The Official Guide to Curating the Perfect Corporate Gift

One of the questions we get asked most often this time of year is what makes a good client gift? What will make our brand stand out amongst the 20 fruit baskets sitting in the break room? What will ensure our gifting program has a positive ROI and will accomplish our business goals to increase customer loyalty and elevate our brand image? 

This year we decided to put together our official guide to curating the perfect corporate gift. See below for our top tips for client gifting: 

Rule #1: Include practical, useful items. This isn’t the time to get kitschy. Include elevated essentials that the recipient can and will use in their professional life. Here at Marie Mae, we suggest including 2-3 of our luxury paper goods, such as our signature ‘Write with Purpose’ bookcloth spiral notebook or our personalized stationery sets. Your branding is ok on these items, but we would suggest you keep it subtle. Or instead, focus on personalizing the items with the recipient’s initials. These are gifts after all, and the recipient is more than likely to remember the company that gave them these items if they are personalized to them - rather than items that look like a marketing piece.

Featuring Marie Mae’s signature ‘write with purpose’ spiral notebook in Peacock ($28) and handcarved pen from Rwanda ($16).

Rule #2: Include a treat. Everyone likes a yummy treat, and this is a great way to add something festive to your gifts. We suggest something small like a bar of high quality, fair-trade chocolate or ethically sourced coffee.

Featuring Marie Mae’s artisan bundle that includes fair trade coffee from Peru and a handcarved coffee scoop from Kenya ($30).

Rule #3: Include an item that tells a story. These items should still be useful, but should have a story behind them. These are the items that will set your corporate gift apart and elevate your brand image. At Marie Mae, we suggest including one of our artisan made pieces, such as a handcrafted leather luggage tag made in Haiti or a handcarved pen made by an artisan in Rwanda. These pieces elevate the gift, and tell a story that communicates your brand values - one that the recipient will remember and share with others.

Featuring Marie Mae’s leather luggage tag made in Haiti ($28).

Rule #4: Presentation and personalization matter. If you are going to spend the money on corporate gifts, please don’t stop at just the contents of the gift. The presentation matters as well. Make sure your gifts are nicely gift wrapped, and ALWAYS include a handwritten note. 

Examples of personalized Marie Mae paper goods.

Those are our top 4 rules of how to curate the perfect corporate gift this season. It’s not plastering your brand all over the gift that will make this a good corporate gift. In fact, we would argue that diminishes the value. What makes for a good corporate gift that increases customer loyalty and ensures a high ROI is a gift that is personalized to the recipient and one that communicates your brand values. This goes way beyond your logo.

Get ahead of the game this year, and let us help take corporate gifting off your hands!

Marie Mae is changing the world of corporate gifting and everyone is winning: in business results, talent acquisition, customer loyalty, and happy employees. Marie Mae can help strengthen your brand image while increasing the ROI of your corporate gifting program. Corporate gifting is a $125 billion market. Imagine if we put that money to good use, AND gave recipients the memorable gifts they wanted to receive.

To learn more about how Marie Mae can take corporate gifting off your hands this holiday season, visit www.mariemae.com/corporate.