The Ultimate Holiday Swag Cheat Sheet: Planning Holiday Gifts for Employees and Clients
Getting your holiday plans together for your employee and client gifts is essential. It’s a strategic approach that ensures you can access the best corporate gift options, allows time for customization, and minimizes stress for both gift givers and recipients.
Although we’re just officially entering the Fall season, it’s already the peak time for planning your holiday gifts for employees, customers, and prospects! Ideally, you should contact your CreativeMC Brand Stylist before October 15th to ensure that your corporate gifts arrive on time, avoiding the stress of last-minute design, production, or shipping delays. Browse our checklist of key things to consider in making your plans below or download a copy to print out.
1. Define your timeline
☑ Determine your target delivery date for your holiday gifts.
☑ Count back 1-2 months from the delivery date to set your target window for order approval.
☑ If your gifts will be shipped abroad, add 1-2 weeks to your timeline.
☑ For custom packaging or gift sets that require kitting, add 2 weeks (see #5).
☑ Consider internal review and approval processes.
☑ Talk to your Brand Stylist to ensure your timeline is feasible. There are variables she will know to account for.
2. Build your budget and gift list
☑ Is your budget fixed or will it be driven by gift costs? Either way, your Brand Stylist can help you calculate it.
☑ Make a list of your recipients divided into categories like employees, clients, prospects, partners, and vendors. Note whether you have shipping addresses.
☑ Identify price points for each category. If you don't know a specific dollar amount, label each low, medium, or high.
☑ Allocate about 15-20% of your budget for shipping. With international recipients, you will need more. Ask your CreativeMC rep for guidance!
3. Create a gift concept
☑ What brand statement do you want to make with each group of recipients? Examples: wow factor, trendsetter, appreciation.
☑ Do you select a single gift item or a multi-part custom gift set? Consider how this choice impacts gift kitting and shipping.
☑ Ask your CreativeMC Brand Stylist to pull together the perfect concept(s) and brainstorm with your internal team.
Selecting a thoughtful corporate gift for the holidays is the perfect way to show your appreciation and gratitude for the people who have contributed to your business's success throughout the year, including your colleagues, customers, and partners.
4. Browse, select, and decorate
☑ Use our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide to select a few options in your price range(s) and ask your Brand Stylist to order samples. Share with your colleagues to make the final call.
☑ For international recipients, ask your rep about cost-effective options to buy products through our team in Europe.
☑ Decide the approach to brand decoration: do you want an understated, classic look and logo placement or a larger, splashy look?
5. Make a gift wrapping and distribution plan
☑ Decide how customized you want your packaging to be, from the box to tissue paper, gift wrap, ribbon, stickers, printed cards, handwritten notes, glitter, and more!
☑ Reserve your dates for CreativeMC's distribution team to seamlessly kit your gifts, from assembly to packaging and shipping.
☑ Take collecting shipping addresses off your TO DO list. With our virtual pop-up shop, your gift list directly selects apparel sizes and securely provides shipping addresses. Your first pop-up is on us - ask your rep for more info!
☑ Make a shipping plan that includes leeway for holiday shipping delays. Take advantage of our volume discounts with FedEx or use your own account.
With the help of CreativeMC, you can leverage volume discounts on large orders for use after the holidays and our flat fee storage rates mean no pick fees and no extras.
Holiday gifts are a thoughtful way to show your employees and clients that you value their contributions and relationships. It acknowledges their hard work, loyalty, and support.
SUMMARY:
- Early Holiday gift planning for employees and clients is a strategic approach that ensures you can access the best corporate gift options, allows time for customization, and minimizes stress for both gift givers and recipients.
- Ideally, you should contact your CreativeMC Brand Stylist before October 15th to ensure that your corporate gifts arrive on time, avoiding the stress of last-minute design, production, or shipping delays.
- Key points for planning:
1. Define your timeline
2. Build your budget
3. Create a gift concept
4. Browse, select, and decorate
5. Make a packaging, fulfillment, and distribution plan
- Holiday gifts help to acknowledge the hard work, loyalty, and support of employees and clients.
