We pulled some data from last year’s holiday sales and came up with a list to get your wheels turning on corporate gifts!

10. Watches -
Even though a lot of people use their cell phones to check the time, watches are still a popular gift.  Our casual watches are popular because they are mostly unisex. We also have Callaway, Fossil, and Swiss Army.

9. Gift Tins -
I love cinnamon popcorn!  We have gift tins that come with cookies, nuts, or popcorn.

8. Picture Frames -
People enjoy putting a picture of their loved ones on their desk. What’s even better is putting multiple pictures of loved ones.  We have digital picture frames!

7. Wine Gifts -
Bottle stoppers to wine carriers, wine gifts are a hot item this season and last.

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Golf events are a great opportunity for businesses to increase brand exposure and goodwill. Golf events can range from local golf tournaments to corporate outings or benefit events. Businesses can sponsor an event by supplying golf equipment and essentials or by providing corporate gifts and prizes. Logos and promotional messages imprinted on items such as golf balls, visors and towels let all participants identify the stakeholders of the event. Absorbent, Ink. offers an extensive collection of golf products, from basic golf tees to high-end golf bags.

Promotional Products: Customized, factory-direct Golf Balls are great gifts for large benefit events. Golf Tees and Golf Ball Markers are small items that go the distance – brand logos will be spotted all throughout the golf course. Send a big message with a basic item such as an Umbrella. It’s a practical item that limits sun exposure but increases brand exposure.

Corporate Gifts: Personalized Golf Clubs and Executive Putter Kits are savvy gifts that are sure to create buzz at a corporate outing or fundraiser event. Custom Sport Watches are a popular item ideal for clients or employees. It’s great for businesses wishing to leave a lasting impression at golf events.

Drinkware: Sport Bottles, or Can and Bottle Coolers are fun promotional items perfect for any sporting event. Sponsors can personalize drinkware products to reach both golfers and spectators.

With top companies spending billions of dollars advertising to prospective clients, customer acquisition appears to be the most important objective at these businesses. However, a business’ most valuable consumers are often its current customers.

Here are five tools that businesses can use to follow up with customers:

1. Start simple with a Thank You card. Businesses that don’t send Thank You cards are usually facing time constraints. Thank You cards send a positive message, especially if they are hand-written. Although this does take time, a thoughtful Thank You card can separate your business from the competition (especially if they’re too busy to send one!)

2. Similar to Thank You cards, postcards are another way to follow up with your customers through the mail. An added benefit of using postcards is that they can deliver a variety of messages. Postcards can serve as reminders, congratulatory messages, holiday greetings or marketing fodder. Keep the message informative and fun, but not overly promotional. Imprinting a brand logo on the postcard is a sufficient reminder to the customer.

3. “Leave Behinds” are simply promotional products given to customers after a client meeting or sales transaction to show a business’ appreciation and leave a lasting impression. The product essentially follows the customer to their home or workplace and serves as a reminder tool.

4. Use corporate gifts to build customer loyalty while increasing your brand’s value. Corporate gifts are a popular use of high-end promotional products. Start by gathering a list of your top clients. It could be a large or small group depending on your budget. Keep in mind that the goal of corporate gifts is to add value to a brand and its relationship with the consumer, so choosing a high quality gift in lower quantities is more effective than a high quantity of products with lower value. Corporate gifts are a great way to keep your business at the top of clients’ minds.

5. A strategy to communicate with customers after a sale is to collect feedback. Follow-up a sale with a phone call or e-mail that surveys the customer’s experience and satisfaction with the product or service. This is a strategy that has two-way benefits. Not only will customers feel empowered with the opportunity to voice their opinion, but businesses can greatly benefit from the information gathered. Just remember to keep the survey short and simple.

When implementing these CRM strategies, it is important for businesses to keep two key ideas in mind. First, personalization helps cut through the clutter. A direct mail piece addressed to “Our Valued Customer” defeats the purpose of CRM. Imprinting a brand logo or message onto a promotional product makes the gift more personal. Personalization reduces the generic feel that plagues most marketing campaigns. Secondly, a loyal customer is a business’ best salesperson. Customers who are satisfied with their relationship with a business are a doorway to new sales leads. In other words, investing in customer retention also leads to customer acquisition.

Keep the winter blues at bay

The holiday season is an extremely difficult time for anyone. According to therapist Joe Kort, “After the holiday season is over, many people suffer from depression. The fast pace to get presents, visit with family, send out cards and get school and work business done keeps the depression at bay. However, returning to work and school, dealing with the family issues which surfaced over the holidays and facing the winter blues can be very depressing.”

When the after-holiday doldrums set in, what is a manager to do? How can you motivate your employees to keep up the good work that they did all year long? Here are a few great ideas for your company to keep productivity up and the post-holiday doldrums down:

1. Candy gifts
After the holidays, everyone begins to miss the treats they received just a few days ago. Candy gifts are a great motivator and comfort to a worker who needs a little pick-me-up in the middle of the day. It is a small token of your company’s appreciation and can convince the employee that you care, even after the holidays.

2. Hand sanitizers and soaps
The period during and directly after the holidays is prime cold and flu territory. Keep your employees healthy by giving them hand sanitizers and soaps. Your employees will appreciate the gesture and the disease prevention.

3. Relaxation products
From bath salts to massagers, relaxation products are a great way to help your employees get through those post-holiday blues unscathed. Not only are they ideal after the relatives leave town, but they are a treat after a long day at the office. Relaxation products will be a reminder that the company cares about their mental health.

4. Yo-yos
It may sound silly, but a yo-yo is a timeless and ageless gift that your employee will enjoy for a long time. It is a great tool while brainstorming because it keeps the employee’s hands busy and eases the pressure exuded by deadlines. Yo-yos are a great break time accessory and an easyway to boost morale.

5. Ceramic mugs
The smell of freshly brewed coffee is always a great pick-me-up, but when coupled with a brand new ceramic mug, the effect is doubled because it is also aesthetically pleasing.

Pep talks are great for motivating employees, but they only go so far. A small gift can be a fantastic way to motivate and cheer up your employees. Let your employees know that you are thinking of them, even after the holidays have ended.

A couple of days ago the president of Absorbent, Ink. talked to Small Business Trends Radio about how to get the most out of giving gifts to clients. They were nice enough to post the interview on their website.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Hello. I am planning a holiday party for my office this year. I want to give attendees gifts for the occasion. Do you have any suggestions? Also, what could I do to promote the party? I do not know if I should make it holiday neutral or not. Thanks, Olive

Hello Olive,

Thanks for your question! Ah, the holiday party season. Fun, yet a bit stressful when you do not know what to give your employees and when you want to remain PC. I do, however, have a few suggestions that can help you in your planning process.

I will start by giving you suggestions about how to decide on a party theme. It is difficult to convey an all encompassing holiday theme with so many religious celebrations in one season. To avoid hurting any feelings or annoying anyone, you can go one to two ways:

1) Include all holidays in the party theme. Have a Christmas tree, Menorah, Kwanza lights and snowmen. This way, no one can complain; you have covered the holidays and have even included the non-religious snowman. The only downside to this is that the party decorations may look a bit cluttered.

2) Don’t include any holiday items and just use holiday colors. Luckily, red, green, blue, white, silver and gold all look nice together. You can then decorate with snowflakes. Basically, you are throwing a winter themed party before the New Year.

For both of these parties, you could use imprinted balloons, napkins, plates and glasses with holiday messages, like “Happy Holidays,” “Happy New Year” or “Seasons Greetings.”

As for a holiday gift for the office, consider giving something simple. For example, serve champagne or other beverages in glasses with an imprinted message, like, “Holiday Office Party 2007: A Night to Celebrate.” This is a simple and memorable gift that can be reused.

If you would like to get any of these items for your office party, contact our client services at 866-618-3471. They would be happy to help you figure out pricing, shipping and imprints. I hope these suggestions have helped take some of the stress out of your party planning.

Thanks,
Abby Ink
Editor’s note: Abby Ink is our resident Promotional Products Professional. She answers all questions and requests for ideas via email and selects some for publishing in this regular column on the blog. You can ask Abby a question using this form.

Oh, the cubicle–a staple element of corporate America. For many, it may be difficult to “think outside the box” when you’re stuck in one. That wasn’t the case for cartoon man Scott Adams, creator of the well-known Dilbert comic character. Flooded with e-mails from discontented cubicle denizens, Adams saw the ‘ultimate’ product opportunity. He teamed up with IDEO, a design firm headquartered in San Francisco to create Dilbert’s Ultimate Cubicle.

“Ultimate” just might be an understatement. The fundamental elements of the Ultimate Cubicle are these square pieces called modules. The design and functionality of these modules can be customized by the cubicle dweller. The personalization goes beyond choosing a favorite color. Modules snap right into the walls or floor and the various features seem limitless. A live fish tank module can be installed into the cubicle, and if you need an extra seat for a guest, pull out a chair — right from the wall. If you’re known for having a cluttered desk, floor storage modules that allow you to store stuff, stuff and more stuff pull open from the ground and push right back down to a smooth walking surface. Maybe it’s food that you’re trying to hide from your co-workers. A pop-up cooler will do just the trick.

No word yet on whether the Ultimate Cubicle will go into production, but it’s a bright idea that’s likely to wow any office worker. Until the opportunity arises to pitch to your employees or ask your boss about adorning the office with Ultimate Cubicles, consider these corporate gifts and desk accessories to fill the void inside your cubicles.

Personalized Digital Photo Frames

Mouse Pads

Technology Pens