The end of the year announces the gift-giving season. We already talked about giving gifts to employees in a previous blog post, so let’s turn our attention to clients. Your clients know you on a business level for sure and possibly on a light personal level depending on who they are. This works perfectly for managing expectations, but to really tap into brand loyalty, we need to go a little deeper with our connections.
We don’t mean invite-them-to-your-lake house-for-the-weekend-deeper; instead, express more of your appreciation and your own loyalty by giving them gifts this season. True brand loyalty from your customers forms when they feel an emotional connection to your brand.
Depending on your business, this may be easy or very difficult to cultivate. Your product may naturally build that emotional buy-in, and giving gifts on top of that would further lock in that loyalty. However, your service may need to be more personal and solve an emotional pain point which is where giving gifts allows that emotional connection to grow.
Emotional Buy-in Happens When Clients Feel Appreciated
This emotional buy-in happens when your client feels genuinely appreciated and cared for, and giving an unexpected gift presents the opportunity for an emotional connection to form. It’s been widely recognized that building relationships are the key to obtaining more clients, retaining them and, in turn, growing a business. Tapping into the emotions of your client base is an effective way to strengthen that relationship and ensure it’s long-lasting.
So, let’s now dive into the top trends for corporate client gifts.
Gourmet Food Basket
Still reigning supreme, the gourmet food basket feels indulgent. It’s a gift that can be quite extravagant depending on your budget and really makes your client feel pampered. Be careful of food allergies or dietary restrictions with this gift.
Branded Corporate Apparel
Branded apparel is an excellent way to further market your company, but it also can be strategically utilized to elevate your brand perception by aligning your brand with other high-quality apparel brands.
Portable Charger
Coming in at number 3, the portable charger offers companies a practical gift to give. It’s not overly glamorous, but its function will be well utilized. Go slim if you can on this one. Provide something that can easily be stashed in a purse, glove box, or carry-on.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
Whether your client has an office job, does on-site work or works from home, tuning the world out and tuning into your work can be challenging. High-end, noise-canceling headphones might not get the most use, but they will be greatly appreciated during the times they are.
Subscription Service
This is one of the categories where you can get quite creative, but a few that are often well-received are Audible subscriptions or Masterclass subscriptions. If a large part of your client base has similar hobbies, then gifting them a way to learn more about their passions goes beyond giving a physical item. This is a gift that can take them further.
Branded Blanket
Another branded gear item, but one that anyone can make good use of, whether sitting at a desk in their office, on the couch at home, in the car for outdoor events or packed with your college students suitcase for dorm life. A branded blanket is a large billboard for your brand that will get used without a doubt.
Get Your Clients The Holiday Gifts They Want
For over 30 years Velocity Print Solutions has helped companies find the perfect holiday gifts for their employees and clients. With over 800k promotional products to choose from, all customizable, there’s sure to be a gift to please everyone.