Yudu - Ex PA Magazine Aug September 2010

GIFT OF GIVING

Food for thought They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but hampers are very popular corporate gifts for both sexes, especially those from Harrods and Fortnum & Mason which are famed for their luxurious food. They tie in well to many holidays and can be taken home and enjoyed with friends and family. Andrew Dufton, Corporate Sales Manager at Fortnum & Mason said: “People always like a hamper, they are never quite sure what they are going to get, and there is always something in it for everyone. Prices range from £35 to £5,000, and so you can find the perfect thank you gift or goodwill gesture to suit your budget.”

Find their passion Alternatively, you might like to treat your special clients, or even your own staff, to a voucher rather than risk buying them something they might not like. Gift vouch- ers can be bought for many shops, the cine- mas, beauty salons or for websites such as iTunes or Amazon. David Butler, General Manager at National Garden Gift Vouchers said: “In the current financial climate vouchers and gift cards will increase in pop- ularity, particularly during the festive sea- son.” Its vouchers are available in £1, £5, £10 and £25 denominations and are accepted at more than 2,000 gardening outlets across the country. If gardening is not their passion, tickets to the movies could be a better choice. Filmology offers corporate deals on cinema vouchers. David Pearson, Director of Filmology, said: “The relatively low cost of offering cinema vouchers and the wide- spread popularity of film makes cinema an appealing proposition for corporate gifts. They are an ideal way to reward a large number of people, particularly at Christmas.” Or maybe you would like to give an experience of a

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Top ten corporate gifts Single Frame

£7.95 Chrome Puzzle Globe

£14.95 Star Desk Award Paperweight

£7.95 Silver Plated Cushion Keyring

from £5.95 Chrome Rocket Rollerball

£11.95 Floating Desk Pen

from £5.95 Chrome Classic City Business Card Holder

£2.95 Silver Plated Weather Station

£15.95 Engraved Cufflinks

£9.95 Executive Silver Plated USB Flash Drive

£27.95

The Corporate Gifts Company (www.corporate-gifts-co.com) has several products that have earned their position as a top corporate gift idea. Below is its best-selling items – many of which include an engraved logo within the prize to give you more bang for your buck.

Do your research Some companies and Government offices will have a pol- icy banning gifts or limiting their cash value. Find out if the recipient’s company has any policy on receiving gifts and if they have then follow it to the letter. Remember too that different cultures have their own rules. For instance, in China, a gift should never be wrapped in white as it symbolises death. If you do want to make gifts more per- sonal then you could try to contact the recipient’s colleagues for inspiration. If your gift reflects the receiver’s likes it will show that you’ve made a real effort to understand their style and taste. You should take care to ensure the gift is appropriate to the business relationship and to avoid the impression that you’re bribing the recipient.

The best time for giving “Diwali, Christmas and New Year celebra- tions represent a good time to a mark a suc- cessful year,” said Harrod’s Tracy. “Corporate gifts are ideally presented following a posi- tive period of business.” You can reward those who have helped bring about that suc- cess as well as using gifts to let others know you are thriving.

But giving gifts at other times of the year

can have a more profound personal impact. For a more personal touch why not try to find out your client’s birthday and send a gift then. Other dates to make a good impression include the anniversary of a new job or the day you initiated a business relationship. You could also select a promo- tion, the birth of a child, or completion of an important project. Whether you choose national holidays or decide to mark events in the personal life of the recipient, will depend on the nature of the relationship.

But remember, if you overdo it and hand out too many

lifetime, rather than an object. Red Letter Days offers sports car driving, hot-air ballooning, swimming with sharks and a whole host of other activities for those who like a bit of adventure. But there are also pampering experiences, short breaks, toys, jewellery and lots more for those that like to take things a bit easier.

gifts throughout the year, not only will they start to mean less to the recipient. It might also give the impression that you want something in return. Another no-no is giving gifts during a bidding

process. This could very easily be misinterpreted as a bribe, even if a genuine event you want to mark happens to fall during this time. E