No matter how small they can be, corporate gifts are important since they represent your company, your brand. Therefore, it's just appropriate that you give them a second thought. Be unique and do away with the usual corporate gift ideas! Whether you’re a CEO of a top company or a small business owner, here are some gifts that your employees, clients, and other business associates are probably tired of receiving:
- Pen. Seriously, you can do better than that! Most likely, your employees, clients, or business associates already own a pen or even more. They don't need another pen even with your company's name on it or even if it's customized to have their name engraved on it! Pens are a basic tool everyone in the corporate world must have. Giving one, no matter how you customize it, only shows you’re not ready to write history by doing something more creative.
- Stationery. The world has too many papers already! Not to mention, many trees have already been cut to produce these papers. Do you really need to add to the already terrible carbon footprint? Notebooks, notepads, and sticky notes can be easily bought from any office supply store. There's no way they can be considered as unique corporate gifts with them. Yes, even with your company's logo on them.
- Bag. Do you really think that your clients and employees would love to carry a bag that doesn’t go with their fashion style? Although bags are useful, not everyone loves to receive a generic black body bag.
- Mug. Every household no doubt has enough dinnerware. Adding a mug to your employees' or clients' collection can only considered as clutter. Most likely, they already have their own favorite mug that they use every day, so why bother?
- Calendar. Most often than that, each person in the office already received enough calendars from their supermarkets, restaurants, and other establishments. Is giving out calendars a kind of competition among businesses?
- Gift certificates. Okay, gift certificates can be pretty useful to some people. But they can get lame because of the expiration date. Also, some gift certificates have terms and conditions that may not be favorable to some recipients. Most often than not, these corporate gifts are left unused. What a waste.
- Food basket. Wow, everyone in the office will be so excited to get their hands on this especially if it contains the most generic items they probably have in their homes. Giving away food baskets give an impression that the recipient is too broke to do their own grocery shopping.
- Flowers. Oh please, why will you give something that will be thrown away after a few days? Flowers will never be considered as unique corporate gifts so just stop giving them already!