Company Gifts Allow your Brand to Travel the World

As I traveled to and from the great city of New York this week, I couldn’t help but take notice of all the travel accessories and company gifts that I saw around the airport and on the subway. From custom travel pillows to personalized blankets and headphones, these company gifts were everywhere, but by far the most popular items I saw were custom bags. These custom bags came in a variety of different sizes, shapes, colors and even materials, yet all were imprinted with company names and logos. Bags make great giveaways for businesses in any industry because not only are they functional items, but they can also be customized to fit any budget. There is a wide assortment of custom bags and other accessories from which to choose, ranging from complete customized luggage sets to small cinch packs that recipients can use to hold their carry-on items and all are equally effective ways to promote a brand.

Travel accessories are great company gifts because they provide exposure for your company anywhere that recipient’s travel. Recipients appreciate receiving functional items such as travel-sized containers for liquids and are incredibly likely to use these company gifts for years to come. In fact, one of my favorite new products is a practical yet incredibly sassy luggage tag that will surely catch the attention of all travelers. With message such as “Let me guess, you’re not from around here,” these company gifts help recipients to identify their luggage while helping other vacationers to recognize your company name and logo!

No More Company Gifts in the Health Care Industry?

This past week, New York Gov. David Paterson announced that he hopes to limit the amount and type of company gifts that pharmaceutical companies would be allowed to distribute to health care workers. If he succeeds, New York will be the tenth state to impose such a restriction. The uproar over gift giving in the health care industry stems from studies suggesting that company gifts persuade doctors to prescribe medications from those distributors more frequently than pills from other brands.

However, this claim may be hard to prove as company gifts and health care have gone hand in hand for many years. Every time I go to the doctor’s office I see promotional items ranging from a custom wall clock to the imprinted pen and notepad that the doctor uses to write down my medical history, and I can’t imagine how my experience would be different without these products. In fact, some of Paterson’s detractors argue that the presence of these imprinted company gifts leads patients to inquire about medications that they would not otherwise know to ask about. Furthermore, they say, the Food and Drug Administration reviews all promotional material for accuracy before distribution.

People on both sides of this argument are very passionate about the issue, and I’m curious to see how it plays out in New York, as well as other states where I’m sure the question will arise. What do you think? Should pharmaceutical companies be allowed to give company gifts to doctors and other health care professionals?

Inspire High Culture with these Company Gifts

Today marks a very important day in many cultural arenas because it marks the birthdays of three people who had major influences on writing, painting and singing, respectively. American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe was born 111 years ago today, French painter Paul Cezanne was born on this date in 1839, and famous American singer Janis Joplin celebrates her 67th birthday today. You can join the festivities by giving company gifts that inspire high culture and artistic endeavors. Give custom journals, notebooks and pens and encourage employees to write whatever comes to mind, or encourage musical enthusiasm with MP3 players or other such company gifts.

Entertain with Classic Company Gifts

Over the weekend, my roommate and I decided to throw a small dinner party for a few of our close friends. As I washed the tomatoes for our appetizer, I noticed her cutting the chicken with a nice knife set and upon further inquiry, I learned that it was a company gift from her boss. From kitchen knives to wine accessories, there are a variety of company gifts for employees who love to entertain that will provide great visibility for your brand. You can also pass along this recipe, my favorite for bruschetta:

Ingredients (makes 2 cups)
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon dried basil
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized serving bowl and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled for best enjoyment!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Bruschetta-Ever/Detail.aspx

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloggyboulga/ / CC BY 2.0

Company Gifts for Super Bowl Sunday

In past blog posts I have suggested a variety of items that make great company gifts for your clients and employees who love to play sports. But now, with Super Bowl Sunday quickly approaching, it is time to consider company gifts for people who are die-hard football fans, even if they don’t play the sport themselves. Consider giving away plastic mini-footballs to employees and, weather permitting, hold a small competition during lunch the Friday before the big game to get employees pumped and instill some company spirit! Or, you can hold your own Super Bowl party, complete with delicious appetizers served on custom company napkins.

Company Gifts that Fit your Budget

Every few weeks, the folks over at Inc.com release a new series containing ideas for company gifts. These series are well thought out, clearly researched, and are beautifully photographed. However, they often contain pricey electronic gadgets that many companies simply cannot fit into their budgets this year. So, what’s a marketing manager to do? Consider distributing company gifts that complement these electronics, such as computer accessories, headphones for MP3 players or even media storage items to hold new CDs and DVDs. These company gifts allow you to show employees how much you appreciate their hard work, while ensuring that you stick to your marketing resources.

Company Gifts to Honor your Employees

Today marks the birthday of a member of Pinnacle’s marketing department. This is very exciting news, as birthdays are no small feat at our company. When their birthday rolls around, every employee gets to choose his or her favorite flavor of cake for all Pinnacle employees to enjoy. In addition, employees receive cards signed by their co-workers along with a myriad of company gifts. Celebrating employees’ birthdays in this manner helps us to feel that our work here is incredibly valued and keeps us looking forward to coming to work every day (birthday or not!) What company gifts have you given for birthdays?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chidorian/ / CC BY-SA 2.0