Giving someone a pen or a mug is not the only meaning of gifts. This is a subdued message wrapped in ribbons and bow ties, a handshake masquerading as a keepsake. Incorporating corporate gifts with company logo into your brand plan calls for some creativity as well. Slap-dash logo placement? That marks last season. Just a little intentionality? Here we are now discussing value.
Let’s focus on the brass tacks: selecting the appropriate good. Not every gift calls for your brand, and most definitely not the same logo splatter. See beyond cliches. The Promotional Products Association International reports that 63% of consumers actually hang onto promotional items for more than a year. That tote bag or desk organizer could surpass several Instagram trends. But only if the product is beneficial will this happen.
Next on schedule is logo placement. What is the traditional dead-center mug stamp? Sometimes good, while usually demanding originality. Why not emboss a little, elegant emblem on the sleeve of a fleece or tuck it close to a back zipper? One can find far greater appeal in subtlety. Big and loud works during trade exhibitions, certainly, but for luxury gifts, more subdued insignia say “thoughtful, not “walking billboard.”
Selecting colors packs a lot of power. On a bamboo cheese board or an aluminum water bottle, the teal brand blue would look great, but on a website? If the colors clash with the backdrop, logos might become garish or lost. Trick: always have a proof or sample. Surprising ways in which different materials grab color abound. On cloth, what looks crisp on paper can blur or bleed.
Take scale into account. Create a too small logo and it vanishes. Too big and it rules, crowding out the delight of the present itself. Try to reach the sweet spot—that which is seen clearly but not the only thing others see. Imagine a coworker rolling their eyes as they pick up that branded thermos at an early meeting.
Your anchor is your brand rules. Match typefaces, icons, and taglines you use elsewhere with your presentation. One coffee cup at a time, you develop brand memory this way. Still, avoid monotony by boxing yourself. Test within your stylebook. A tone-on- tone logo on luxury leather items, for instance, might be subtly elegant and strong.
Context changes everything. The recipient is whomever? Workers, customers, conference attendees—you guys While a Yeti tumbler with your logo could satisfy employees on fieldwork, a senior executive who values simplicity will fall short. Audience perceptions can make a “okay” gift unforgettable.
