Your corporate stationery list includes every promotional item (especially made of paper) that your company uses. That means letterheads, envelopes, invoices, stickers, business cards, and so on. But this list also includes USBs, Diaries, Pens, Mousepads, and more.
It’s all in the spirit of giving.
The secret is in giving. Do you remember your Aunt Sallie when you drink out of a certain mug? Do you remember your girlfriend when you check the time on your brand-new watch? The same principle applies when you gift useful products to your valued customers. Corporate gifting makes clients feel special and remembered. This feeling and the thoughtfulness of a gift will leave a lasting positive impression.
What is corporate gifting?
Corporate gifting is the practice of interacting with a customer, employee, prospective client, or partner through a gift to express gratitude and appreciation. There are endless gifting stationery possibilities including gift cards, swag products, and premium items depending on the occasion and job title of the recipient.
The purpose of gifting is to make an impression and create a connection with the recipient. Stand out with this corporate stationery list below to attract clients and customers and to retain employees and partners. People love receiving gifts because it makes them feel valued and recognised for their impact. Harvard Business Review emphasises the importance of individual recognition in showing thanks because group acknowledgement leaves people feeling distanced from their individual contributions to achievements. Even the smallest act of gifting, such as a hand-written note, conveys unspoken meaning and emotion.
Do you need corporate gifts?
The Best Corporate gifts for clients go a long way in helping to boost relationships with vendors, clients, suppliers etc. A small token of your appreciation in the form of a small, personalised gift can do wonders for your commercial relationship. Imagine the pride a client representative would feel when he gets a pen with his name engraved on it or if he gets a t-shirt with his name printed on the back!
“In business, it’s about people. It’s about relationships.” – Kathy Ireland
The 6 Principles of Influence” by Dr Robert B. Cialdini is a must-know for marketing professionals. Here’s a condensed overview of these principles and why they’re crucial to include in corporate gifting strategies:
- Reciprocity: People tend to return favours and repay debts. Doing good for others increases the chance of receiving the same in return.
- Commitment/Consistency: Humans want to be seen as consistent, making them more likely to fulfil commitments once they’ve publicly committed to it.
- Social Proof: People follow the actions of peers, making them more likely to do what others are doing.
- Authority: Humans are more likely to follow authority figures, who can be perceived through job titles or uniforms. Being perceived as an expert in an area increases influence.
- Liking: People are more likely to be influenced by those they like or perceive as friends.
- Scarcity: Products are perceived as more valuable when their availability is limited, making people more likely to purchase when there’s a sense of scarcity.
Why do people love corporate gift?
Everyone loves gifts, especially when they’re useful and thoughtful. A small gesture like a thank-you card can go a long way in establishing a positive brand image and creating happy memories.
Corporate gifts are effective relationship builders. They show appreciation to customers, personalize business transactions, and serve as a reminder of your products and services. In today’s market, customers have many options, so customer retention is key to a company’s growth.
Gifting is a way to express gratitude and acknowledge someone’s value, yet this practice is rarely used in a corporate setting where relationships are often transactional.
In short, including corporate gifts in your corporate stationery list help your business to:
- Create goodwill.
- Strengthen relationships.
- Enhance your company’s image.
- Create an emotional connection and positive perception of your brand.
But – and there is a big BUT. You can’t just give anything. For this to work properly in your favour, it needs to be done right.
Apply the principles, and get the customers.
When you look at marketing from a psychological perspective, it’s easy to see why corporate gifting has become such a big deal. It’s no longer a nice-to-do, but rather an absolute must-have.
Here’s a simple example. Postcard printing is cost-effective and, with Printulu’s variable data printing option, customisable. Add an awesome tent calendar for 2020, and suddenly your clients not only feel valued but have something they can use. This will sit on their desks and they will be reminded of your business all year. Throw in a quick discount that expires soon and suddenly – BAM! Your business is booming even when you are not behind the wheel.
This simple combination of reciprocity, scarcity and liking can have a massive impact on your overall brand appeal – not to mention your December revenue. Just try it! There’s proof in the Christmas pudding:
Corporate gifting best practices
1. Personalise your gifts
Don’t order 30 bottles of wine and send them to all your clients. What about the customer that doesn’t drink wine? What about the customer that is an avid whiskey lover? Consider the receiver of your gift’s likes and hobbies when choosing from a corporate stationery list, and source a gift that will be meaningful to them.
2. Don’t overdo it
If your client pays R2000 a year for your product/service and you send them a gift valued at over R3000, that doesn’t make sense. Keep gifts in proportion to how much a client’s company spends with you to ensure no one feels uncomfortable about the gift.
3. Think outside the holidays
Granted, the holiday season is the most popular time for gift giving of any kind. But don’t relegate gifts to the holiday season. Send tokens of appreciation throughout the year. By sending presents outside of December, you’ll avoid disappearing into a heap of gifts all dumped into one corner of the office. Plus, gifts are meant to show your clients you care about their business all 12 months, not just when they’re up for annual review.
Printulu’s Corporate Stationery List For Your Business
Your gift needs to build brand recognition, stay relevant, and appeal to your client. This is a simple, but tough, checklist to crack. To help inspire you and your gift-giving, we have compiled a corporate stationery list below to suit every business!
1. USB Sticks
Printulu offers high-quality customisable USB sticks branded with your own personal business logo. We have a range of 3 memory capacities available to suit your specific needs. We offer 4GB, 8GB and 16GB sizes. The branding is done directly on the metal casing, and not with a vinyl sticker.
2. Diaries
Printulu offers unbeatable brandable diaries in both A4 and A5 Diary sizes for your convenience. Choose from the two different available colours to match your preference.
3. Brandable Mousepads
Printulu’s brandable, custom mousepads are made from PU (Polyurethane) material, which is an affordable yet highly resilient option. Our mousepads are rectangular, with rounded corners, and come in a standard white colour, so that your printed brand will take the spotlight. Available in PU Leather with a large brandable area of 15x20cm.
4. Brandable Pens
Branded pens are great for maximum brand exposure and are convenient to use. They are an amazing marketing tool, as they are practical, and lightweight and a bonus is that your clients get to see your brand every day on their desks. Printulu offers 3 different pen types. Ridge, Neo, Rhombus Ball Point pen.
5. Name Badges
Boost your brand awareness with Printulu’s name badges. The badges are available in 2 sizes and are a standard rectangle shape, which makes them easy to read and your more affordable option. They attach with a sturdy magnetic clip.
6. Shopper Bags
Printulu offers you the flexibility to design your own branded material bags. We offer quality that will ensure positive brand exposure – wherever the bag goes, so does your awesome brand! Consider adding these to your corporate stationery list for your next event.
7. Branded Office Stationery.
Branded office stationery will be used again and again in the office, keeping your brand on the tip of clients’ tongues. Making a branded stationery packet, including our sleek presentation folders and notepads, is a surefire way to stay memorable. This gift also shows off your professionalism. Engaging with other businesses’ needs by providing useful gifts like stationery shows you’re thinking about your client.
8. Calendars.
Calendars are helpful, practical, and easily branded. We have a range of calendars available (see the full range here), including deskpad and wiro calendars. By putting your brand loud and proud on this gift, you ensure that customers will remember you daily.
Here are a few tutorials to help you with your calendar design:
1. Wiro Calendars
2. Tent Calendars
3. Deskpad Calendars
9. Personalised postcards.
A handwritten note is simple, personal, and heartfelt. Adding these to your corporate stationery list by putting pen to paper on one of our beautiful letterheads or postcards is a great way to thank a client for their business and build a genuine human connection. A handwritten note is timeless, and it stays that way for a reason.
Corporate Stationery List Further Reading:
- Dos and Don’ts of Corporate Gifting
- How to Use Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion to Boost Conversions
- The 6 Principles of Influence: How To Master Persuasion
Related Articles:
- The Complete Printing Guide
- 2020 Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses That You Should Know (Success Guaranteed)
- How To Save Thousands of Rands on Calendar Prints! (The Printing Hack No One Told You About)
