Let's face it, we all love getting a free gift. Even if it comes from a large corporation or company, we still like the feeling of being appreciated as a customer, probably more so if it's from a really large company. While this can be a small gift or token, it's the idea behind a customer appreciation gift which makes it special.
These gifts can be something very simple such as free calendars, discount coupons or even fridge magnets... all the way up to gift baskets, box tickets and even vacations for clients which regularly contribute thousands to your company's bottom line. However, don't be fooled, these companies are not always giving these gifts out from the goodness of their hearts, there are some ulterior motives at play here.
These companies obtain some real benefits from giving out corporate gifts to their customers and clients. These benefits usually run along the following lines:
1. Customer Loyalty - Gaining a good relationship with your customers and building solid customer loyalty to your company or brand is one of the keys to your success. Giving corporate gifts, no matter how small, will go a long way in cementing this ongoing relationship with your customers. Never underestimate the power of this customer loyalty.
2. Product Branding - Many companies give out gifts which are personalized with a company logo and brand. This can go a long way in promoting your company while you're building customer loyalty. Don't go overboard with this, a simple plain logo discretely placed on a gift or thank-you card will do nicely. Using simple promotional gifts such as pens, mouse pads, key-chains... may be common place but they still work.
3. Great PR & Goodwill - Using corporate gifts will create great PR and Goodwill for your company. Handled the right way, it can go a long way in producing great press and promotion for your business or product. Having a large reservoir of goodwill, built up over the years, can also be very beneficial in weathering temporary storms such as a major recall.
4. Repeat Customers - As any successful company will tell you, it's the repeat customer which is the most valuable. Especially in such industries as automobile, insurance, hotels... a customer that comes back, time and time again, will increase your sales. Many successful companies make it a practice of keeping in touch with their customers with follow-up calls, emails, cards and of course, customer appreciation gifts.
5. Word Of Mouth Advertising - The true power of this form of advertising is sometimes ignored by many major companies, but they shouldn't. Getting people talking favorably about your company or product should be the first pillar of your marketing strategy. Corporate gifts can really start the ball rolling, while you can't exactly buy consumer loyalty (it must be backed up by a quality product), peer recommendation is extremely important in these days of Facebook and Twitter.
