay at the recipient’s office desk, but in order to maximize exposure for marketing purpose, the more mobile the gift is, the better. You want the recipient to bring it out with them so other people can see it. For example, a USB flash drive would be more likely to be seen by other people than a desk notepad.

Related (Corporate Gifts as A Marketing Tool)

Another reason why it’s always better to choose a corporate gift that is more mobile is that, in all likeliness, your recipient’s entire office is probably already familiar with your product or service. Sure, you can always try to strengthen your brand image or recognition in that office, but your corporate gifts will probably have more marketing value when it’s being seen outside the office, generating brand recognition from potential customers.

 

After reading our 3 standards of corporate gifts giving, we hope that you now have a much better idea in your corporate gifts planning. Other than the aforementioned 3 standards, it also goes without saying that corporate gifts should always be sensitive to different cultures and avoid anything provocative.

 

If you are still not sure where to start with your planning even after knowing the what-not’s, not to worry, you can always speak to a couple different corporate gifts vendors to get an idea of what is appropriate for the occasion or the latest trend.

And it just so happens that we would love to speak with you and help you get a better idea! Don’t be shy, give us a call now and we would be happy to answer your questions!