Archive for June, 2009
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
The current economic climate means companies more than ever before are feeling the pressure to re-evaluate expenditure and cut costs and overheads where they can. Whilst reducing employee benefits might be seen as a quick fix, the reality is that in the long term it’s a false economy.
Employees are the lifeblood of any organisation and looking after them and rewarding them is therefore crucial to enable any company or organisation to thrive. This is especially important during times of uncertainty and change, and employee benefits are one tangible way employers can show they care.
A good employer should want to look after their staff and reward them. As a result employees feel valued by the investment made in them and are more motivated to give their best. The health and future success of all organisations depends on its employees – so looking after them should be a top priority.
Using corporate gifts to reward and motivate staff is a tried and tested promotional tool; encouraging motivation and building loyalty. Of course, in times like these it’s hard to resist the temptation to cut back on business incentives, but corporate gifts can provide returns for in excess of their relatively low cost; a budget of £5, £10 or £20 spent on each member of staff will create much more then £20’s worth of increased productivity, increased morale and increased loyalty.
The Corporate Gifts Company has over 500 desirable and high perceived value premium incentives. Here is a selection of our best selling items:
1. Pocket Notebook & Pen
2. Promotional Memo Pad
3. Chrome Puzzle Globe
4. Star Desk Award Paperweight
5. Silver Plated Classic City Business Card Holder
6. Georgian Travel Alarm Clock
7. Spinning Keyring
8. Sterling Silver Photoframe
9. Executive 4GB Silver Plated USB Flash Drive
10. Floating Desk Pen
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902 to see how The Corporate Gifts Co can add value to your premium incentives and staff motivation.
Tags: Corporate Business Card Holder, Corporate Chrome Puzzle Globe, Corporate Floating Desk Pen, corporate gift, corporate gifts, COrporate Keyring, Corporate Notebook and Pen, Corporate Paperweight, Corporate Photoframe, Corporate Silver Plated USB Flash Drive, Corporate Travel Alarm Clock, Promotional Memo Pad
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Monday, June 29th, 2009
The UK offers a rich diversity of venues for those lucky enough to be tasked with organising a meeting, conference, or corporate business event. In the UK, there are around 3,500 different venues to choose from: city centre or airport hotels, country house hotels, purpose-built conference centres, management training centres, college and university venues, and the various unusual and themed venues which range from tourist attractions to stately homes to theme parks, sports stadia, steam trains, and even a lighthouse or two. While over half of all venues are hotels, a significant and growing proportion are comprised of other types of venue (see chart below).
• Academic venues (9%)
• Conference and training centres (6%)
• Hotels (53%)
• Multi-purpose venues (12%)
• Purpose built convention and exhibition centres (2%)
In addition to the impressive array of venues, the UK has a number of other strengths in terms of its conference facilities and services. For example, the creativity and professionalism event management agencies and event production companies in the UK, probably the best in the world, its wonderful heritage and culture, the beauty and variety of its natural environment – all within a small geographical area, the English language – now the accepted world business language for many conferences worldwide, and the rapidly growing output of graduates in conference and event management and business tourism from over 50 UK universities.
Corporate gifts and premium incentives are an essential part of the marketing mix when organising a successful conference. The Corporate Gifts Company specialise in premium incentives for the conference market; from desk items, pens and business cards holders, to premium leather, keyrings and sterling silver corporate gifts.
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902
Tags: Corporate Business Cards Holders, Corporate Desk Items, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Keyrings, Corporate Pens, Corporate Premium Leather, Corporate Sterling Silver Gifts
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Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Marketing budgets are traditionally the first thing to be cut by businesses in a recession – which perhaps goes some way to explaining why so go bust. In challenging times, it’s even more important to maintain good communication with your customers. This is the time your marketing can be more targeted and successful. Your competitors may be cutting their marketing agent, the bolder companies can take this opportunity to stand out, get noticed and win new customers.
Before embarking on a marketing project, it should be part of a wider, long-term strategy to be properly effective. It’s essential to have a strategy that co-ordinates activity, continuously identifies customer need and sets in place measurable outcomes.
It is understood to costs five times more to win a customer than it does to keep an existing one so, looking after your client base is essential.
The key to good marketing in a recession is to measure constantly. Companies should be developing targeted messages and offers for sections of their customer base that they know from experience will respond well.
Targeted corporate gifts have been shown to be extremely cost effective. The Corporate Gifts Company has almost 20 years of experience in providing business gifts and promotional items that, when used effectively, are highly targeted and measurable. Our state of the art computer diamond engraving can add value to your corporate gift with an engraved logo, promotional message or even individual names or initials can be added at very little extra cost. We can also print and emboss leather – our new range of premium leather can be engraved, printed or embossed.
So the message is; don’t’ forget to market your company (it can be a false economy) and look for cost effective ways to promote your organisation.
Ask our expert sales team today on: 0845 430 2902 how to make corporate gifts and promotional items work for your company.
Tags: business gift, Business Gifts, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Leather Gifts, promotional items
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Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
It’s the little luxuries that keep us going in the credit crunch, according to the lipstick index, a financial barometer used to gauge consumer confidence. It shows that despite dwindling budgets, women continue to spend on affordable luxuries like lipstick.
Since the credit crunch began, reports have shown that sales of designer lipsticks from prestige brands such as Chanel, Lancôme and Estée Lauder have risen by over 20%. An Estée Lauder spokesman commented: “We’ve learned from the index that lipstick offers an easy pick-me-up at an otherwise dreary time”.
So what does this mean if you’re considering whether to spend your valuable marketing budget on corporate gifts or promotional items. Well, we think that in these economically challenged times, staff and customers will appreciate a well chosen luxury corporate gift with a high perceived value to add a little luxury into what is obviously a challenging work environment. So here are our top 10 luxury business incentives with the highest perceived value for the best value for money:
1. Aluminium Oval Compact Mirror – Perfect to put in your handbag.
2. Star Trophy Award – Ideal to express recognition.
3. Star Desk Award Paperweight – Perfect to be a veritable star at work.
4. Cufflinks – perfect for an elegant shirt – great as a personal gift.
5. Silver Plated New Yorker Business Card Holder – perfect to keep those business cards in pristine condition.
6. Silver Plated Carmen Lipstick Case – An elegant and sophisticated way to tidy up your lipstick.
7. Silver Plated Zepplin Atomiser – Practical and chic product.
8. Silver Plated Crystal Jewellery Box – Very stylish with crystals – ideal to put your jewelleries.
9. Silver Plated Crystal Dice Keyring – Very original and chic keyring.
10. Sterling Silver Heart Charm Toggle Bracelet – A tiffany styled sterling silver heart charm bracelet – very chic and elegant.
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902 to see The Corporate Gifts Co’s beautiful range of luxuries products.
Tags: Corporate Atomiser, Corporate Awards, Corporate Business Card Holder, Corporate Crystal Dice Keyring, Corporate Crystal Jewellery Box, Corporate Cufflinks, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Lipstick Case, Corporate Mirror, Corporate Paperweight, Corporate Sterling Silver Heart Charm Toggle Bracelet
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Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
The first impression is decisive. Indeed, just one glance inside any office is enough to draw conclusions about the office inhabitant’s personality. Whether the desk is covered in mountains of paper or pens are neatly tidied away neatly in the designer pen pot, whether the windows are decorated with flowers and plants or the walls are painted in cold and sterile colours, or whether the wall calendar sports Grand Prix racing cars or recipes and diets – every bit of evidence speaks for itself.
People personalise everything, especially the room they work in – they individualise and customize it and establish their own personality. The office furnishings and these impressions also send out signals to customers and visitors are lasting and can affect long term relationships.
Office accessories and desk items are therefore not only useful, but also lifestyle objects. This makes their advertising potential doubly important. They are used frequently, so the advertising message is constantly in the customer’s field of vision. Also, office accessories emotionally upgrade messages in the same way that the recipient upgrades his office. Of course the promotional product should be appropriate and desirable.
The Corporate Gifts Company’s versatile, design-oriented range of promotional desk items and office accessories means that the right product can be found to meet all tastes and budgets.
Here are some great desk and office items from The Corporate Gifts Co:
• Silver Plated Lunar Post It Holder – Very practical and stylish desk memo pad.
• Silver Plated Boomerang Letter Opener – Ideal to open letter with style.
• Silver Plated Classic Letter Opener – Very stylish and design letter opener.
• Chrome Puzzle Globe – Very original promotional award.
• Silver Plated Star Desk Award Paperweight – Beautiful design to make your desk more attractive.
• Silver Plated Galileo Desk Pad – Perfect item for incorporate your promotional message or logo.
• Silver Plated Star Trophy Award – Perfect to express recognition.
• Cube Puzzle Paperweight Award – Innovative and unusual item.
• Stellar Calculator – Made with solid metal matt silver, this calculator would be perfect for your desk.
• Silver Plated Weather Station – With these three functions: clock, thermometer, and hygrometer, this product is perfect to put on your desk.
• Silver Plated World Timer – Work out the time around the world.
• Decision Maker Pen Stand – Innovative and very ingenious product.
• City Desk Set – Always useful and practical item – modern design.
• Sterling Silver Paperweight – Simple Silver Paperweight – ideal to incorporate your promotional message or logo.
• Silver Plated Shark Letter Opener – With an original design – perfect for your office.
• Sterling Silver Letter Opener – Very practical and elegant item.
• Memo Pad – Practical and cost effective product.
Visit our website: http://www.corporate-gifts-co.com/ to see The Corporate Gifts Co’s beautiful range of promotional desk and office items.
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902.
Tags: Corporate Boomerang Letter Opener, Corporate Calculator, Corporate Chrome Puzzle Globe, Corporate City Desk Set, Corporate Classic Letter Opener, Corporate Cube Puzzle Paperweight Award, Corporate Decision Maker Pen Stand, Corporate Desk and Office Items, Corporate Galileo Desk Pad, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Lunar Post It Holder, Corporate Memo Pad, Corporate Silver Plated Shark Letter Opener, Corporate Silver Plated Star Desk Award Paperweight, Corporate Star Trophy Award, Corporate Sterling Silver Letter Opener, Corporate Sterling Silver Paperweight, Corporate Tower Pen Pot, Corporate Weather Station, Corporate World Timer
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Monday, June 22nd, 2009
Photo frame sales have never been so good. Far from photos being stored electronically and subsequently forgotten about, more people than ever want to display them in beautiful photoframes to celebrate a host of special occasions (and special people) in their lives. This is true on the high street and also in the business to business sector.
A few years ago, who would have thought that the evolution of digital photography would have had such a big impact on the photo frame market? With a quick “click” of a mobile phone or camera, everyone can take great photos, with every event or special occasion caught on camera (digitally now, of course).
So interest in photographs and photography has been boosted by the advent of the digital camera, and made all the more accessible.
Photoframes are a great corporate gift or promotional desk item. Logos can be displayed discreetly and it will stay visible on the desk or at home indefinitely – promotional golddust!
But where photoframes are really popular is when they are used in conjunction with corporate events and conferences. The digital age allows a group photograph or action shot of the event to be taken, printed and then presented to the participants later that day in a beautiful silver plated photo frame that has been engraved with the corporate logo or promotional message.
The Corporate Gifts Company has a beautiful range of photo frames such as;
• Silver Plated Classic Single Frame – A very elegant way to frame your photo – classical style.
• Black Single Frame – Modern and innovate perfect for beautify your favourite photos. Engrave through the black coating to expose the silver finish underneath – very effective.
• Sterling Silver Photoframe – Beautiful mini double photo frame in sterling silver – ideal for any sort of desk.
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902 to see The Corporate Gifts Co’s range of ideal photo frames for your corporate events.
Tags: Corporate Black Single Frame, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Photo Frames, Corporate Silver Plated Classic Single Frame, Corporate Sterling Silver Photoframe
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Thursday, June 18th, 2009
The best managed companies and organisations will keep staff morale high during the economic downturn by capturing hearts and minds. There are seven core actions that will help companies achieve this motivation nirvana:
• Communicate Direction – provide clarity of strategy – use good communication to make sure your staff know where they’re going and give them the confidence that the leadership in the company are in place.
• Instil trust and confidence in your most committed and focused employees – who will also provide confidence for other employees.
• Address core concerns – communicate to each individual what’s expected of them, how they should behave and what they need to achieve.
• Put staff in positions suited to their particular skills and ambitions – give them time and support to succeed.
• Act quickly – inactivity creates a vacuum, leaving your staff worried and unfortunately free to draw their own (often incorrect) conclusions.
• Keep investing in R&D – innovation is even more important now in the credit crunch than ever before.
• Reward positive behaviour – it’s important that when staff perform and are adding value to the organisation that this is recognised and communicated throughout the company. This will reinforce good practice and motivate other staff.
Introduce a reward or motivation scheme, or recognise staff with individual awards.
The Corporate Gifts Co can supply single engraved items, awards and plaques for recognition or general promotional gifts for schemes or programmes.
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902
Tags: Corporate Awards, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Plaques, Corporate Single Engraved Items, promotional gift, Promotional Gifts
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Networking – it must rival “liaise” as one of the most irritating business buzz words. Although the world itself might be enough to send a cold shiver down your spine, networking is all about promoting effective communication.
Organised events can have a real impact on winning new customers, building partnerships and gaining inspiration for innovate ways to grow your business. Yet there’s still a lot of latent inhibition surrounding the whole concept of networking. Fear of socialising in a business context is much more common that you might think. The underlying challenges people face include shyness, fear of rejection, saying something stupid, wasting time and money and a lack of confidence with senior people and strangers, underpinned by people thinking networking involves selling your products and services. You should network in a style and approach that is right for you. You must feel good about networking or you won’t get the most out of it.
The typical network event revolves around the exchange of business cards, and like shoes (according to my Grandmother) you can tell a lot about a person by their business card. It’s amazing how many business cards are given out dirty and dog-eared.
The Corporate Gifts Co has a great collection of business card case designed to keep your business cards in pristine condition – and you’ll look the part too!
The Corporate Gifts Co Cardcase Collection:
1. CDC01/CH Classic Chrome City Business Card Holder – Modern and elegant promotional card holder.
2. CDC01/SP Silver Plated Classic City Business Card Holder – Classical and simple card holder – perfect to promote your company.
3. CDC02 Silver Plated Amsterdam Business Card Holder – Designer and innovative card holder.
4. CDC04 Silver Plated New Yorker Business Card Holder – Very stylish business card holder.
5. CDC08 Leather Geneva Business Card Holder – In leather and silver plate – product of quality.
8. STG03 Sterling Silver Business Card Holder – Superb executive business card holder in solid silver.
9. CDC10 Detroit Aluminium Business Card Case – Simple and classically designed aluminium business card holder.
10. CDC11 Madrid Aluminium Business Card Case – Stylish and very modern business card holder.
11. CDC12 Barcelona Black Cardcase – Very elegant promotional black business card holder.
You can incorporate your promotional logo or message on these business card holders with a discreet and elegant engraving – perfect to promote your company with class.
Call our sales team today on: 0845 430 2902 to see how The Corporate Gifts Co can add value to your promotional networking.
Tags: Corporate Card Holders, corporate gift, corporate gifts
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Monday, June 15th, 2009
As your business grows and the quality of your marketing becomes increasingly important to your continued expansion, you will inevitably ask yourself how best to organise your marketing functions. Given that marketing spend is often the second largest variable expense after suppliers, the importance of this question cannot be overestimated. When buying a promotional gift, the first thing to consider is what your business’s major challenge is: Distinguishing yourself from the competition? Extending your brand into other markets? Increasing customers’ lifetime value? Lowering the cost of customer acquisition?
Picking a Promotional Gifts Co out of the Yellow Pages is not advisable.
What should you look for when choosing a company to supply your corporate gifts. Well, much the same considerations as when we choose any company to supply your organisation with goods and services. But here are a few tips to help you make the right decision!
• Make Contact – new business is the lifeblood of any company, and if the speed of response is poor, imagine what it will be like once you’ve placed your order.
• Client List and Testimonials – check the website for testimonials; if there aren’t any it doesn’t mean you won’t get good service, but if they are present it should give you a degree of confidence. The Corporate Gifts Co has lots of testimonials which can be found at the bottom of each website page.
• Track Record – The Corporate Gifts Co has 18 years of experience in supplying promotional products and business gifts.
• Stock – is it held on site? In the UK? If not it could mean problems down the line. The Corporate Gifts Co holds stock on site.
• Branding – Is it done on site or subcontracted? Again sub-contracting such an integral part of the service means the company is not in total control. The Corporate Gifts Co has a dedicated branding department so we control the whole process.
• Accreditation: The Corporate Gifts Co is ISO9001 accredited, has been awarded Investors in People, and are members of BAGDA, Promota, and the Giftware Association. Also check out our CSR policy.
When you use Corporate Gifts to communicate with your customers your brand reputation is on the line. Choose The Corporate Gifts Co to make sure your promotion runs smoothly, on the time and in budget.
Tags: business gift, Business Gifts, corporate gift, corporate gifts, promotional gift, Promotional Gifts, promotional products
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Friday, June 12th, 2009
In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility has moved out of many organisation’s “discretionary spend” and into the Boardroom as issues such as sustainability, climate change and resource conservation have come to the fore in civil society.
Those organisations which have embedded CSR into their business strategies and operational practices won’t be changing the way they view CSR. Britain is one of the more advanced countries in terms of CSR and the last 10 years has seen significant standardisation of “responsibility”
Just as importantly, organisations are waking up to the economic value corporate responsibility can deliver.
Most organisations are now still at the stage of being consciously aware of their “responsibility” efforts. Moving forward, the emphasis in CSR is around partnerships, with technologies such as web 2.0 enabling many more stakeholders to be involved in creating and driving sustainable businesses.
Companies should focus on creating corporate sustainability that will be delivered by responsible practice throughout the organisation.
CSR is now so ingrained in corporate culture that it’s now far-removed from the bolt-on of 10-15 years ago.
One of the keys for CSR’s sustainability is that the business case is now easier to sell. CSR can shape policies and activities throughout the supply chain to cut costs and increase profits without damaging reputation or responsibility.
Far from pulling the plug on CSR, the economic downturn is putting “responsibility” at the forefront of the business agenda.
The Corporate Gifts Company is fully committed to Corporate Social Responsibility. Check out our CSR policy.
Tags: corporate gift, corporate gifts
Posted in Corporate Gifts Advice and Help | 1 Comment »
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