Mark Yokoyama is the Director of Marketing and Merchandising at ePromos and joined the company in early 2004. He oversees online and offline marketing and public relations programs, the ePromos online catalog and supplier relations.
The holiday season is the perfect time to show your customers how much you care about them. A well-planned holiday gift program enhances your long-term relationship with customers, sets you apart from the competition, and continues to have a lasting effect even after the holidays are over. Your first decision is whether you want to give relationship gifts to your top customers, give holiday gifts as a marketing promotion, or do both.
Relationship Gifts: These gifts show your top clients that you recognize and appreciate their role in making your business what it is today. While choosing the right gift is more important than how much you spend, a typical budget can allocate up to 1-2% of the net profit you made from the client. Once you have a recipient list and a budget it’s time to start thinking about what gifts well generate the best outcomes with clients. Here are some general guidelines:
- Since you have a personal relationship with these clients, personalized gifts are ideal.
- Holiday gifts are a unique opportunity to bring your brand into the home of your best and largest clients, improving your brand recognition and word of mouth advertising. Consider gifts they will use outside the office, such as wine sets or golf accessories.
- Selecting a brand-name gift is one way of insuring a high perceived value.
- If your budget is tight, make the thought count: find something unusual, or something that relates to your line of business in a creative way.
Gifts as Holiday Marketing: Distributing small holiday gifts is the ideal way to reach out to a dynamic set of clients in a timely and cost-efficient manner. While these gifts aren't going to be as expensive as those you give to your top clients, getting the highest perceived value for your budget is important. When selecting an item, keep both of your primary goals in mind: thanking the customer, and maintaining or increasing brand awareness. Consider these options:
- Pick desktop items to reinforce your brand in the place where your clients make buying decisions.
- Think about how you'll be distributing them. If you're mailing, pick something will minimize your postage costs. If your sales staff are dropping them off in person, order early so they have time to do so.
- Have fun with a tight budget: games and toys can provide entertainment value at low price points.
- Food gifts are a good choice when you're sending something to an office rather than an individual.
Enhancing Your Gift: Ensuring proper packaging is an inexpensive way to maximize the perceived value of your gift, and including a card signed by your staff is all but mandatory. Offering a gift set and other accessories to your gift are also ways to increase the impact of your holiday gift program. Here are some tips:
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