“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou
You know the feeling…receiving a personal gift can be a powerful experience, especially if it’s deep with meaning. The same is true for Corporate Gifting. Whether it’s done to show appreciation to clients, employees or prospects, if it’s done right, it can create a sense of connection to the giver (your brand) and, in turn, create a positive association. Not only that, but gift-giving has been scientifically proven to build reciprocity and trust. So yeah, it’s essential to get it right. But how?
Glad you asked. By focusing on how you feel about your audience and making sure they feel that! Here are our top 7 ways to help you put your heart and soul into your corporate gifting program.
Plan a Narrative – We don’t remember things; we remember stories. If you want to have a lasting impact on your gifting program, focus on developing a story to tell. All stories contain a simple structure: beginning, middle, and end. All stories should be built to convey genuine appreciation. Consider using a metaphor to do this.
Make it Emotional – People engage when it involves their emotions. It’s also what enables a moment to be remembered. To do this in gifting, think about the person’s interests, values, and ambitions, not your brand. Resist the urge to make this a marketing messaging opportunity. The gift will likely be perceived as disingenuous.
Make it Meaningful – Be specific rather than being broad. The more specific you are, the more relatable the gift and meaning will be. This is not the time to spray and pray. If you’re going to impart your soul, think about the souls you’re striving to touch.
Get Personal – In gift-giving, think about what matters to your audience. This means going beyond a handwritten note and some first name personalization. Now’s not the time to be afraid of digging in and doing some research. Think of research as the ingredient list to your favorite dish. Once you fully understand your audience’s needs or likes, you can add it to your story, the gifts you curate, and personalized details to build a genuine connection.
Be Personable – This is different than being personal. Being personable has to do with how we present ourselves. When it comes to the gifts we give, how are they being presented? Take the time to make the packaging experience potentially rival the gift. Heck, there’s been YouTube stars born and a genre of videos just to geek out on the unboxing experience! Don’t miss this opportunity.
Ask, Is it Valuable? – No, I don’t mean in terms of actual value (although this needs to be considered), but rather, would it be perceived as valuable to the recipient of this gift? Is the value of your gift commensurate or equal to your audience’s value? These are good questions when planning corporate gifting to make sure the value of the experience equals priceless in recipients’ minds.
Be Remarkable – At UviaUs, our motto is Deliver Remarkable. In fact, we believe in it so much that we trademarked it! Remarkable means’ worthy of being noticed due to being uncommon or extraordinary in a way that leaves people surprised or impressed.’ When planning to deliver an exceptional corporate gifting program, ask yourself, ‘will what I’m giving be perceived as something uncommon or common?’ You’ll then know whether or not you’ll leave your audience impressed.
In summary, when it comes to crushing your corporate gifting program, resist the urge to take a cookie-cutter approach by popping some coasters, koozies, and branded mugs in a box. It takes time, it takes thought, takes money, and takes effort, but the results are worth it. Your audience will never forget the way you made them feel!
