Each year, at holiday time, both big and little companies wonder how to spread holiday cheer, and recognize their customers. Many want to acknowledge the importance of their relationships. Marketing committees, business partners, advisors, and team members put their heads together, rack their brains, and try to come up with the best ways to show gratitude for their client’s work, and to nurture on-going relationships. They’re all looking for the best way to send the message of appreciation in a way that is appropriate and timely. Your company, like ours is, may be searching for your own perfect way to say thank you.
Many companies send holiday cards, and while this is traditional, comes at the end of the year, and is reflective of years past when every business did this, now days, cards don’t stand out in the extra volume of holiday greetings. Sending a “We love our customers” card for Valentine’s Day would get a lot more attention. In fact, almost anything sent out, or presented in person, out of season, will get remembered. There’s a certain power that goes with keeping in touch all year round.
While there’s nothing wrong with recognizing all customers in the same way, there are always advantages to showing individualized attention, especially for your best clients. Being unique in what’s given to each of the best client’s, sets your company apart from all the others. I, personally, don’t want to get one more coffee mug with a logo on it…I have my own. Neither do I want another logo’d key chain or umbrella. Thanks very much…I’d rather you sent a donation to a local United Way or some other good charitable organization and let me know about it. It doesn’t even have to be “in my name”. Actually, if the client sits on the board of directors of a non-profit, charitable organization, all the better to arrange a gift to that group. In my humble opinion, holiday (or other time of year) gifting doesn’t have to include marketing tools. The receiver will remember exactly what they got, without the company logo on it…and they just might use it more. If your company has a glut of logo’d candy jars…at least include some fine chocolates in the presentation, and if there’s coffee mugs involved at gift time, try filling them with small packages of herbal tea, fine coffee, or apple cider. Perhaps combine the mug with a nice coaster to protect the desk top it will most likely sit on. Those in our industry that do sublimation can create personalized coasters…with the logo of the company you are gifting.
