5 Budget Corporate Gifting Ideas

Christmas is just around the corner, and even though it has been a tough year, people are gearing up for the celebrations. The festivities might be on a smaller scale but there is no shortage of holiday spirit among people. With pandemic nowhere near its end, the perspective of people for gifting has transformed.

It has reshaped the way people plan to celebrate holidays. This holiday, the focus seems to have shifted from materialistic trends and moved to meaningful celebrations. This year, there will be fewer travel and increased stay-cations. Family bonding time with Christmas tree and cosy decorations, as well as short trips, will take precedence.

National Retail Federation (NRF) surveyed 7,660 consumers, where 1 in 5 people said while they typically travelled for holidays until last year, they would most likely stay home this year. Decreased spending on travel may benefit retailers with added sales. More than half of the consumers said they would use funds set for travel expenses to do more holiday shopping.

However, the general sentiment for spending is bleak. Economic downturn due to Covid-19 has affected all countries to a great extent. Many people have lost their jobs or suffered pay cuts. According to a survey by Accenture in USA, 22% of responders said Covid-19 has affected their financial security and that they would keep a tighter check on their spending. The survey also said that people would keep shopping from a physical store to a minimum and prefer online stores.

As for shopping budget, the survey said people plan to spend around US $540 this festive season. Although this amount is less than the previous year, it still showcases a positive shopping trend.

Whatever the budget is, though, people understand that with social distancing and restricted travelling, gifts will be an effective way to express their appreciation towards their friends and colleagues. Personal gifting is said to rule the gifting market but corporate gifting will also be huge.

With economic difficulties that all companies and organizations are facing, it is understandable that there will be smaller budgets for gifts this year. Nevertheless, employees too have had a tough year with financial insecurities as well as adjusting to a remote working environment.

This is why sending small tokens of appreciations that much more important and essential to boost morale. Gifts hold a sentimental value that is unmatched and even with a smaller budget; there are many gifting choices available in the market.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the gifts that can suit your budget but also create positive impressions.

Eco-products

One of the most versatile gifts is eco-products. These products not only cost-effective but also make a genuine statement for a company’s sustainable approach. Eco-products are a wonderful way to express your care towards your staff. Besides this, there are many products to choose from.

From desk essentials and stationery to bags and cutlery, eco-products can be as chic and stylish as you wish them to be. Most of the products can be customized and personalized to meet your needs. A small hamper of these products is sure to bring a smile to your employee’s face.

Décor Items

Another high-value product is décor items. This year, home décor trends will reflect the mood of family bonding and lean towards cosy fashion. While the colours of Christmas will be dominant, soft lighting and crotchet blankets that give a festive look will be popular.

Décor items like traditional and digital photo-frames, wall hangings, lucky chimes, lamps, air diffusers and decorative lights will make for great gifts. The price range is extremely wide for these items. You can find the most inexpensive kind of items as well as high-end products.

Edible Gifts & Sweets 

Food products have always been popular gifts and they will remain so this year. Sweets, cookies and salty snacks make for great gifts as they are favoured by people of all ages. It is something families can enjoy together. As a company, you can easily find cost-effective options and decide on a hamper with varied food items. These days, apart from sweets and snacks, some of the most popular trends include health kits and exotic sweets.

Drinkware

Drinkware is the most functional gift that creates long-lasting positive impressions. A survey suggests that the drinkware market is estimated to have a 29% annual growth rate by 2025, standing at around US $35 billion. A simple mug can make a great impact. Another survey noted that nearly 60% of people had an emotional attachment to a favourite mug and 40% said nothing could replace their special mug.

With this kind of effect, companies benefit from gifting drinkware. From mugs and flasks to bottles and portable drinkware, there are a massive number of choices. These products are made from many materials these days. You can find not just food-grade plastic but also in stainless steel, copper, silicone and even glass.

Bespoke

Gifting something personalized and special does not need to be a costly affair. A customized box of functional objects with a personalized name tag or a motivational message makes a huge difference. While apparel, laptop sleeves, wristwatches, electronics products, board games and the likes might cost slightly more, they still make for wonderful bespoke gifts. Besides, phone accessories, stationery and swag like key chains, plushies, chocolate boxes are all some of the cheapest items that can be personalized to your requirements.

You might have set your budget and done your research, but with so many options it is certainly baffling to make a decision. Hue helps you understand what gifts will have the most impact on your business so you can make the right choice. Check out our extensive merchandise collection. We also offer customization services.

 

Get the Swag Your Brand Deserves

With Christmas around the corner, and the New Year just in the offing, it is time that brands take a close look at their promotional merchandise.

First things first, it is an undeniable fact that having stellar swag ranks highly among marketing plans the world over. It is a simple enough logic to understand, your customers are your biggest mouthpiece. This makes it crucial that they be decked out in swag representing your brand.

To achieve this purpose it is crucial to understand the kind of items that work and the kind that have been done to death. At Hue, we give all our clients a range of merchandise options divided under three segments:

Premium | Executive | Standard

The idea is to have a select list of merchandise options depending upon the varied requirements of brands and their target audience around the world.

In the many years of giving merchandising options to organizations around the world we have learnt how to stay abreast of trends. It is this knowledge that has helped us compile a list of the hits and the flops of the merchandise world, read on to find out:

Flop

Keychains

There used to be a point of time when having a keychain in goodie bags used to be cool. Unfortunately, everyone tagged on to the idea and it soon became a massive cliché. Even if it is a keychain that doubles as a pen drive or a bottle opener, it will have limited usability considering its lack of a wow-factor.

Phone Cases

Okay, while this may seem like a sound idea at face value, it is anything but. For starters, a phone case is a highly personal item and is, more often than not, bought specifically by the user. A phone case, even when gifted, is often ignored or discarded.

Pens

Yes, sure, pens were supposed to be the de facto kings of giveaways, but times have changed. We are smack dab in the middle of a massive mobile movement, and to have a pen, which functions as nothing more than a pen, is a little too 90s for the Gen Z’s tastes.

Rubber Wrist Bands

This might have been an interesting swag provided the content on it is relevant to a movement that speaks to students. Unfortunately, for a wrist band that only has a logo on it, there is very little chance of a lay person wearing it.

Hits

Multi-purpose Chargers

Let’s face the facts, the civilized world and their pets are all on their phones, all the time. This means that their phones will definitely be getting discharged rapidly. Giving away something as functional as a multi-purpose charger would definitely be a great hit.

Reusable Water Bottles

Everybody these days understands the importance of staying hydrated. Moreover, there are a number of different types of reusable bottles available in the market. Collapsible bottles, steel sippers are just a couple of bottles that you could give as swag for your customers.

Diaries

While pens might seem to be out of favour with most people, the case is entirely different for diaries. Moleskin diaries, leather diaries, or even eco-friendly diaries are some items that are huge movers when it comes to student merchandise. However, spiral diaries are definitely not the way to go.

T-Shirts

A good quality t-shirt, coupled with a funny, quirky or just outright inspiring statement would be a great giveaway. T-shirts are something that one can never have enough of. Even if the intended end-user won’t be wearing it, it will definitely be worn. The sheer visibility provide by a quality t-shirt can never be underestimated.

Keep in mind the 5 main aspects of memorable merch:

Quality

It is a simple logic, your merchandise is the perfect representation of your brand. It is important thus that you choose giveaways that match the quality and class that your brand represents. Your target audience is judging you from the quality of your merchandise, make sure that they remember all the right things.

Functionality

There is no sense in giving something merely for the sake of giving a gift. Students, today, are an astute lot. With hours spent browsing social media they are well aware of trends. Keep up with their aspirations and give them items they need. It is not enough to give a USB stick anymore, but a USB stick that is also a classy pen is a different story altogether.

Aesthetics

Rocks serve as brilliant paperweights but are rarely seen adorning desks. Functionality is all well and good but without an aesthetic that speaks to your target group the item you are giving away will not find users. The youth today, have strong aesthetic preferences and the best bet to have your merch accepted among this discerning audience is to be in tune with said preferences.

Cultural Relevance

There is swag that cuts across borders, and there is swag that is customized according to cultures. Take the simple example of a diary. A sleek brown moleskin diary would be a good giveaway on any occasion. Imagine, however, if you wanted to distribute the diary at an education fair being held India and were able to customize the diary with traditional Indian designs. Giving your swag cultural relevance ups its value considerably.

Customization

Event giveaways, or merchandise meant for internal distribution often needs detailed customization. It is important to give your stakeholders a high level of quality, coupled with personalization this elevates the standard of gifting greatly. Imagine gifting your entire staff in offices across the world, getting kits branded with your new logo the moment they reach office. The kits include everything from diaries to name tags to coasters and mugs, among other things, all personalized to the individual they are going to. It is this level of customization that gets brands noticed.

Merchandising can be a cost-intensive activity. To do so without taking the trends in account could mean having a lot of something thoroughly unwanted. Give yourself the best options for trendsetting merchandise with Hue!

Top Christmas Gifting Options Your Employees Will Love

As rough as it has been, 2020 is finally winding down and Christmas season is nearly upon us. A time of cheer, and high spirits, are bound to be considerably watered down keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic around us.

The joy of spending Christmas with the family may not be something everyone gets to enjoy this year, with the second wave of lockdown currently enforced in many countries. Many will be spending their holidays away from their family, or be able to spend time only with immediate family. Online order and delivery services, however, are still in play and have become the preferred medium for a number of companies and individuals in 2020.

At a time like this, it becomes more important than ever to ensure that your team is well taken care of. After the year that we have had ensuring that your team is feeling good about themselves, and feeling valued is more important than ever. The keyword for Christmas gifting this year is empathy!

The Art of Choosing a Christmas Gift for your Employees

Your employees have stood by you throughout the pandemic and continue to play an important role in ensuring business continuity for you. Their happiness not only ensures your business’ health but is also a great way to show how much you care about the general happiness and well-being of your employee.

It is as important to choose the budget you want to spend for gifting, as it is to ensure that you are getting the best value for money. Chances are that if you have new hires picking something for each individual would get difficult. With that in mind, make sure that you even out the playing field, and find something that fits everyone requirements.

The key here would be to identify gifts based on the below three characteristics:

  • Functionality
  • Feeling
  • Uniqueness

With the above points in mind, we have curated a handpicked list of items that you can choose from for your employees this Christmas!

Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones

High on functionality and absolutely unique, these headphones are the perfect gift for remotely functioning employees or even for those in office. These Bluetooth headphones come complete with an in-built mike as well as volume, and quality controls to ensure you don’t need to take them off to take important calls.

Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones, Christmas Gift for your Employees

More importantly, as everyone has discovered during their respective lockdown WFH phase, finding a silent space to get your work done in a full house is difficult. Noise cancelling headphones are great from that perspective as they shut the noise in the world around you.

Gourmet Hamper

Chocolates, sweets and cookies are a great means of sharing the Christmas joy with your employees. A perennial favourite among everyone, creating a Christmas hamper for your employees can be as joyful an endeavour as sharing them with your employees.

Gourmet Hamper, Christmas Gift for your Employees

At Hue, we have sent over 2000 assorted cookie jars and gourmet chocolate boxes to the employees of our clients this season already. Handpicked Belgian chocolates and a scrumptious selection of cookies in a classic glass jar can be a brilliant gift this year.

Personalized Gift Set

Nothing says you care more than a set of personalized merchandise designed specifically for your employees. This includes the classic leatherette diary, a customized pen, a mousepad and could even have an assortment of sticky notes as well. Creating a bespoke, personalized gift set is all about finding a set of items that not only fit your budget but are also high in value and functionality.

Personalized Gift Set ; Christmas Gift for your Employees

With the new year around the corner, a 2021 diary with a multi-utility pen all engraved with the recipient’s name would make a very positive impression about the brand presenting it. Add to it a range of other cost-effective, but high in utility items like sticky notes, mugs or even sipper bottles, and you have a personalized gift-set that would make anyone smile.

Scented Goods

Christmas is all about the scents of festivities. Sharing a small, carefully selected assortment of scented candles, handmade soap or even diffusers could be a great gifting option.

Christmas Gift for your Employees;Handmade Soap

The strongest sense out of all that the human body has is the sense of smell. A long-lost smell can not only be highly reminiscent but also bring with it a wave of pleasant nostalgia. A gift hamper of scented goods can do just that.

Wellness Pack

With all that is going on around us, ensuring sound mental and physical health becomes crucial for any individual these days. It becomes more important than ever for any company to help their employees stay healthy, both mentally and physically.

Christmas Gift for your Employees; Yoga Mat

At Hue, we have sent scores of COVID protection kits comprising of masks, sanitizers, COVID keychains and more. Over and above that, if you truly want to give something unique to your employees, give them a personalized yoga mat, or even a copy of a wonderful book! The key here is to identify things that are liked across the board by your employees.

The most important thing this Christmas is going to be attention to detail, and as mentioned above, empathy. Identifying the best gifts is all about learning what your employees most need and would most value, and you have the perfect gift. Also, instead of sending just one item, make sure you have one primary gift and a few stocking stuffers along with it. Something like an OTT subscription would also work wonderfully in this case. If you want more ideas about the kind of gifts you can give your employees go through Hue’s Merchandise Portfolio. To learn more write to us at marketing@huemarcom.com

Gifting Trends for Christmas in a Pandemic

The smell of freshly cut pine, the brisk winter air, and carols ringing in the air, are just a few small reminders that Christmas is right around the corner. This year, however, things are set to be different.

While the world is learning to adopt to the new normal, the pandemic is bound to have an impact on how Christmas is celebrated around the world. While family gatherings might be smaller, there will be a near absence of parties of any form. Moreover, even the face of festive shopping has seen a change, albeit not so much in the numbers anticipated from sales.

Buying Trends Stay Optimistic

The economic downturn due to Covid-19 is expected to have a major impact on consumer behaviour. While retailers were afraid of a dip in shopping numbers due to job losses and income cuts, however, market surveys paint an optimistic picture. While people may have the same budget to spend on the holidays as that in 2019, the heartening factor is that there is not going to be a dip in the numbers. The trend indicates that despite financial difficulties, people don’t want to spend the festive season without family and indulgence.

According to Deloitte’s annual forecast for US, holiday retail sales are expected to mark a slight increase (1.5%) to touch up to $1,152 billion. E-commerce will occupy a big chunk of the sales, as more and more people find online shopping a safer and more convenient option. It is believed that retail sales could gain from a drastic drop in spending on Covid-sensitive services like outdoor dining and travel.

Christmas Trend

Shopping Trends

PwC’s 2020 US Holiday Outlook states that 61% of the shoppers that were surveyed showed a preference towards online shopping. Nothing is traditional about the upcoming Christmas, and that in itself is inspiring people to find the traditional in the most unconventional of circumstances.

Wellness, safety and moral values will be a focus, even when people are enthusiastic about shopping. People are expected to choose brands with an ethical stand that matches their beliefs, with a preference for products that give back to the society.

Furthermore, considering the tight budgets and distancing regulations this year, people are expected to spread out their holiday shopping. Where earlier, Black Friday and last moment-shopping used to see the biggest sales, this year it might not be the case. Shopping might start as early as October and move well into January. Deloitte anticipates e-commerce sales to see a jump of nearly 35% as compared to the previous year in US.

Gifting Trends

Gifts are essential during any festival and are likely to be a huge part of retail sales. Morning Consult survey in US said 35% of respondents are likely to set a budget of $100 and $300 for holiday gifts. Nearly 20% of those surveyed said they expected to spend more than $500 on gifts.

Letterbox Gifts

Simply said, these are gifts that will fit into your letterbox. Considering how difficult in-person exchange of gifts is going to be with the pandemic finding a second wind, this could be a great option. From a box of cookies, to pamper kits, the options are as endless as the gift-wrapping options out there.

This year, we will see a more back-to-basic gifting style, but with a twist. Chocolates, sweets, apparel, electronics and the likes will be demand. Décor items like lamps, different styled lights, digital photo frames as well as digital gifts like coupons to online stores or streaming subscriptions will also be popular.

Personalization

With the global pandemic affecting millions physically and mentally, everyone needs a pick-me-up to distract them from the bleak scenario around them. In such times a smart, personalized gift could be the perfect option. Something as simple as a monogrammed diary, or a personalized tee could be a great gift.

Now more than ever, there is a need to put more thought into how and what we are gifting our family and friends. Try and make sure that the gift you are giving is relevant and functional to the individual receiving it. Functionality has become as important as aesthetics, and add to it a touch of personalization and you a winning gift on your hands.

Wellness

We are living in times of a global pandemic, the whole world is focusing on ensuring that they are staying healthy and happy. Try cobbling together a wellness kit. It could be something as simple as a bottle of scented sanitizer, some comfortable masks, along with some books and/or the subscription of any one of the many OTT platforms.

The idea with the wellness kit is not just to ensure that your near and dear ones stay safe physically but that they are also taking care of their mental health. If you would have gifted a spa treatment at one point of time, how about sending a home-spa kit instead this year? It is these little thoughtfully picked items that would ensure that you are showcasing your concern and care towards the receiver.

Keep it Sustainable

One of the most important, and not so surprising, trends that emerged in 2020, is sustainable gifting. Boxes made from recycled paper, greeting cards made from the same, repurposed boxes, DIY gifting options, eco-friendly cutlery, or even home plants are just some of the sustainable gifting options that are in trend these days.

Christmas historically produces a mountain of waste and single-use plastic is at the top of the heap. More and more people are now becoming conscious about the importance of avoiding the use of plastic and environmentally detrimental products in gifting, something that is going to stand humanity in good stead moving forward.

Empathetic Corporate Gifting

As empathy takes a front seat, personalized and customized gifts will continue to be a priority. With most companies shifting employees to work from home, corporate gifting will also be big. Corporate gifts will be aimed at boosting employee morale and building interpersonal relationships.

Some of the options are budget-friendly themed hampers and things that families can enjoy together like games and sweets. Electronic items and desk essentials will be seen as great gifts for employees and clients as they are functional products that have high-recall value.

At Hue, having created festive gifting solutions for hundreds of our customers, we understand the importance of the right gift. You can check out our wide range of merchandise and customization services here, or simply write to us with any requests that you might have.