To survive, we need to eat. To thrive, we want to eat. Delicious foods and treats provide blissful moments for the recipient, who then views the giver with gratitude. When gratitude is the mindset, so too is being open to what the giver may have to promote or sell.
In other words – captivating hearts and minds through the tummy – which is exactly why food-based promotions work time and again. For example, at tradeshows, where energy expenditure is on full blast, walking up and down aisles, meeting, discussing, planning, and toting brochures – a little treat to pop in the mouth is a delicious way to refuel.
Joelle Stahlecker, Maple Ridge Farms, states, “Food is an inextricable part of people’s daily lives. Everyone has their favorite foods, foods they gravitate toward when they’re looking for something familiar, whether they’re daily meals or special treats—there’s a reason it’s called ‘comfort food!’”
Therefore, she adds, food gifts impart a sense of personal connection by providing these senses of comfort and familiarity. They also offer flexibility for each recipient to enjoy in their own way. For example, Stahlecker offers, “our toffee is amazing on its own, but we’ve also found that people enjoy breaking it up and baking with it. There’s no single right way to enjoy food gifts. Food is sensory. That experience forms valuable memories to tie that delicious bite to a specific event, brand, moment and it is captured in our memory bank for decades!”
Charles Palko of Cosmo Promos believes that the strong shift away from eating out at restaurants due to the pandemic restrictions, there exists branding opportunities that can occur in homes through logoed promo products such as cheeseboards, cutting boards and utensils. “I believe that providing promotional food-related items to employees working remotely is an excellent way to help tie them back to feeling part of the corporate culture and team,” he comments.
Food gifts are likewise an excellent accompaniment to the trend of eating at home, says Stahlecker. And some, like cheese boards or coffee cake, can practically serve as meals on their own, while others can be a complement to a home-cooked meal or a delicious snack. “Additionally, food gifts often have the option of including a hard good, such as a cutting board, that recipients can continue to use after the food has been enjoyed. Food is an experience. Encourage clients to choose a charcuterie tray or a shake the dice game with treats to tie in the brand with a delish and memorable flavor,” she suggests.
Most people love to indulge their sweet tooth with candies and chocolates, which not only satiates that craving but studies have shown that chocolates release endorphins -- the “feel good” hormone, which promotes calms and fights stress. Whether it’s a chewy mint, hard candy, gum, fun-size or a full-size chocolate bar, or sweet-salty snack mix, your client’s logo can be associated with this positive product.
Stahlecker emphasizes that food is a universally appealing promotional item. “Food is a huge part of most events — can you remember the last mixer you went to that didn’t have hors d’oeuvres or other nibbles?”
Despite the boom in virtual meetings and trade/commercial events, Stahlecker has found that many event organizers are turning to food gifts to reinstate the connection by sending everything from a single cookie to an elaborate cheese board. Foods can also be combined in innovative gifts baskets that feature other promotional item for themes, holidays and new product promotions, for example.
There are a couple of areas where Cosmo Promos’ food items can be creatively used in promo campaigns, according to Palko. Cosmo Promos has a great selection of cheese boards which are used by a national cheese brand to promote its cheese, along with cutting boards that end-users will use at home. For 2021, Cosmo Promos is set to expand its bamboo utensil offerings to help your clients capture even more of a share of the recipient’s valuable counter space in their homes.
Foods will continue to be highly welcome at the home where so many of us work now, Palko adds. “I believe that companies with remote employees need to reinforce their corporate cultures even more so now than ever so that all of the remote workers still feel like they’re part of the team. Branded food and food related items are used every day in the home and can help reinforce being part of the organization and team when you’re out of the office for an extended period of time.”
There are many delicious foods in the industry, including salamis, popcorn, spices and rubs for grill masters, and more, and you can help your clients create a fun promotion. Just something to chew on!
CASE STUDIES
Gemline: The Meetings N’More Gourmet Snack Tote (#88029) was used by a technology firm as a room drop gift for their sales team while in town for their national sales meeting. The reps were pleasantly surprised to find the gourmet treats upon their arrival and continued to snack on them throughout the week. The eco-friendly, reusable corrugated paper tote was the perfect vehicle for this gift as it folds flat for travel and easy storage.
Gemline: A nationally known hotel chain gifted their staff the Everyday Sweet and Savory Gourmet Carry Caddy (#88009) for Employee Appreciation Day. The carry caddy was filled with a carefully selected blend of gourmet savory and sweet snacks to satisfy everyone’s taste. Employees enjoyed the gift and many continued to use the decorated carry caddy for their organizational needs long after the treats were gone.
Custom Chocolate: Custom Chocolate reports numerous uses of its chocolate shapes:
Chocolate cigars with a brand used as the announcement for a Canadian TV series premier, chocolate airplanes labeled “Sky’s the Limit” for an annual sales meeting; miniature chocolate human brains packaged and labeled for Bayer® at the National Stroke Conference & Tradeshow; foil-wrapped chocolate Hammer, wrench, and hard hat packaged together in a cello bag and labeled with "Let's work on team building" for the human resources department of a computer assembly company; chocolate sea shells, palm trees, pineapples & sandals packaged together in a favor bag used as a room turndown gift for business guests at a conference in Honolulu; foil-wrapped chocolate used as handouts at a Swine Conference/Tradeshow hosted by the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture; and chocolate opera masks on a stick were wrapped in purple foil decorated with feathers and sequins and given to guests at the NBA All Star Game Luncheon when it was held in New Orleans.