It’s a ‘why me’ moment.  When assigned the task of ordering corporate gifts for your colleagues or clients your first reaction may be to desperately open tabs on your internet browser until it gets to five o’ clock and you panic buy 500 branded mugs with a sense of defeat.  But relax and take a deep breath; there is another way.  Our guide to ordering corporate gifts will help make the whole process less fuss and more fun …

A Gift Not To Be Seen In 

Branded stress balls and personalised t-shirts are just two examples of generic and gimmicky gifts.  But if the only time you’d ever wear a t-shirt with company branding is to paint the bathroom, perhaps it’s not such a special gift – especially when the company logo ends up splattered with matt magnolia.

Golden Oldies 

Ever noticed how quickly a crowd gathers when someone brings in donuts or a birthday cake?  It’s the same with corporate food gifts.  A box of chocolates arrives for you and suddenly you seem to have a bunch of new friends.

What we’re saying here is that classic gifts deliver. By helping your recipients achieve popular status beyond their imagination you’re performing an act of kindness for your fellow womankind!

I Want Those Jimmy Choo’s! 

You’d probably do backflips if you could afford to buy the shoes of your dreams, and in the same way, your clients will thank you for sending them a luxurious gift they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves.  A big box of tasteless, cheap chocolates isn’t a great gift, even if it has a bow on it. You can’t put lipstick on a pig.

All The Single Ladies

If you like it you should put a logo on it.  You’ve probably seen extravagant office gifts on your social media news feed, amidst the beach holiday selfies or cute pet pictures. So when it’s your company’s gift being shared or liked, make sure your logo’s centre-stage; then everyone who sees your branded gift box knows what a great company you work for.  And if your gift includes a personalised gift card, it’s more likely to end up proudly displayed.  Brownie points for your company and for you when the boss realises your promotional skills.

A Letter To Santa

Let’s be honest, you probably don’t have a clue what your clients and employees want for Christmas.  So why not just ask?  It’s a great way to fire up their anticipation, and the added benefit is that your company will be on their minds while they’re waiting for their gift to be delivered by Santa’s elves.

Return To Sender

You may as well have spent five minutes rather than five hours coming up with the ideal gift if it never makes it to the right office.  So be sure to pore over your mailing list until your eyes need testing.  Name changes, new job titles and address mis-spellings are all edits to look out for to avoid your gifts floating in the ether for two weeks over Christmas, then arriving back on your desk in a less than perfect state.

Overloaded, Overworked and Overwhelmed 

There are a lot of corporate gifts out there.  Correction – there are a lot of bad corporate gifts out there.  (Nearly 35 million corporate gift search results to be exact.)  So the temptation to preserve your already burdened brain from further stress, and buy one of the first gimmicky gifts you find, is huge.   Why not trust your instincts?  You’ve bought gifts before on your own sofa (some of which never actually made it to the intended recipient, but hey, it’s the thought that counts).  Just be as savvy with your employers’ funds as you would be with your own and they’ll thank you for it.

So there you have it.  Corporate gifts doesn’t have to be a hassle. Just remember, after all your hard work, to order something for yourself too…  But, sadly, probably not the Jimmy Choo’s!