Branding and retail-inspired wares are where it’s at when it comes to corporate gifts. The holidays are an all-important time to show employees and customers that they are appreciated, and businesses want these items to not only pack a powerful punch but have a lasting impact all year long! This year, corporate gifts run the gamut from tech items, mugs/tumblers, and games to pens, outerwear, and sunglasses.
Companies want to give gifts that represent and reflect their brands, according to Lindsey Farm of Beacon Promotions. “They want to give branded gifts that recipients will use and sincerely appreciate,” she elaborates. “Their gifts need to be noticed and remembered. There is also a desire to give name brand gifts as those can be associated with quality.” She maintains that demand is high—especially going into the fourth quarter. “People want to put their branding on something of value and high quality, so they lean toward brand name products.”
Campbell Davis at Origaudio also points to brand names as a hot corporate gift trend. “Brand names are still a big draw; we see that whatever is hottest/newest in retail is also in high demand in our market,” he says. “While we still see a strong demand for traditional corporate gift items (crystal, watches, etc.), high-end tech remains by far our hottest category this season. We’re right in the middle of peak gifting season, so demand is high! Now is the time of year when companies want to acknowledge their customers (and employees) with meaningful gift experiences.”
Technology accessories are trending at BIC Graphic. Carrie Lewis points out that these items continue to be popular because everyone uses them plus are always on the lookout for the next cool item. “Tech products are almost always guaranteed to be used because the recipients know exactly how and when they can use earbuds, a Bluetooth® speaker, or a power bank,” she emphasizes. “These kinds of tech items can be especially well-received by companies where there is a lot of travel and remote work.”
Lewis continues that gifts that have an element of fun are a great way for clients to associate positivity with their brand. “Games are interactive and support fun experiences with co-workers, friends, and family,” she enthuses. “Sets designed for work spaces, like a tic-tac-toe desktop game or beanbag toss game, can keep a brand front and center in an office during break time, icebreakers, or at events.”
Retail branding adds a level of quality to corporate gifts, Lewis adds, with options across almost all promo categories to truly appeal to almost every end user. “To make a corporate gift even more special, giving items from a retail brand makes a good impression but doesn’t have to break the budget,” she comments. Demand for the company’s retail brands is high for corporate gift-giving, with new retail brand partners such as Hanes®, Peerless Umbrella, GRILLIGHT®, and Tervis® expected to be especially popular with distributors.
It’s all about custom-made products at Rustico, Melissa Ercanbrack reports. “We handcraft our products to be long-lasting and—coupled with the timelessness of leather—we are not trendy,” she says. “This keeps a steady demand for our products. The trends we have seen are related to custom project requests and which items are paired together in our gift sets.”
Farm at Beacon Promotions shares that this year’s corporate gifts include many name brand gifting options that fit a variety of price points—all while giving confidence in the quality. “A majority of these brand name items can be customized with a company logo or personalized with a name,” she comments.
According to BIC Graphic’s Lewis, those looking for a tried-and-true best-selling can’t go wrong with the classic and quality #WCCB BIC® Worthington® Chrome Ballpoint Pen. “The twist-style ballpoint has elegant chrome finishes and 22K gold-plated accents with laser-engraved imprint and included black velour sleeve,” she notes.
The company’s new #32288 Office Fun Game Set has a large 8-inch x 8-inch imprint area on top of the handy wood case, Lewis continues. The set includes checkers, chess, dominoes, cribbage board/pegs, dice, and a standard deck of cards.
Outerwear makes a great corporate gift because recipients keep it for well over a year and often pass it along, giving a brand even more impressions, Lewis adds, explaining that the #G4017 Gear for Sports Big Cotton One-Quarter Zip is a classic favorite with stylish features like a contrast inner collar, tonal elbow patches, and faux leather zipper pull.
Finally, BIC Graphic’s trendy natural bamboo #32346 Bamboomin Bluetooth® Speaker offers great sound in a small size for three-plus hours, Lewis says. It is available with optional full-color imprint for brands who want to get noticed every time the music plays.
Origaudio is always adding new products to assortment from the company’s brand partners. “Our biggest hit recently has been the Bose Frames Audio Sunglasses—integrated audio frames that deliver a high-end personal listening experience,” Davis raves. “Wearing them is as close as most of most of us will get to feeling like a secret agent!”
Several new products have also been launched by Rustico, including a Five-Year journal, planner, expanded line of minimalist wallets, and tech sleeves (which are the company’s current best-seller).
When it comes to selling corporate gifts, the word quality is an important buzzword. Rustico’s Ercanbrack recommends ordering a sample so customers can easily see the quality and craftsmanship of items.
Origaudio’s Davis stresses that the key to successfully selling higher-end corporate gifts really begins with education and expectation setting. “Customers need to be well informed about the unique challenges of selling corporate gifts—having the conversation up front about leadtimes, personalization options, pricing, etc. is crucial,” he affirms.
Customer education is also promoted at BIC Graphic. “Clients can feel overwhelmed by just the thought of gift-giving, whether it be the endless variety of what gift to choose or by cost,” Lewis comments. “Helping clients understand the value of thoughtful gifts to build rapport, tell their brand story, and be a powerful tool for building future sales.
“Think beyond ‘expected’ branded items to suggest something exciting,” Lewis continues. “Help clients show off their innovative brands by giving something unexpected. That can be something that showcases a hot trend, is personalized, or is part of a kit that relates to the end user.”
Farm at Beacon Promotions expands on Lewis’ sentiments. “Businesses should focus on quality over quantity, featuring a company logo on an item that will be used day after day for years to come,” she explains. “The longer a corporate gift lasts and the longer its used, the more times people see and recognize the logo; and the more times they associate the brand with quality and value. This increases their desire to interact with that business. An unbranded gift is a missed opportunity to build brand awareness.”