“Wearing something with a logo of an organization that is close to my heart is personal to me. Not only is it a conversation starter, it is also a reminder of why I am a part of Kids of Courage.”
These were the words of Josh, a recipient of a custom branded Apple AirPods Max from Kids of Courage. Josh, who was gifted the device as a recognition for his fundraising efforts, proudly dons his new wireless headphones even though he is not “a regular headphone user.”
Kids of Courage is a New York-based nonprofit organization that gives children with medical illnesses opportunities to participate in year-round activities and medically supervised trips.
“We love to give personalized technology to our supporters because it is unique and different,” said Naftali Solomon, Kids of Courage Director of Operations. “While the gifts are not the reason why they fundraise, our families and volunteers love to see the incentive list and find something to set their goal for.”
Naftali Solomon, director of operations at Kids of Courage, shows off a custom branded Apple iPad used to help spread awareness of the organization.
Since 2019, the organization has offered Kids of Courage branded premium gifts, including high-tech products as perks for families and volunteers to reach fundraising goals. Past gifts have included: Apple iPad, Beats Powerbeats Pro, Apple Watch and Apple AirPods Pro.
Naftali added, “The positive feedback we have gotten is encouraging, and it is a win-win situation to be able to thank our supporters and at the same time, further the organization’s mission.”
To learn more about Kids of Courage, visit www.kidsoc.org.
There’s no doubt that Apple AirPods, along with the new AirPods Pro, which launched in October 2019, continue to dominate in the tech gifts category over the 2019 corporate gifting season.
Even with the product shortage that consumers experienced this past holiday season, we helped countless businesses customize Apple AirPods and AirPods Pros for gifting opportunities.
Our proprietary UV proprietary printing process allows for high-quality, full-color graphics to be permanently bonded onto devices. Because it is a direct print, the artwork won’t peel, flake or fade. Additionally, many clients also leveraged using custom device sleeves and gift wrap to create a memorable unboxing experience.
Check out a few highlights from FUSION OF IDEAS’ 2019 corporate gifting program:
Gift-giving is an important part of the human experience. The act of giving helps define our relationships, strengthens our bonds and reinforces our feelings toward the recipient.
When it comes to giving business gifts, the results are the same: it builds and strengthens relationships with your employees, customers and vendors. It’s a way to recognize an employee who has met or exceeded his or her sales goal; thank a customer who has supported your business year-round; and show appreciation to a stakeholder who has invested in your company.
Recognize Employees
The holiday season is a great time to show your employees that they are an important asset to your business and recognize individuals who have achieved goals or milestones.
Studies reveal that 79 percent of people who quit their jobs cite ‘lack of appreciation’ as their reason for leaving. And a startling 65 of Americans in the workforce report that they weren’t recognized even once last year.
Feeling appreciated or being recognized has been proven to change an employee’s mentality from “My efforts will get me by,” to “I’m dedicated, committed and motivated to do my best at my job.”
It’s also important to remember that recognizing employees should be an ongoing effort and not limited only to the holiday season. Also, there are many ways for an employer to use corporate gifting to build up, fuel and recognize employees.
Show your employees your appreciation with a gift that they can use year-round.
Thank Customers
Showing customers your appreciation can greatly influence their loyalty and advocacy, which in turn leads to customer retention and increased sales. Keeping your customers happy is about making them feel like you care about them, valued and appreciated.
This is the foundation of a customer appreciation strategy.
While there are many ways to show appreciation to customers, corporate gifting is easy to implement as part of your customer appreciation strategy. If you take care of your customers, they will take care of your business.
Here are a few other ways to thank customers:
Offer a loyalty program with tiered rewards
Make a donation in their honor
Treat customers to a complimentary upgrade
Send a handwritten note.
A meaningful gift for your customers goes a long way.
The Power of Personalization
In today’s world, where the prevalence of personalization is so prominent in our daily lives, personalization should also play a part in a company’s corporate gifting strategy. One of the most popular ways to personalize, or customize, a gift is by adding your company logo or brand on the gifting product.
A business gift customized with your company logo can benefit both your employees and customers. Because your employees have a stronger emotional connection to your company and brand as they are a part of the daily business, branded gifts offer meaning and significance to your workforce.
For your customers, when a business gift that has value and use (versus a generic item) and it includes branding, nearly nine out of 10 recipients are able to remember the branding eight in 10 can recall messaging from at least one branded product they received (Source: Promotional Products Association International).
It is important to remember that a corporate gift should be carefully thought through. After all, it is an investment the company is making towards strengthening its relationship with clients, employees, investors and partners. When emotions are at the heart of the relationships between brands and consumers, they steer conscious decisions and drive unconscious decisions.
You don’t have to be a “techie” or even a gadget lover to appreciate a new tech device. From Bluetooth speakers to wireless chargers, mobile technology is all around us.
With the rising trend of companies giving corporate gifts, technology has become a popular gift category for businesses. Giving a tech gift can also show that your company is modern and forward-thinking.
We rounded our favorite tech gift ideas this holiday season:
Wireless Earbuds – Ultracompact and lightweight, wireless earbuds offer features such as noise-cancellation and a customizable fit. Wireless earbuds options are abundant, including Apple AirPods and the new AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds, Powerbeats Pro by Beats by Dre and the new Amazon Echo Buds.
Wireless earbuds topped the list for the most popular business gift in 2018. Seen here is a pair of customized Powerbeats Pro by Beats by Dre.
Smart Speakers – A starting device or a complement to a complete smart home system, smart speakers or smart assistants like Amazon Echo or Google Home help you around the house, offers entertainment and more, all through voice commands.
A smart speaker like Google Home Mini is an ideal gift for customers, employees as well as shareholders.
Portable and Wireless Chargers – A practical gift option, mobile chargers are versatile for all types of technology. Popular wireless charger options include Belkin and Samsung and there are portable charger options from Mophie and Nimble.
Wireless and portable chargers are practical and versatile. Add your company logo for a lasting impression year-round.
Complete the brand experience with personalization. Adding the recipient’s name or using customized packaging with your company logo can make a lasting impression. For more corporate gifting ideas, visit www.fusionofideas.com/gifting.
A well-considered corporate gifting program can help celebrate employees for a job well done, establish and enhance your customer and vendor relationships, and promote activities that benefit the overall business.
When choosing the perfect gift for your corporate gifting program this year, we put together our top three things to start thinking about before the flurry of activities hits the holiday season:
High-End or Budget?
Even if you are the most generous person in the world, you are still operating a business within a budget. Whether you go luxury, conventional or somewhere in-between, don’t think you have to choose a high-end gift just because it costs more. Do it because you think that’s the gift the other person will appreciate. If luxury is the route you choose and budget is a concern, narrow your recipient list.
There is an array of gifting options that fit budgets of all sizes. The hard part is finding one that speaks to your recipient.
Company Logo and Customization.
To logo or not to logo, that is the question. For many businesses, customized gifts keep the company name in the minds of recipients. When the item is practical and likely to be used every day – such as a calendar, pen, coffee mug, or tote bag – this amounts to free daily advertising. But there’s a tackiness quotient to consider.
That being said, keep in mind that you can minimize the size of your logo and still have your brand printed but in a more subtle way. Second, customization does not have to come in the form of a logo. For example, you can personalize the gift by adding the recipient’s name.
Adding your recipient’s initials on their gift is a subtle and unique way to personalize the gift.
Packaging.
We call this the unboxing experience. The unboxing experience triggers emotions and senses when the recipient opens the gift. The packaging, the gift wrap, the ribbon all matter. When done right, it can improve the way the recipient feels about the actual product because first impressions matter.
First impressions matter. A memorable unboxing experience can turn your gift from good to remarkable.
