Premiums (aka corporate gifts), can bring so many advantages – when selected with great care of course. When it comes to finding the right premiums for your target market, unfortunately, it’s not just the thought that counts. You have to pay attention to the little details and conjure up some awesome gifts that will make a lasting impact and demonstrate to your clients, corporate partners, and event attendees that you understand them. After all, if they are to hire your services of buy your products, they’re going to need to feel total confidence in your ability to serve them. What better a way of building that confidence than with a thoughtful – yet irrefutably awesome gift?!
In this article, we’re going to take you through some tips to help you choose the ideal premiums for your audience. Again, it’s not enough to simply select some fancy gifts and hope for the best. There’s so much more to it than that. Here’s everything you need to know…
1 – Opt for premiums that you’d like to be on the receiving end of
One of the best tests for determining as to whether or not your target audience will appreciate your premium gifts is how you feel about them. Do you suspect that its perhaps a little too cheesy? Cheap? Overly promotional fluff? If so, then there’s a chance that your prospects will feel the same way.
This isn’t always necessarily the case, as your target market might not share the same tastes as you as an individual, however, you must appreciate the product at the very least – and understand the connection. If it’s not to your liking, it better be an exceptional quality product that will resonate with your audience.
2 – Think carefully about what you are trying to achieve with the premiums
You must always have a reason to be giving away free gifts – and this reason can help you determine what premiums will be best to give away.
For example: if your primary goal is to build brand recognition, then you should choose something that is not only associated with your business to as to help strengthen the connection in the minds of your audience, but it should also be something that will have a long lifecycle and potential reach.
3 – Recognise that the most powerful premiums are gifts that can be used daily (or often)
In order to maximise the potential reach and overall effectiveness of your premiums, you must consider how often the recipients will be likely to use the gifts. Take coffee mugs as an example: most people who receive free, branded coffee mugs will keep them for 10+ years – making them an excellent and affordable marketing tool. That’s not to say that mugs make excellent corporate gifts, but it should give you an idea as to how the practicality and longevity of an item can influence its overall reach.
4 – Construct a typical client profile
Gifting premiums to clients is a form of marketing and should be treated as such. Just as you would construct an audience profile for your online ads campaigns, you should adopt a similar approach with gifting premiums.
What does your typical corporate client look like? How old are they? What are their tastes? What do they do for a living? Compile as much data as you can and conjure up a clear image as to what your ideal audience looks like, and then use this information to influence your decision making when selecting the ideal premiums for them.
For example: if your typical client is an older professional, perhaps an entrepreneur, then gifting them a superior quality, branded fountain pen or stationary set would likely be well received. Younger, tech-savvy developers on the other hand would be much more receptive to USB desk gadgets, perhaps.
Understanding who your target market is, is an essentiality in this process.
5 – Create a realistic budget plan
Put together a realistic budget and try to stick to it. Don’t skimp off and go for the cheapest possible option, otherwise you’ll be wasting your time. But, in the same breath, you should avoid going overboard. Find the right balance of cost, quality, longevity and reach.
6 – Be mindful of cultural etiquette
Particularly when branching into a foreign market, be mindful of cultural etiquette and the differences between yours and that of your audience.
For example, when choosing corporate gifts in Thailand, one must be aware of items that are considered as bringing bad luck:
- Gifts wrapped in blue, green or black are inappropriate as those colours are reserved for mourning.
- An expensive watch might sound like an amazing corporate gift in most countries, but in certain cultures like Thailand and China it symbolises bad luck and suggests that if and when the clock eventually stops, your professional relationship should end as well.
In truth, you likely wouldn’t offend anybody as they would understand that not everyone is up to date with their cultural differences. However, doing your research and sharing premiums that are considered thoughtful gifts that bring good luck can certainly go a long way to demonstrating your dedication to understanding those you do business with.
Bonus tips when choosing corporate premiums
Once you’ve settled on the ideal corporate premiums, there are other considerations to be aware of regarding the manufacturing process, such as:
- Be tasteful with branding: in other words, don’t overdo it. Just as you must ensure that your logo is high quality and positively reflects your brand, you also want to make sure that you don’t ‘over brand’ an item so as to discourage a recipient from wanting to use it all too often. Be tasteful and find the right balance.
- Deliver quality: make sure you find a designer and manufacturer that will ensure that your premiums are of the highest quality, using superior materials and ensuring that they don’t break easily.
Want to learn more about gifting premiums and how it can benefit your business?
If you’d like to explore premiums further, then please do not hesitate to contact us today. One of our friendly experts will gladly answer any questions you might have and offer a free consultation on the various product types that we offer and how they can be used to your benefit.
