With the holiday season fast-approaching, many companies are getting ready to give holiday gifts to their employees. Employee gifts are a great way to to demonstrate your appreciation and respect for a job well done and are also a surefire way to increase company morale and encourage ambitious performance. What's not to love about happier employees and improved productivity?
When choosing gifts for employees, there are some common questions that pop up quite often. Let's take a look at some of these frequently asked questions and discuss the best answers.
Q: Is it okay to give products that my employees can use at work, or should I steer clear of products like desk accessories and pens?
A: Work-related items are great gifts and you can absolutely use them for your employee gift programs. These types of gifts have long life-spans (I've had the same photo frame on my desk for the last 3 years), and also remind your employee on a daily basis of your gratitude so the impact of your message lasts long after the holidays have past. Yes, there are some products that can get you into trouble - especially if you choose a product that you order regularly to re-stock the office (can we say deluxe #2 pencils and scratch pads?), but as long as you go with a quality product that has a high perceived value, your employees will love it and you will get a great response from the gift.
Q: What are the benefits of choosing brand name items versus non-brand name items for employee gifts?
A: There are pros and cons for each choice. Making the decision between brand name and non-brand name gifts comes down to the intentions and the budget of your gift-giving program.
If you want an item that has a high perceived value, is respected for quality, and allows you to enhance your brand, then going with a branded item for your employee gifts is the right choice. Choosing branded items allows your brand image to "piggyback" on the reputation of a renowned company like Zippo, Swiss Army, or Mrs. Fields. Recipients are more likely to use and appreciate brand name items, especially in instances such as corporate apparel, where brands offer custom fits that recipients love. However, brand name items are typically not for the budget-conscious as they are usually more expensive than their non-branded counterparts. So, if price is not an issue, brand name items are a great way to show your employees your appreciation for their hard work.
On the other hand, there can be benefits to choosing non-brand name gifts as well. First and foremost, purchasing non-brand name products can sometimes get you more bang for the same buck. For example, computer and electronic products with more features or higher capacity or a backpack with more pockets. Likewise, for many products, you may be able to get quality that is identical to name brand counterparts at a lower overall cost.
The bottom line? Do a price versus features comparison, and ask your rep about the quality of the products you're considering. Go for the brand name when you have the budget, go for the non-brand name when that's the way to get the features you want within your budget.
Q. I'm hearing about perceived value everywhere I go, should I be thinking about getting a gift with a high perceived or is it really "the thought that counts?"
A. Here's why perceived value matters: if you can choose a gift with a perceived value that is higher than what you actually paid, everybody wins! Choosing high perceived value gifts means happier recipients and smarter use of your budget.
Although it's important that your employee holiday gifts have high perceived value, this doesn't mean that the thought behind the gift should be ignored. Employees want gifts that show that you care about them, and that you paid attention to their interests and desires during the selection process. Giving something that has a personal touch is a better idea than giving any random gift that seems cool and unique enough. It's all about finding the right balance between value and meaning.
View all of our Employee Holiday gifts... |
| Mission: Recognition! The Newest and Coolest Employee Awards |
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In business, you are always hearing about the importance of your company's biggest investment, your employees. Yet, this huge investment is usually forgotten or neglected every year. According to a 2007 Maritz Poll, only 27% of employees that want to be recognized by their employer, are actually accommodated. That's a huge opportunity to not only make your biggest investment happier, but make them more productive and motivated because they know that their employer cares. The best way to show them this is by implementing an awards program and giving out personalized awards. Plaques and certificates are great, but the image of a promotional award has a long lasting visible impact on the recipient (as well as everyone that views it). Employee recognition is extremely important and is a great way to motivate your workers.
Here are a few of our newest awards to use in your next employee rewards program:
If you have been paying attention to our newsletters all year long you may have noticed that we have been emphasizing the current trend of companies going eco-friendly, awards and recognition shouldn't be any different. A recycled glass paperweight award makes a great eco-award.
Want to recognize your hottest employee? The Lava Glass Award is one of our coolest new awards of 2008. It's a great award to use to recognize an employee of the month.
For a truly unique award the Crystal Cube Award is one of our favorites. The laser engraved 3D design will make your logo pop!
View our selection of school spirit promotions...
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| Upcoming Promotional Event Dates
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Red Ribbon Month
Throughout the month of November, use promotional products to show your company's support for the ongoing fight against illegal drugs in communities nationwide. Red Ribbon Month was originally known as Red Ribbon Week, but organizers and participants agreed that the cause was worthy of a longer period of outreach and education. Your business can join the fight next month by expressing solidarity, raising awareness, and even gathering charitable donations. There are a variety of promotions at your disposal to help you achieve your Red Ribbon Month goals!
The most common promotions seen during Red Ribbon Month are the red ribbons worn by all participants as symbol of unity against drug abuse. Other popular items include awareness bracelets, bumper stickers, and keychains which can all be imprinted with a supportive message of your choosing. Not only are these items great for high-visibility awareness campaigns, but they're also effective fundraising tools as well. However you put your promotional products to use during this event, you'll be doing your part to support a great cause and encourage positive change in the world.
Take a look at our Red Ribbon Month promotional collection today for some more ideas.
Plan ahead and take advantage of the following promotional opportunities. You'll find a wide choice of personalized products as well as pre-decorated items that feature unique messages and slogans to help you celebrate your event.
Want the full list of promotional events? Check out our promotional calendar.
November
December
January 2009
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Picking The Perfect Fleece
Apparel is one of the best-selling categories of promotional gifts. If you'd like to give custom corporate apparel to customers and employees this year, give them something that goes above and beyond the apparel basics. Give them something that's stylish, warm, and comfortable - give them fleece!
Here are some things to think about when choosing fleece apparel gifts.
Long sleeves? Vests? Jackets? - When deciding on a particular apparel type, whether it be a jacket or a vest, consider your employees needs and desires, as well as your budget. With the cold winter months coming up, it makes more sense to give a zip-up fleece jacket than a vest that won't do the job once the temperatures sink. On the other hand, if you're constrained by your gift budget, inexpensive fleece vests are still a handsome gift that generate appreciation and goodwill.
Brand name fleece or non-brand name? - If you'd like to put together a memorable, high-quality gift program, brand-name items from companies like Charles River and Columbia are your best bet. On the other hand, if you need to find budget friendly alternatives for the best brand name apparel items out there, there are some good non-brand name fleece products that get the job done. What impression are you trying to make? Answering that question will solve your "brand or no brand" battle.
How should I imprint my logo? - Laser engraving is a great option for employee gifts. This method creates a visually-appealing imprint that comes across as subtle and sophisticated. Another tasteful option is embroidery. When putting your logo on corporate gifts, be tasteful in order to avoid a gift that employees won't want to wear. Your logo should remain visible without being the overly-imposing centerpiece of the fleece.
Fleece is flexible. There are plenty of options you can play around with to create a totally custom gift program. Think about the message you'd like to send, then tinker with your product selection until you find the perfect match. Happy gifting!
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| 2009 Calendar Countdown |
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While it's easy these days to schedule an appointment on your Blackberry or PDA, calendars are still extremely popular in companies around the world and hold a lot of brand exposure opportunities. Think about it, what better way is there to remind your customers of your company everyday?
MoMA Click Ball Perpetual Calendar - This unique perpetual calendar is truly a work of art. You can easily give this promotional calendar away as a corporate gift.
Norman Rockwell "Motivations" 12 Month Appointment Calendar - This promotional calendar is the perfect way employee incentive gift. With each month having a different inspirational message, you can motivate your employees all tear long.
Seeded Paper Pop-Out Calendar - If you want to promote a green message at your 2009 tradeshows, this promotional seeded calendar is perfect. Made of 100% recycled linen, once you pop out the seeded cards you can replace them with your favorite wallet size photos. Because of its small size it makes the perfect tradeshow giveaway.
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| Promotional-Products-Turned-Contest-Gifts Improve Employee Morale and Increase Productivity at Pelican Products |
Challenge: How to reward employees for a job well done-beyond the typical "employee of the month" awards
Pelican Products, a firm specializing in watertight protective cases, knows that a happy employee is a productive employee. And that's why they instituted an internal contest by which factory workers win points and earn prizes for maintaining certain levels of productivity, enforcing safety procedures and meeting other criteria. But the Pelican staff didn't want to give hum-drum certificates or "employee of the month" awards; they wanted appealing rewards that would make working for Pelican more enjoyable and fun.
Solution: Select hearty, useful outdoor-type products employees want to win
The Pelican team contacted ePromos for help with its rewards strategy, and to help them select the right types of convenient yet functional products for use in their contest rewards program. Because many of Pelican's factories draw employees from small towns, we focused on products that would appeal to hearty blue-collar sensibilities: folding chairs, barbeque gift sets, coolers, urban survival kits and portable grills were just a few of the products that ultimately made the list.
Result: Morale and productivity, up; boredom and monotony, down!
Since instituting its now-quarterly contest, Pelican reports decreases in both its workers compensation and employee turnover. Employees enjoy participating each month; the program helps strengthen bonds between employees and employer while breaking up the monotony typical of factory jobs. Pelican management is pleased with the program and its results-and the proof is that the program continues today and that Pelican continues to choose ePromos for their employee rewards and promotional products.
See more case studies...
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