Archive for the ‘About The Corporate Gifts Company’ Category
Monday, September 28th, 2009
The Corporate Gifts Company are delighted to launch our new website.
The new design features a fresh clean look with easier navigation and useability.
More importantly, there are some fantastic new benefits for our customers;
1. Prices have been reduced significantly across the board.
2. Prices now include Engraving and Set Up (so no extras for branding)
3. All orders are now inclusive of standard UK freight/carriage.
4. We are offering a free pre-production sample on every order, so you can be confident your logo or promotional message will be just as you require it before we go to production.
5. We are guaranteeing 7 day turnaround on branded items from stock – so that you can be confident your promotional items will get to you on time.
FIVE good reasons to chooseThe Corporate Gifts Company for your business gifts this Christmas.
The new webiste also incorporates our new items for Autumn 2009 (perfect timing for the Christmas executive gifts, staff gifts and customer thank yous) with exciting items such as the spinning propeller letter opener and the F1 car paper clip dispenser. (see all our new products here ).
Call our sales team today on 0845 430 2902.
Tags: Business Gift Ideas, corporate events, Corporate Gifts Co, Engraved Gifts, promotional giveaway
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
The Personal Touch
In times of economic downturn, priorities change. If you are planning a marketing campaign you will undoubtedly need to take this into account. For consumers, debt levels, mortgage repayments and fuel costs fuel costs take precedence over wider concerns. In business, too, companies take a more inward approach, concentrating on cost cutting and cash flow rather than new markets and revenue streams. Both consumers and business will gravitate towards safe options; good, services, and brands that convey reassurance and familiarity. Quality and reliability became increasingly important and whilst all this jittery uncertainly is certainly challenging, it also provides major opportunities for companies to engage with their customers in a closer more meaningful way. Personalised marketing and individual communication are the new watch-words and marketers who get their heads round this new concept will have a distinct advantage in a highly competitive market place.
Corporate gifts are an ideal way to connect on a meaningful and personal level with your key customers, most promising prospects, and even your staff. The Corporate Gifts Co specialise in a high quality business gifts that will convey a sense of familiarity in the classic styling of for example the silver plated Carriage Clock or the, Galileo Desk Pad, and reassurance in the quality of items like the premium leather range or the sterling silver collection. All our items can be engraved with your logo and promotional message using our in-house diamond engraving.
Why not add individually engraved or embrossed names to really create that personal touch. Call 0845 430 2902 for more details.
Tags: business gift, Business Gifts, Carriage Clock, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, engraving, promotion
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Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Get ready for recovery
Is it? Isn’t it?
Will it? Won’t it?
Is the worst of the recession over and are we getting ready for the long awaited recovery? Who knows? If I did, I wouldn’t be writing this blog – I would be sitting on a beach in the Bahamas. In these times of uncertainly, if you can be sure of one thing- it’s the businesses that are prepared for the recovery that will most benefit from it. So what can you do to get your company ship shape to take advantage of all the undoubted opportunities that will be coming your way?
Here are our top ten heads up
1. Review – be honest dispassionate; look at where the business is now and where it needs to be in the future.
2. Cut supply cost – look at your whole supply chain: look for new suppliers offering better deals, re-negotiate with existing suppliers, and buy strategically with fewer suppliers rather than add hoc with lots.
3. Cash is king-tighten credit controls, use whatever leverage you can and monitor regularly.
4.Cut OK costs-concentrate on areas with the most savings, get staff ideas (they often are closes to spending waste) and be ruthless with “nice to have” costs.
5. Cut stock-keep your inventory to a minimum-convert old stock to cash, and reduce slow moving lines.
6. Staff-think outside the box regarding job roles and personnel. Keep and reward that add value to your business, and clean out those that don’t.
7. Processes- examine your procedures and invest in more efficient processes. Look for duplication and bottlenecks.
8. Outsource? A great way to make a fixed cost into a flexible one. But make sure it’s right for the business.
9. Location-not a realistic option for some businesses, but huge costs can be sauced by moving departments/functions abroad or even elsewhere in the UK.
10. Look after key customers-get closer to your customers, offer real value, and keep them interested and talking to you. Make judicial use of emailers, direct mail, face to face and sales promotion. The Corporate Gifts Co can supply executive incentives from; sterling silver to clocks and from USB drives to desk accessories. Call today on 0845 430 2902
Tags: Branding, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, engraving, executive incentives, promotion, sales promotion
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Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
STERLING SILVER
The hallmark of quality; how often you heard that phrase? So why is the hallmark synonymous with the concept of quality?
Hallmarking precious metals was one of the very first instances of consumer protection in history; devised in Birmingham, England as a means of verifying the quality of the material goods were made of and protecting consumers from unscrupulous traders – not much has changed has it?
As silver plate is essentially a thin layer of sterling silver on top of a base metal such as brass or zinc alloy, it is difficult for the layman to tell the difference. The hallmark therefore, is indisputable proof that an item is made from sterling silver or another precious metal.
The hallmark is made up of symbols that denote; the year it was made, the assay office it was verified at, the maker, and the grade of precious metal. Most common are 925 silver, 9ct, 18ct and 24ct gold.
The Corporate Gifts Company have a comprehensive collection of sterling silver promotional items from business card cases to bookmarks and from photo frames to paperweights. All can be diamond engraved using our in – house engraving facility. We can also design special commissions and bespoke items in sterling silver and solid gold such as; cufflinks and corporate jewellery or keyrings and personal accessories. Our in – house design team can supply FOC visuals – just ask the sales team.
Tags: Bookmark, business card cases, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, engraving, gifts company, promotion, promotional item, promotional items
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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 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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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 12th, 2009
It may seem excessive hold corporate events in a castle or a stately home, given that the current economic climate dictates a degree of financial modesty, and that companies do not want to be seen spending money. However, good communication and morale building are more important than ever, and many of the UK and Ireland’s stately homes and castles have great facilities as well as a business – like approach to give your corporate event real impact.
There is a huge variety of homes and castles that provide inspiring surrounding for events, and combine a professional service with excellent facilities and elegant décor. Just be careful of those expenses – definitely no moats! Venues such as Leeds Castle, Rookery Hall, Seiont Manor Hotel and Woodland Park Hotel are just a few examples of the type of that are perfect for this type of high level executive corporate event.
If you are organising an event in a prestigious place, then you need equally prestigious corporate gifts and accessories to complete the picture. The Corporate Gifts Company has a great range of premium incentives worthy of the grandest venues. Our range of premium leather is perfect for this type of event, with items such as the A4 folder, leather pen, overnight bag firm favourites. Sterling silver also sets the right tone; from sterling business cards, to silver photo frames (perfect to present those group or team photos at the end of the event). There are many other premium silver plated items to choose from, call The Corporate Gift Company sales team today on 0845 430 2902.
Tags: corporate event, corporate events, corporate gift, corporate gifts, Corporate Gifts Co, gifts company, premium incentives
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