Archive for August, 2009
Friday, August 28th, 2009
Christmas is coming Notebook and pen
Cone wine stopper
Champagne stopper
Carriage clock
Deco clock
City desk set
Puzzle globe
Handbag mirror
5 x7 photo frame
In these very uncertain times, there is still one thing we know for certain; Christmas will be here again on the 25th December! And whilst this has certainly not been a year to write home about, there will be still many companies sending (and receiving) corporate gifts this yuletide. The promotions market is, of course, much more sophisticated than a hamper or bottle of Bells at Christmas, nevertheless, Christmas is still the busiest time of the year with last minute decisions and turnarounds at break-neck speed.
Companies still want to recognise customers and staff at the end of the year by showing their appreciation and loyalty for the past and ushering in hope of prosperity in the New Year. Business gifts at Christmas are also a favourite for winning new customers too.
If chosen carefully, a desirable and appropriate promotional item branded with your logo will stay in the mind and on the desk long into the New Year.
The Corporate Gifts Company specialise in silver plated and leather items perfect for yuletide marketing and sales promotion. Our stock is held on site and carried out in –house so that we can achieve those impossible turn around times needed in the run up to the big day.
Be careful not to buy a cheap “stocking filler” promo give-away that will be discarded with the junk mail (so often a false economy that rarely delivers the desired results) but choose a truly memorable and desirable silver plated or leather gift. We offer some fantastic packaging options to compliment our gift box available as standard. All you need to do now is choose. Here are our ten top selling Christmas executive incentives (in no particular order.)
Tags: business gift, Business Gifts, Carriage Clock, Champagne Stopper, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, executive incentives, gift box, gifts company, Handbag Mirror, packaging, promotion, promotions, sales promotion
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Thursday, August 27th, 2009
The 4 M’s
The renowned business school Cranfield School of Management extoles the virtues of running a business. And like any business mantra for improvement, it has a catchy phrase to get you hooked; “the Four M’s.”
So what is it all about?
ME
Articulate your personal goals and focus your business so that it is aligned with those goals. Take time on your business rather than in it, and make sure the business is not too reliant on you day to day.
MANAGEMENT
Your management team is key to your success. Allocate enough of your own time to coach your team; delegate real responsibility to your key personnel and work on your team’s dynamic to ensure effective performance.
MARKETS
“Stick to the knitting”. Sell more of the some type of stuff to more of the same type of customers. Profile your ideal customer for existing product and find more of them.
MONEY
Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity. Concentrate on profit, rather than turnover. Maintain margin and beware of discounting. Cash is king (especially in this economic downturn).so look after cash–flow.
So how does your business measure up to the “Four M’s”? for more information, check out the Cranfield BGP programme.
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Thursday, August 27th, 2009
The carrot or the stick- the age old question when it comes to staff motivation. In the 21st Century we like to think we’re a little more enlightened – no dark satanic mills for us, no sir. In a job market where the employee is king (well, until the recession came along, that is) it’s been all carrot and no stick.
And whilst the economic downturn may well have “redressed” the balance somewhat, the future is still orange! And it’s not all about money, other factors such as job security (very topical) and career developments are big winners. So what are the key issues to consider?
WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE COMPANY?
It’s very easy to get caught up with what works for the employee. Any scheme or incentive must be aligned with business goals and objectives. As with Investors in People, training incentives must have bottom line benefits for the company.
CREATE OWNERSHIP
Get your team involved up front. Buy in will come from involvement and that will effectively drive performance. Listen to what really motivates them and centre on that and that will effectively drive performance. Listen to what really motivates them and centre on that, especially for goal hungry sales staff.
BE COMPETITIVE
Check out the competition and make sure your scheme is up to scratch. Otherwise …..
MEASURE
If it can be measured, it can be managed. Staff will respond better to specific, measurable targets. Build in those KPI’s (key performance indicators).
EVALUATE
Don’t cast anything in stone; test, evaluate, review and develop. Failing schemes can be de-motivating and may see staff walk.
REWARD AND RECOGNISE
Finally, don’t forget to make individual or team achievements public and visible.
The Corporate Gifts Company has loads of great ideas to help your motivation scheme along. Staff will be highly motivated by awards, plaques, corporate jewellery such as lapel badges, or a well chosen gift to say thank you such as sterling business card case.
Tags: award, Branding, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, engraving, gifts company, incentive schemes, plaques
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Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
There are many parallels between business and sport; goal orientated, staying ahead of the game, focus, training, individual achievements, working as a team. It’s not unusual for retired sports stars to become business coaches as the skill sets are so seamlessly transferred to the corporate arena.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
As a leader you have to set an example. By showing a strong work ethic you will reap the rewards and have a positive effect on the people around you. Just like in sport the more you put in, the more you will get out, and the more likely you are to succeed. And like a rower training at 6am in the dead of winter, sometimes businesses can be cold and lonely places and seem a long way from your ultimate goal.
TAKE SMALL STEPS
Keep you and your staff motivated by breaking down your “big hairy goals” into little bite size chunks; short term targets. This is a tried and tested technique for athletes training towards a goal that can be daunting and seem unachievable.
TEAM WORK
Trust is key in high performing teams. Like in football, each individual on the team has to trust each other so that they can perform well and win together as a team and it also applies for business. A great team can pull together and compensate for possible weaknesses in some areas. Make sure everyone knows their roles and understands them.
TRUST YOUR LEADER
Both businesses and sports teams need strong leadership, but also total faith in their leaders throughout of the team. There will always be disagreements but for the dynamic to work everyone must trust the leader’s judgement.
Tags: little bit
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
PR can be an invaluable part of the marketing mix or it can or it can be a complete waste of everyone’s time and money. So what are the things to look out for when considering PR for your company?
• Agency or in–house?
Cost is the biggest consideration when deciding whether to outsource your PR. Most PR agencies charge a monthly retainer and you’ll need a hefty budget if you want a good agency delivering relevant results. So if you have the budget, a good agency can offer a level of experience and influence difficult to rival in- house, although the focus and commitment from a dedicated employee is hard to match. You pays your money and you makes your choice.
• What to look for
Outsource or in house what sort of person or team are you looking for? Knowledge and affinity for your brand or company is essential. A willingness to research thoroughly (both your company and titles and journalists) is also very important in the digital age it’s not just enough to rely on just traditional mediums – PR must know now encompass online media channels also.
• Strategy
Make sure you discover the angle behind your story or business, without it no-one will be interested. A human angle is usually more powerful than simple product
related pieces
Used effectively, with either the right agency or staff, PR will be a powerful addition to your marketing arsenal.
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Friday, August 21st, 2009
Make your promotion special
Promotional campaigns come in all shapes and sizes. Quantities, target audience etc all vary; from hundreds of thousands of plastic pens at a few pence as give–aways, to a prestigious item for heads of state. When budgets are squeezed like now, there is always awareness that a “special” corporate gift for selected customers or staff can have a bigger impact and can be more cost effective than adapting a scattergun approach that is so often prevalent when times are better and budgets are more liberal. If you allocate the same budget but purchase fewer items coupled with a targeted approach, your promotional campaign can be cost effective with greater results
Segmentation of your database is key. You can slice your pie any number of ways (dependant on your goals and targets along with your particular market) from top spenders to key decision makers, or from most profitable customers to lapsed customers. Good data, of course, is essential, and put good use a series of highly targeted campaigns to defined customer groups will always be better than a blanket campaign to your whole database.
The Corporate Gifts Company
specialise in high – end business gifts and executive incentives ideal for targeted promotions. Engraving individual names onto a corporate gift such as a desk item adds little cost will have a huge impact. So, the next campaign you plan, try to segment into customer groups with different messages and choose your corporate gifts accordingly.
Make your promotion special
Tags: Branding, business gift, Business Gifts, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, Cost Effective, engraving, executive incentives, gifts company, promotion, promotional campaigns, promotions
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Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Back to school bounce!
Anyone working in marketing and businesses that support and supply it will all testify that many companies (if not all!) have been holding back on their marketing activity in 2009. Let’s face it, you’re not going to get sacked if you under spent on your marketing budget this year!
Come September, however, with a full 16 weeks to boost sales before the end of the year, will we see an increase in activity and a release of pent up demand? Have our attitudes to marketing spend been curbed forever (or at least a very long time) or will under-used budgets get used up? I know which one my fingers are crossed for! It’s hard to imagine, as things stand, any growth in 2009, and even the most optimistic out there would surely predict nothing more than modest growth in 2010.
Ultimately this impacts an marketing activity; if potential return is not there, why spend precious budget chasing low ROI?
Sales promotion is a sophisticated market in the UK and a lot less dependent on Christmas sales than it was a couple of decades ago, so perhaps any pick up in activity will be less evident anyway. At The Corporate Gifts Company, we’ve seen a “back to school” bounce in every one of our 18 years in business and we’re sure it will happen this year, but at what level; who knows. What does anyone else think out there?
Whatever happens, The Corporate Gifts will be here to supply high end executive incentives and business gifts.
You know where we are.
Tags: business gift, Business Gifts, corporate gift, corporate gifts
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
Fashion and fads in the recession.
There are some things that are recession proof such as food – we’ve all got to eat, of course. But for the majority of industries and businesses, the recession will have some adverse effects (some more than others). Right at the sharp end of these effects, however, are things that are subject to fashion, fads and crazes. In a recession, this year’s model is likely to fast become fodder for the scrap heap as quickly as you can say, “Quantitive Easing”.
Think of all the momentum built up behind eco–friendly and ethically sourced products; whilst we all still share the ideals that made this 2008’s hot topic, it’s rather slipped down the pecking order of our concerns as more immediate financial concerns and more pressing. And what about organic food – are huge growth area and a retail star in recent years? According to recent data, sales have taken a battering.
Imagine, then, how real fashion or fad items have fared now consumers are tightening their belts; fashion accessories, high tech gadgets, etc.
Sales promotion, too, has been hit hard. What holds up in recessionary times in sales promotion (as well as other markets) is tried and tested products, especially those with a classic style and high perceived value. Not only does it say; safe, it also feeds the desire and for a little bit luxury (much needed in hard times).
The Corporate Gifts Company specialise in premium incentives, particulary silver plated and sterling silver gifts diamond engraved with your corporate logo or promotional message.
Our products are classic with a timeless style; a reliable corporate gift solution with just the right amount of luxury and wow factor.
Tags: corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, fashion, gifts company, little bit, premium incentives, promotion, sales promotion
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Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
RECRUITMENT
Let’s start at the very beginning. Building a great team starts with recruitment. Have a clear idea what type of attitude you ideally want from your staff – most skills can be taught, getting the right attitude is a very different matter.
BALANCE
Like a good football team, it’s not all about outstanding individuals, but more a balance of complimentary strengths and skills. Have a look at www.belbin.com for different team roles and how to identify who should be doing what.
MOTIVATION
It’s not always about money, especially in a recession, job security is vital, but so is a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities. From this transparent and cohesive team situation, you can build motivation and incentive programmes that will be able to drive performance and deliver results. Don’t forget, corporate gifts can be extremely cost effective and play an important part in staff motivation.
FEEDBACK
Let people know when they are not performing, but more importantly tell them when they’re doing well. Good teams are self policing - staff don’t want to let each other down and sub-standard performance is quickly identified and stubbed out
OPPORTUNITIES
Provide clear and achievable career opportunities – keep them interested and striving for the next level.
Tags: corporate gift, corporate gifts
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Thursday, August 13th, 2009
Trust is very topical this year at home and abroad whether it’s the MP’s expenses or who really won the election in Iran. In a recent report by the Bar Standards Board, not surprisingly policians and estate agents polled as the least trusted profession with journalist not far behind. Among those most trusted were lawyers (perhaps surprising) and accountants.
Buying online is a far more common place now than even a couple of years ago, but not a week goes by without some scam or other being reported. So trust is a big issue when buying from a website, and if you’re sourcing corporate gifts or promotional items, then there’s enough wrong to worry about with hitting deadlines, getting branding right, and quality issues, without worrying about whether you can trust the website.
Here are some reasons why you can trust The Corporate Gifts Company
1) we’ve been supplying promotional items since 1991
2) we have been ISO9000 accredited for over 10 years (the international quality standard)
3) we’ve been members of the BPMA for more than 10 years
4) we hold the Investors in People standard
5) we have thousands of the satisfied customers – check out our testimonials
6) stock is held in our warehouse and branding is done in house so we’re always in control
And furthermore our friendly and professional staff will always be on hand to answer any queries and will keep you informed throughout your order every step of the way. You can trust The Corporate Gifts Company with your promotional gift requirements – call today on 0845430 2902
Tags: Branding, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, gifts company, promotion, promotional gift, promotional item, promotional items, testimonial
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