Just realised it’s time to thank your best customers for their support this year? You’ve left it a little too late!  Appropriate gifting needs thorough planning so wake up earlier next year and get to it in October or thereabouts. 

Corporate gifts are a great way to show appreciation and build closer relationships. They also ensure your brand stays top of mind.  Here are our top ten tips for corporate gifting:

1. Go for useful presents. Think diaries, caps, keyrings or umbrellas. That way your brand will get a good airing – and not be relegated to the bin. 
2. If you give clothing – branded t-shirts, golf shirts or caps, for example - do check sizes.  A quick call is all it takes to ensure your gifts will actually be worn. 
3. Consumables – wine, olive oil, chocolates – can all be branded.  Or create metres of wrapping paper or ribbon displaying your logo. Beautiful branded gift carry bags also work well.
4. Work-related gifts have the added advantage of increasing brand visibility on a daily basis. Notebooks, folders, desk clocks and pens all lend themselves to corporate branding. 
5. Gifting is easy if your clients are techno-geeks. Memory sticks make great corporate gifts –useful, available in a huge range of fun designs and easy to brand. But the list of technology gifts is endless. Enjoy choosing from solar-powered chargers and headphones to tablet stands – and everything in between.
6. If you know your customers’ hobbies, sports or interests, corporate gifting is also a breeze.  Easiest to buy for are golfers, cyclists, runners, readers and travellers. 
7. Beaded items are uniquely South African and increasingly popular as corporate gifts. Everything from musical instruments to animals and flowers can be custom-made, by hand, locally. 
8. Gifts should be appropriate and not hugely extravagant. Gift-giving as a means to persuade prospective clients to send business your way is obviously a total no-no. Make sure your gift cannot be interpreted as a bribe.  If in doubt, don’t do it.  
9. At the same time, you must always ensure quality. Your gifts reflect your company, so make sure they will last and not break after a few uses.
10. Your gift wrap must be striking. And think about adding a hand-written card for an even better first impression. Personally delivered gifts also make an impact.

At Catgraphics we’ve been designing and producing clients’ promotional gifts since October. Recent items include pens, rulers, caps, T-shirts, jackets, golf shirts, water bottles, lanyards, beaded items, USBs, keyrings, name badges, desk name signs, laptop trolley bags, desk calendars, tote bags, umbrellas, notebooks, pashminas, gift carry bags and bandanas. 

We have loads of ideas and experience, as well as a great track record, so please give us a shout for all your corporate gifts or promotional items. 

We wish you all a wonderful, peaceful festive season.