Criteria considered for corporate gifts selection

It is quite often seen that the companies make use of different useful products for achieving their marketing objectives. These products are given to people who are crucial for the business. These could be suppliers of materials, employees, customers and other stakeholders. These products are usually those which can fulfill some need of the people. So, it can be t shirts, promotional mugs, stainless steel drinking water bottles, enviro bags and many other corporate gifts items.

Naturally, making a choice from among these plethoras of products is not easy. There is a lot of thought that needs to be given by the management for deciding on which of these products shall be chosen for promotional purposes. There might be several well laid out criteria for facilitating this selection. What could be these likely criteria?

1. Clear identification of the people to whom the gifts are to be given: Who are the people to whom you would be giving these products? Whether it is the customers who come to your store or the employees? You might also decide to give different gift items to different set of stakeholders. For example, you might select the enviro bags to be given to the customers in order to underline your commitment to the environment friendly products and protecting the environment. But, for the employees, you might opt for water bottles which can find use in their homes and can be used by everyone.
2. Clear identification of the needs of various target groups: What is it that your employees want most? Is it the t shirts for themselves or the drinking water bottles for their families? Similarly, careful need-analysis shall be done by the management for each of the identified target groups to arrive at a product which can provide utmost satisfaction to the employees.
3. Uniform or differentiated approach: What is the best approach that can be adopted for giving out these corporate gifts? Do you think that all shall be treated alike and given the same gift items? Or, shall there be a differentiated approach which can be adopted for giving out different products to different stakeholders? Since there are likely to be adverse and positive fallouts of the actions that are taken either way, it is important that these are discussed threadbare so that the risks of discontent can be minimized.
4. Affordable: Certainly, there are well delineated budgetary limits in which these have to be taken. The affordability criteria might not affect the choice as such but it can definitely make the companies order for some changes in the shape, sizes, designs, prints or embroidery done on these products. For example, the coffee cups can be printed with minimal designs.
5. What is to be achieved through the corporate gifts? Profit making bodies never miss out on the chance to get their brand image developed on these products. But, it may not always be for promotion of their brand that these products are used. It could even be for spreading awareness about some concern. So, the objective to be achieved shall be clear.