A few weeks ago, I wrote about how it’s already time to start thinking about holiday business gifts.
Well, after the gifts have been chosen, the big question is all about the imprint.
Although holiday gifts are a marketing channel, this is the one time of year that subtlety is key. Holiday gifts are all about showing appreciation to the people who make and keep your business successful, not about advertising.
With that in mind, there are several options when it comes to imprinting your business holiday gifts:
1) A tone-on-tone imprint or, if the material permits, emboss or engrave it. The logo will be there, but it will be subtle and will not scream, “I am an advertisement.”
2) Imprint a message to your recipients instead of your logo. Perhaps, something in line with the spirit in which the gift is given or a saying that is appropriate to the gift itself. For instance, if you are giving a wine themed gift, a toast imprinted on the gift or box would be perfectly acceptable.
3) If the type of gift and the budget allows, consider personalizing each gift with the recipients name or initials. That person will certainly appreciate the additional thought put into the gift and will always remember who gave it to them. 4) No imprint on the gift at all. Put your message and logo on a card enclosed with the gift. Just as you will remember the special gift that your Aunt Millie gave you when you were a kid, your recipients will remember you when looking at the gift you choose for them.
Thanking is not about putting your logo front and center. It’s about expressing your appreciation for a year’s worth of business, a job well done, or support from a key vendor. Just this once, don’t make the gift seem like an ad – make it about the recipient, not what you want them to do for you.
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