The Psychology of Corporate Gifting

The Psychology of Corporate Gifting

The Psychology of Corporate Gifting: An insightful look into why we give and how we feel when we receive.

Call it corporate gifting, biz gifts, or merch, we know the time of year is at hand when giving seems timely. While here at Gift Hounds, Inc., we personally feel that “every day is a holiday”, we also know how traditional gift giving during the next few months can really end the year right.

We have been in the business of corporate gifting for over twenty years and we have definitely learned what works and what doesn’t. The truth is there is not a one-gift-fits-all answer. When companies and individuals need one gift or a few, we think gifthounds.com is a great place to look. We also think that when rolling out holiday gifts, event gifts or an ongoing gifting program, go all-in. Give it more than a few minutes of thought. All-in doesn’t mean you have to spend outside of your gifting budget, but rather to us it means to take the time to collaborate with us to curate gifts that speak to your brand.
Seasoned clinical counselor Leor Ram told BizBash, that the so-called father of psychology Sigmund Freud might say, corporate gifts are “manifestations of ‘love and work,’”. At its core, “the humble swag bag emerges as a masterstroke of strategy, blending marketing savvy with psychological acumen,” Ram said, noting that it’s also a “token of appreciation that forges an emotional bond while subtly promoting a corporate message. This blend of gratitude and utility triggers a dopamine rush, creating a positive, subconscious brand association in the recipient’s mind.”

Think about your company — as it was originally developed, as it is now, and what it will be in the months and years to come. Consider the desired brand loyalty you are shooting for, the added client base, and the workplace environment you have in the works. Let gifting be one more thing that adds value to all that you are doing. We have narrowed holiday gifting into a handful of points that are tried and true.

  1. TRADITION. We have seen this over and over again. It absolutely works for some organizations, where their feedback from their clients is, “We look so forward to this [fill in the blank] every year. We all fight over who gets what.” We also know many organizations are looking to change up their gifting each year, but the “tradition” of giving is what they stand by.
  2. CUSTOMIZE IT. Every once in a while, we hear someone reply with, “We just pick up a few gifts from Costco each year.” Now don’t get us wrong, we all love Costco, but we don’t love off-the-shelf gifting. Trust us – your clients know when thought was put into your gift curation/selection. We have been customizing gifts since our inception and our experts will ask all the right questions to make sure YOUR gift matches YOUR brand and YOUR client demographic.
  3. SURPRISE & DELIGHT. Some companies feel it is important to have their gifts delivered to their clients in December. Some tell us of their worries that their gift will get lost in the mix of other gifts that seem to flood businesses just before Christmas. We have two answers to that. One – consider giving at Thanksgiving as a way of saying, “We’re grateful for our association with you…”. Or take that same idea to the new year as a way of saying, “We are excited for another year of a great partnership with you…”. Two – if December gifting is still for you, let’s make sure your gift stands out and is memorable. Again, trust us. We know just how to do just that.
  4. THOUGHTFULNESS WINS. Just do it. More important than worrying about exactness and brand identity and the client expectations, is making sure you take advantage of that giving spirit. Don’t put it off, or make it such a big task in your mind that you end up not doing anything. Your recipients care more about knowing you thought of them, than about the nitty-gritty details of it all. Also, if time permits, personalized gift messages are a surefire way to let them know this was anything but a last-minute thought.

We love gifting. It’s true and we can’t deny it. It’s our love language. We especially love the starter conversations we get to have about the goals and purpose of gifting for whatever company we are working with. Once we know the WHY, we learn about the WHO and we come back with all the WHATS you could ask for. Start with a stopover at gifthounds.com to learn what best next steps will get you to your gifting goals. 



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