For so many, 2020 has felt like the longest year. At the same time, the holidays are just around the corner, which means that it is time to ponder the perfect gifts. Appreciating and recognizing people has never been more important than it is during this pandemic. Chocolates, candies, pretzels, cakes, and cookies are some delectable edibles to recognize employees’ hard work—especially with so many working from home. Wrap it in some gorgeous, unique packaging to further delight the senses.
Jodie Schillinger of Maple Ridge Farms reports that the trend toward work-from-home gifts has been phenomenal. “The uncertainty that comes with COVID has required companies to transform their thinking and approach as well as the execution of how they are delivering recognition to their teams, many of which are now working from home,” she comments. “Although in-person events are being canceled, the budgets still exist, and companies are looking for enticing ways to reallocate the funds while conveying the same sentiments.
“Now more than ever, people are craving the personal touch—the need to be involved and feel recognized, nourished, and that they’re making a difference,” she continues. “Memories are most vibrant when they engage all five senses, something that the surprise and delight of food gifts provides. Each gift given provides an experience that creates an unforgettable association with the sender. This is precisely what we aim for when we develop each gift: to provide that deliciously inclusive experience that ensures their brand will be remembered through amazing gift-giving.”
Custom Chocolate’s Larry Wilhelm has noticed a trend toward customized chocolate products, especially logo embossed chocolates in traditional shapes and in unique shapes. “For example, we have produced custom molds for a Tony Award, a ‘jackelope’ mythical animal, a signature guitar, and many others,” he says.
Over at Webb Company, Jake Peterson reports the company is seeing an uptick in requests for its coffee kits—a bundle of coffee, a mug, and either mints or a coaster—all items useful for working from home or in the office. “We have seen more orders for containers filled with the traditional candy options: M&Ms, gummi bears, mints, and pretzels,” he comments. “There seems to be a comfort in these easily recognizable favorites.”
Fortunately, companies are rolling out delicious new goodies as well as relying on past customer favorites. Custom Chocolate’s new Working From Home Chocolate Gift Boxes have been strong sellers, Wilhelm maintains. “Right now, we are in the middle of launching the World’s Best Shortbread Cookies in eight different flavors,” he adds. “Besides being superb buttery quality, these offer the advantage of not requiring heat protection and expedited shipping as is usually necessary during the summer for chocolate products.”
All of Maple Ridge Farms’ gourmet goodies are best sellers, according to Schillinger. “Food gifts provide an experience of comfort and joy,” she enthuses. “It’s reassuring and uplifting to receive a #foodie gift from your employer or a company you do business with, especially with so many unknowns on the horizon. Our gourmet ice cream program and fabulous cinnamon walnut coffee cake have been particularly popular, and we’ve also added a wide variety of gifts packed with individually wrapped treats that have been garnering a lot of attention.”
Schillinger recommends companies spice up a virtual meeting with a box of tasty snacks sent directly to each attendee. “Treat your client to delicious chocolates without anyone having to leave their house,” she states. “There’s a gift perfect for any occasion or sentiment, from simple boxes to elaborate cheese boards. Even better, each gift showcases your brand in a deliciously memorable way.”
Webb Company has introduced new packaging options and different candy options. “We have a number of container options and a variety of candies available—anything from bags, plastic, glass, or metal containers,” Peterson says. “Use your drinkware as a candy container to make it a little extra special!” The company’s best-selling items are its coffee kits and Made in USA Mints in the sliding mint tin.
While suppliers strongly believe that these delectable products practically sell themselves, Webb Company’s Peterson offers some final words of advice. “Be creative in how you present and package it,” he urges. “The sweetest food gifts last long after the food is gone.”
Case Studies
Larry Wilhelm Custom Chocolate
We had a distributor who sold our individual Working From Home Gift Box to a financial institution with local salespeople all over the country. The boxes were logo imprinted with the client’s name on a metallic gold label and packaged in a heavy-duty mailer box to withstand drop shipping. Each box contained a personal thank you note from the particular regional manager involved. Thousands of these were mailed over the course of two to three weeks.
Jodie Schillinger, Maple Ridge Farms
A chain of retail stores was challenged with how to celebrate their reopening with their employees. Because the stores varied in number of employees, we shipped the standard box (21 treats) to the smaller stores, the larger box (42 treats) to the medium size stores, and the jumbo box (84 treats) to the largest stores. We applied a custom “Welcome Back” label to the top of the box and enclosed a clever insert card provided by the distributor. Early reports are that the employees were thrilled to receive these tasty treats.
A regional hospital realized that their healthcare staff was getting worn down and demoralized and wanted a way to lift their spirits. They came up with a creative solution with fun twist. The hospital selected a box of gourmet treats to present groups of healthcare workers. Included in each gift box was a code to download a fun, energetic music playlist curated by the hospital. With the playlist, the hospital also issued a challenge to record their best moves and post them to Tik Tok. The challenge helped the staff destress in a fun way with lots of laughter!