4 Tips for Better Holiday Gifting

It’s time for holiday gifting! Each year we decide this flies up faster and faster, do you feel that too? So you can have the best holiday gifting experience this year, we are sharing 4 tips for holiday gifting. We’ve got holiday gift inspiration on our socials, head over to Instagram and LinkedIn to see some product ideas, and check back here for additional product features to help you shop. Prefer to shop on your own? You can always shop promotional items and branded gifts on thebrandedthings.com.

1. Think About Your Recipient

Well that seems super straightforward, right? We want you to really think about your recipient. We just showcased the differences between men & women (among other variables) when it comes to branded merchandise preferences. There are a few key questions to ask when thinking about a branded merch gift:

• How enthusiastic is this person about my brand? This will help you determine your decoration method or placement for your art on your branded gift. Employees and brand evangelists should be gifted a different branded item than a prospect or a client.
• Will this gift fit in with my recipients’ lives? You want to make an impact or show appreciation, that’s why you’re gifting. Taking a moment to think about how your recipient would use their gift is a good barometer to use when considering different promotional products. If you think they may not love it and cherish the gift, go a different route. We talk about the ROI of your spend often, and this is the perfect case for it. Gifting everyone something they won’t enjoy is a disservice to the relationship you have built with them. Take a moment and choose their branded gifts just like you would any individual you’re sending a gift to. The more thoughtful your choice, the more use they will get, and the more appreciation they will feel.
• Does this gift represent my values? If you’re promoting an eco-friendly culture, we have branded merchandise that can hold on to those values. A family-friendly company gifting your employees? Don’t just reward the individual, gift them something fun for all over the holidays like a charcuterie gift or a game night gift. We can custom create an experience based on your values.

2. Plan Early, Buy Early

It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since we were coming out from behind a summer of solely making hand sanitizers, branded masks, and acrylic desk shields to do holiday gifts. What we learned that Fall has stayed true until now - supply chains still haven’t recovered and more items are shipping now than ever. It’s always true that the earlier you’re able to plan, the wider your options for custom promotional products. At holiday times, order cutoffs can begin for some of our product lines as early as October. To ensure you have the ability to gift whatever branded merchandise in the world you may want, it’s important to schedule your holiday branded merchandise meetup early.  Next, we’ll turn around a presentation with curated options around to you as quickly as possible, giving you flexibility in choice of your branded gifts. Lead times can extend around the holidays, and so can transit times, and we don’t have any reason to believe 2023 will be any different. The early bird gets…the best gifts?

3. Skip Tradition

Don’t give a gift in December. Sending your appreciation in November is an unexpected way of giving thanks. Depending on your employees or your clients, does it make sense to kick off the new year with a branded gift setting them off in the right direction? We did that ourselves one year, gifting branded Rocketbooks, Panda Planner edition, so that our clients could set their goals and intentions for the new year. It was less a year-end thank you and more a “have a better than ever new year”. Another opportunity? Showing the love on Valentine’s Day! You’re in a pretty serious relationship with your employees and your clients, why not celebrate the day? This one is far enough away that depending on your industry and your use of branded merch, it may make sense to celebrate both holidays with a gift of appreciation.

4. Create a Full Gift Experience

We feel strongly about the ability of packaging to make an impact. Adding little extras, whether that’s shipping in surprise to someone’s home or office, or giving them that feeling of an influencer unboxing can take your gift to the next level.

We have several options for adding special touches to your merch, and we can always create beautiful packaging to send your gifts in style.

Branded by Williams Advertising creates branded merchandise that allows companies to show appreciation and build brand loyalty. Our capabilities include everything from ideation to production of promotional products. We simplify your life by handling everything from creative through fulfillment for all custom items. If you need help showing appreciation, please reach out & we’ll build personalized promotional products' recommendations for your brand.