Employee Engagement: The Joy of Gift Giving

There’s a saying that “no one ever became poor by giving” because giving an unexpected gift is just as pleasing as receiving one.  Employee Engagement is just one area where gifting can have untold benefits. But where does gifting come from and why does giving and receiving a gift make us feel so special?

Why we love giving gifts

As human beings, we enjoy being sociable, and giving gifts is a way of expressing our emotions to another person. It is as much of a joy to gift someone something you know will bring them joy as it is to receive a gift yourself. Research has shown that giving gifts genuinely makes people feel happy.

These days giving gifts is big business. From birthdays and Christmas to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, there are many opportunities throughout the year to express how we feel about a friend, family member, employee or client.

Step back in time: A brief history of gift giving

It’s thought that gift-giving is one of the oldest traditions in mankind. It dates back to pre-civilization – even cavemen were thought to give gifts to one another. The Egyptians gave gifts to the pharaohs who stored them in their pyramids and by the medieval age, gifts were given as a sign of loyalty to the king. 

Although the nature of these gifts has changed, the sentiment remains the same.

So, what about employee engagement?

The same emotions stand when it comes to gifting anyone, colleagues and team members included. Gifting your team a suite of branded goodies unique to your brand creates a sense they are valued – literally it engages them to do something in return. That cycle of giving and receiving done purposefully can really boost your workforce and improve both employee engagement and morale.

This is proven when we see new starters and even long-standing employees posting their welcome packs and swag bags on Social Media platforms, especially LinkedIn. 

But why do these cool branded water bottles, branded notepads, branded pens, or branded t-shirts have such an impact? Of course, it comes down to what these branded products mean; what stands out is what they represent – a gift from the company.

Branded corporate gift packs

A branded corporate gift pack is a tangible connection to your brand that an employee may not feel without it. With more and more people working from home, a branded pack delivered directly to their home office really makes them feel special, feel engaged, and feel connected to your business.

Branded gifts are a source of recognition and value. Giving your employees something during an induction, on their birthday, or work anniversary is positive reinforcement of your brand and builds trust, making it a great place to work.

Sending corporate gift packs home ensures your brand is in sight in their home office.

Make an impact

Corporate gifts can create a lasting impact on someone’s psyche. Getting a nice gift through the post, or on your desk when you arrive in the morning creates a surge of positive emotion. Known as the ‘endowment effect’, when a person comes into physical contact with something (be it a branded product, or something else) they value it more highly due to a sense of ownership over the item. 

In turn, this influences trust and eventually loyalty – all something I’m sure your business is looking for from their team. After all, recruitment is tough!

Visibility is important too. Branded merchandise your employees will carry will display your brand wherever they go. The number of impressions on branded merchandise is huge. When was the last time someone borrowed your pen and didn’t give it back, for example? Every stolen pen is fresh eyes. Branded merchandise can often last longer than any other advertising medium for this reason.

Good reasons to gift:

In the world of business there are many good reasons to send an appropriate gift as a way of saying thank you:

• Relationships – It helps to build positive relationships with clients and customers
• All ears – The more relevant and personal the gift, the more it shows that you’ve been listening
• Ties that bind – Gifts that involve attending events together are the perfect way to have a fun bond and build relationships with customers
• Nudge, nudge – If it’s someone you haven’t worked with for a while, a gift can be a gentle reminder of your brand and services 

Friends and family ambassadors too?

There is another group of people you can impact if you choose gifts carefully – the family and friends of your employees or customers.

This is big because it gets people talking about your brand.

Think about it; you start a new job; your new employer gives you an onboarding pack of cool merchandise, it’s all beautifully on brand, and it includes items that appeal to family and friends. The next thing is you take them home, chat about it, maybe give something on to a family member – that starts a new conversation that spreads further.

Everyone is a spouse or a parent or a friend of someone and if you want to be talked about, thoughtful gifting is a great way to make your brand the hero of these conversations.

What is the best merchandise for gifting?

You have an enormous choice of thousands of products which is great but sometimes as slightly paralysing because how do you know where to start?

Take our word for it; from long experience, there are a few products you will never go wrong including. Here are a few:

• Water bottles, either plastic sports tops or vacuum bottles are loved
• Bags from a recycled 5oz tote bag to backpacks are a huge opportunity
• Pens like the Prodir Stone pen are very trendy and a little different
• Notebooks are always valued – the Tucson digital edge printed looks great
• The Octopus wheat straw charging lead ensures you’ll charge any device
• The Geotumbler is a lovely insulated hot drink tumbler that’s super-handy

These are products clients keep coming back for that look great, they’re practical, and have environmental or sustainability credentials that will work well for your brand.

The bottom line of gifting

Unique branded merchandise is a great way to build relationships and create brand ambassadors for your business. Don’t underestimate the power of making someone feel special. Build your army of brand ambassadors with thoughtful branded gifts.

Contact our experts to discuss your employee engagement strategy today.