Member Article

The C Word – Christmas

The end of the year is fast approaching, which means it’s time to think about how you are going to make your stakeholders feel valued this Christmas. Here Loren Nardini, commercial director of Pro Ad promotional merchandising agency, gives readers an insight into what and why….

“Christmas is a great marketing opportunity. By investing in thoughtful gifts for stakeholders, clients or customers, you can really make your company stand out. And by giving products that are both useful and branded, that tangible item will always remind them of you and your brand.

“That constant reminder of your brand can not only increase sales, it can also improve customer care, brand awareness, and staff loyalty. The BPMA has recently shared that 52% of people will recommend a service, product or goods if they have received a branded item they value. And Christmas is the time to make others feel good, so by making them feel warm about you, they are going to be spreading cheer about you!

“It’s important that you focus on whatever your key messages are, so if environmental impact is important to you, then the gift needs to echo that. Our team are great solution suggesters, so if you are stuck for ideas, they will work closely with you and find the perfect product.

“Some of our team’s favourites this year are:

“Our Branded Bamboo Speaker. Priced between £15 and £25 depending on how many you buy, this mini speaker is rechargeable and will cheer any office up during the festive season with its flashing lights!

“The Natural Relaxing Set in a Cotton Bag is a lovely bag of treats, that any customers will appreciate. Time to chill is so important and if you can give them zen moment, they will be a fan of your company forever.

“The 100% Recycled Ice Scraper is a useful gift at Christmas as the weather chills and if you want something totally customable, then we have a whole range of soft plush toys, socks (who doesn’t love socks in their stocking at Christmas) and accessories.

“We also have gifts that never stops giving, like the incredible Rocket Book, a reusable pad that uploads to your laptop.

“Whatever you choose to give, there are a number of benefits to your company. The first being that you can claim the VAT back on branded gifts, and they can go through the books, coming off your profit. Positive attracts positive, which is why doing good and giving to others spreads the word that you are a generous, altruistic company. You will stand out from competition, create a differentiation, and create word of mouth. It also opens doors for you to cross-sell or upsell!

51% of those taking part in the BPMA research saying that they would continue to be more engaged with the brand who gave them a good piece of merchandising, Christmas is particularly impactful and clearly should have a budget allocated annually.“

If you want to make your Christmas gift stand out from the crowd, don’t leave it any longer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Toms .