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

Eliminate Office Clutter with These Company Gifts

Whereas most national holidays afford you the opportunity to enjoy a day away from the office, today, National Clean Off Your Desk Day is an ideal time to go to work and get organized. You can start by sorting through any documents sitting on your desk and making piles of what to keep on your desk, what to put into a file folder and tuck away temporarily, and what can be tossed. Next, clear the smattering of pens, pencils, scissors, and paper clips; multi-functional desk organizers are ideal company gifts to keep these items orderly and within reach. And, these company gifts will help employees get organized now so that they won’t have much to do by the time Spring-cleaning rolls around.

Company Gifts for a Greener New Year

Constant advances and inventions in technology and mass production over the past few decades have greatly influenced consumer behavior. And while these advances certainly bring about a lot of positive changes such as faster, more accurate medical information and increased business efficiency, it is also no secret that energy consumption has grown over the past decade. In fact, this year many Americans even cited "practicing environmentally-friendly lifestyles" as their New Year’s Resolutions. You can help employees to reach their resolutions, as well as improve the planet, with a wide variety of company gifts. Company gifts such as take bamboo picture frames less energy to make and recycled journals and jotters allow you to give Eco-friendly company gifts without sacrificing form or functionality.

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

Give the Company Gift of Relaxation

Along with setting fitness goals for themselves, most Americans resolve that they will set aside more personal time every day. During this time, they hope to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life by doing something that they enjoy, whether that be reading a good book, doing a challenging crossword puzzle, or simply lying on the couch and watching television. Whatever activities your clients and employees prefer, you can select corresponding company gifts to help them relax. For example, give headphones as company gifts to employees who like to work out and a new pen to puzzle-doers. Or, consider giving soothing items such as pamper kits or incense for company gifts that all recipients will surely appreciate.

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

Fitness Accessories make Great Company Gifts

Each winter, millions of Americans across the country swear to get in shape. In fact, joining a gym and becoming "fit" rank among the most common goals set each January. However, by the end of the month few people are still working hard to achieve their resolution. When asked why they quit working towards their goals, the top reason respondents gave was that they did not have the proper tools. While it might be too costly to subsidize gym memberships as company gifts, there are affordable company gifts you can give employees to help them reach their fitness goals. From pedometers and hiking accessories to Pilates starter sets and yoga mats, fitness company gifts fit every individual’s work out regimen.

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

Company Gifts for the New Year

The start of a new year brings with it the promise of a clean slate. Whatever goals you have for yourself, this is the year that you are going to make them stick! So why not distribute company gifts that will help clients and employees to do the same? For the rest of the week, this blog will be dedicated to a series about American’s top New Year’s resolutions and the best company gifts you can give to encourage these goals. To kick off the topic, let’s discuss company gifts for one of the top resolutions: to save money. Employees and clients alike will appreciate custom office accessories that will help them organize old receipts, make a budget and reduce spending.

Maintain Seasonal Spirit with Company Gifts

The holiday lights are down and the Christmas tree might be gone by now, but delicious leftovers and cold weather remain to keep us in the seasonal mood. In fact, the cold weather offers an ideal opportunity to give company gifts and maintain the holiday spirit. If you work at a company that does not permit employees to use space heaters in the office, consider creative company gifts that will keep employees cozy this winter. Company gifts such as custom blankets not only keep employees warm, they also encourage employees to remain motivated during the long stretch between the holidays and the arrival of warmer weather.