Government Business

There is no better time of year or context to receive a gift than during Christmas. People are at their most receptive to receiving and most businesses and organisations use this as an opportunity to thank, reward, reinforce loyalty and create goodwill after the year’s hard work.
    
The power of the Christmas gift is that people remember what they receive, even more so if extra effort and thought is being put into what is being given. In an age where organisations can have their own personalised branded scent of perfume produced for their staff, this is just one example of how gifts are becoming more sophisticated and competitive. Christmas also presents marketers ideal opportunities to pull out all promotional stops. Public sector organisations need to give something of real value, with ‘staying power’ that will not be passed onto someone else, but rather a gift that is retained, utilised and appreciated.
    
Organisations giving away Christmas presents must take note that these gifts not only reflect their image and message, but instil a lasting impression on how they are viewed. Attention needs to be paid to selecting gifts that are synonymous with this and the message they are pervading, yet have real value to the recipient – this is the key challenge when it comes to Christmas gifts.

Quality leads the way
Consider this: quality and lifestyle are two themes proving to be increasingly important when it comes to merchandise and promotions, especially at Christmas time. In the BPMA’s London Business School Research, one FMCG buyer commented that she has changed her strategy to more of a CRM approach and favoured bespoke products that were attractive to niche groups. Also, when asked “what are your key considerations when purchasing goods?”, suppliers consistently ranked quality as the highest consideration and value for money as the second highest consideration.
    
The next key considerations when purchasing goods were appropriateness for target and innovation, followed by brand relevance, reliability and right timing. People no longer want disposable products. Lifestyle related promotions are the new buzz concept. Imagine a picnic basket or rucksack, packed with a £10 bottle of wine with special china and an embossed company logo on a leather strap, or even something simple and inexpensive such as a quality branded corkscrew. Luxury voucher experiences for spas or massage treatments or possibly a pair of mini binoculars for Wimbledon. These are all items that will be valued, enjoyed and retained.
    
Staff Christmas parties also present numerous possibilities where everyone will need to leave with something, whether the top prize, or for simply being there. This will surely influence how people remember their Christmas party to a large degree.

Variety is the word
Beyond gifts, vouchers are assuming an increasing important role when it comes to giving and receiving. They offer flexibility for the recipient to purchase exactly what they please. Travel vouchers, upmarket store vouchers, luxury treatment vouchers are taking an increasing role in gifts for Christmas. All of these vouchers can be branded for clients and suppliers and even individuals.
    
This is just an example among many advances in the wide variety of mediums in which organisations and businesses choose to give praise and thanks at Christmas time.
    
In terms of the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) we’ve worked out that between our 650 member companies, you will be able to find or source every conceivable product that you would in a hotel suite, top class restaurant or department store, ranging from bath robes to chocolates and toiletries, champagne glasses, branded pepper grinders to themed shopping bags.

How to source
If you want to select the most suitable promotional/gift company, we urge you to approach the BPMA for guidance, but in the meantime here are a few tips to take note of when dealing with a promotional goods company:

• Ensure you have a precise brief in good detail.
• Have a shortlist of the most suitable companies to approach and look out for the BPMA member logo (Best to go through an organisation such as the BPMA, see website: www.bpma.co.uk which provides interactive means of sourcing company/product information).
• Make sure you have the most relevant sales person as your primary contact.
• Communication is key to success of any order. A good sourcing company or manufacturer will always stay in touch with the client every step of the way, keeping them on track with the status of the order. Over communication is always better than under communcation. Bargain products from China or the Far East are no good if they’ve missed your Christmas deadline.
• A company that is responsive in every way will always be a winning bet for future orders.