How To Choose The Right Corporate Giveaways For Your Brand
There are many options available nowadays to market your business, such as hiring an advertising agency, working with digital marketers, or creating your own content and hoping it goes viral. However, nothing beats having the customers hold something tangible related to your brand, which is why distributing corporate giveaways is one of the best ways to build your market and increase sales.
Corporate gifting has been steadily growing in popularity in the past couple of years, driven by several factors, such as the growing importance of client relationships, the need for effective marketing strategies, and the desire to enhance employee engagement and productivity. Corporate gifting reached about $242 billion in the US in 2021, a significant increase from $217 billion in 2019. This growth is expected to continue, with the industry estimated to grow at an annual average rate of 8% and is projected to reach $306 billion by 2024.
Benefits of Corporate Giveaways
In a world saturated with ads and marketing messages, it can be challenging to stand out and capture the attention of potential customers. This is where giveaways come to play. Corporate giveaways offer a unique opportunity to break through the noise and get users to focus on your brand because the prospect of winning something for free is a strong motivator, and people are more likely to take notice and engage with your content when there is a tangible reward at stake.
After your target audience notices you, giveaways can help encourage further engagement with your brand. By requiring users to perform a simple task like subscribing to an email list or tagging friends in a social media post in exchange for these special items, you can increase your reach and generate valuable leads for your business. This engagement can also create a sense of community around your brand, fostering brand loyalty and advocacy.
Participants are also likely to share the opportunity with their friends and family, helping increase your brand’s visibility. Through this, you can generate word-of-mouth marketing, which is incredibly valuable since people are more likely to trust recommendations from their network.
Aside from improving brand awareness and loyalty, corporate giveaways can help you build relationships with customers and employees. Many companies use corporate giveaways to recognize employee contributions and strengthen relationships with clients or business partners. It can range from small tokens of appreciation, such as personalized pens or key chains, to lavish gifts like luxury vacations or high-end electronics.
Corporate giveaways can also be personalized, which means you can tailor the items according to the recipient’s interests and preferences, enabling you to showcase your company values while strengthening your business relationships. Personalization can even increase the perceived value of the giveaway because it makes customers feel that it has been specifically chosen for them, which shows that they are important to you and that you are willing to go the extra mile to create a positive experience.
Finally, a timely and functional corporate giveaway can convert potential clients into loyal customers by demonstrating your company’s commitment to excellence. This helps you establish credibility and trust, increasing the likelihood of potential customers considering your brand in the future. It also highlights your unique value proposition so they would appreciate the benefits of doing business with you.
Choosing The Right Giveaway
You can convert practically any item into a corporate giveaway, making the selection process overwhelming. However, while choosing your item, keep in mind that the correct giveaway is something that brings joy and value to customers while also making them feel connected with their favorite brands.
Corporate giveaways should be thoughtful and useful, just like any other gift you’d give away, and not feel like a cheap afterthought by your marketing team. The key is knowing what kind of item will appeal to your audience and how best to showcase your brand. Here are some tips on choosing corporate giveaways that stand out from the crowd and how to make sure they stay with your clients for a long time:
1. Know Your Audience Well
The first step in choosing corporate giveaways is to know your audience. This helps ensure that the item you give will be well-received and effective in achieving your marketing goals because you can tailor your giveaway to their interests and needs, increasing the value they place on it.
Considering that the goal of a corporate giveaway is to increase brand awareness and visibility, choosing an item that appeals to your target market can help you build a positive association with your brand and improve recall. At the same time, different demographics may also have different expectations for what they consider a valuable item, so understanding your audience can help you choose a giveaway that is both cost-effective and well-received.
2. Pay Attention To Quality
Corporate giveaways are a reflection of your brand, and giving high-quality giveaways can help enhance your brand image. It shows that you care about your customers and are willing to invest in their satisfaction, which can help build brand loyalty and enhance your credibility. They will also leave a lasting impression on your customers since they are more likely to appreciate it and use it, which can lead to increased brand exposure and awareness.
Consider using union-made corporate giveaways, which allow you to support local economies, protect domestic jobs, and invest in companies that treat their workers fairly while also ensuring that you are giving away high-quality items. These products are typically made with the finest materials and craftsmanship, making them more durable and long-lasting.
3. Make Sure It Properly Represents Your Brand
Your corporate giveaway should be consistent with your brand identity and reinforces your brand messaging. This is why before you start selecting your corporate giveaway, you must first have a clear understanding of your brand, including its values, image, personality, and essence.
For example, a brand that emphasizes sustainability would benefit more from distributing giveaways that are eco-friendly or made from recycled materials, while one with a lighthearted personality would be more aligned with a fun and quirky item. Aside from these, adding your company logo and colors would reinforce your brand identity and increase brand recognition as long as they are consistent with your branding guidelines.
4. Check What Your Competitors Are Doing
Knowing what your competitors are doing with their corporate giveaways can provide valuable insights into the industry and help you make informed decisions about your own corporate giveaway strategy. For one, it can help you stay competitive and ensure that your corporate giveaways are on par with industry standards. You can also see what types of giveaways are popular and be able to adjust your strategy accordingly.
Additionally, you can differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd by identifying gaps in the market and offering unique giveaways that your competitors are not offering. By avoiding repetition, you ensure that your giveaways are distinctive and memorable, so you get the most value from your money.
5. Think About The Message You Want To Send
Your corporate giveaway should be able to send clear and positive information about your company. Start by defining your marketing goals, then discuss with your team what you want to communicate to your audience or what perception you want your customers to have about your brand.
Matching the item to your message will make it more effective in capturing the attention of your customers and in helping you achieve your objectives. You could also provide more context around your giveaway, such as including a note or card to go with it that explains why you chose it and how it aligns with your brand values and essence.
6. Prioritize Practicality
As always, when planning activities for your brand, you should keep your customers’ needs in mind when deciding on your giveaways. Consider what they find helpful in their daily lives and choose an item that will meet those needs and be used for a specific purpose. It is also best to brand the items subtly and tastefully so that your customers will use them often without feeling like they are promoting your brand too much.
If your giveaway requires instructions, provide a clear and concise guide to ensure your customers can use it effectively. Also, consider giving portable pieces that can be easily carried around, increasing the likelihood that your customers will use them frequently, whether at home or on the go.
7. Stick To A Given Budget
Your budget can determine the flexibility of your corporate giveaway options, allowing you to explore different items and choose ones that fit your budget and meet your needs while ensuring consistency with your brand image. Be careful in this aspect because having a giveaway that is too expensive or too cheap can send the wrong message to customers about the value of your brand.
At the same time, your corporate giveaway should provide a good return on investment, so you should be able to produce enough quantity that will enable you to reach enough customers in order to achieve your objectives. Don’t forget to allocate a budget for additional costs that may be associated with your purchase of the items, such as customization, shipping, and packaging.
8. Maintain A Professional Image
Remember that the goal of the giveaway is to build relationships with your clients, so go for items that are thoughtful and meaningful rather than simply promotional. Doing so will ensure your corporate giveaways remain professional and continue to reflect positively on your brand.
Aside from choosing practical and well-made items, you can keep a professional image with your giveaways by making the branding subtle and tasteful rather than loud and obnoxious so that it doesn’t become a distraction. You should also consider the occasion, avoid giving items that are too personal or inappropriate, and be mindful of cultural differences when selecting your corporate giveaway. Different cultures have different standards of what is considered professional versus personal and inappropriate, so you must do your research and ensure that your giveaway will not cause any offense.
