Posts Tagged ‘corporate gifts’


Why trust the Corporate Gift Company

 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


How to get ahead in business – with Corporate Gifts!

 Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Having a face for a radio – or even average looks – may hold people back in the workplace more. A report from the University of Florida have found that while we may like to think that we get paid for our abilities, the sad truth is good looks and a winning smile count for more.

Alarmingly, the research shows that preferential treatment based on attractiveness begins with the behaviours of the mother and other caregivers towards children – meaning that those with better looks are likely to have more confidence instilled in them. By the time they reach the workplace their combination of good looks and self – assurance has a good chance of winning them a better job and salary. Various studies have argued; one in four female executives would consider cosmetic surgery specifically to boost their career progression, over half of women having a better body and being more attractive would help them climb the career ladder. Good looking, slim, tall people earn 5% more than their less attractive colleague’s on the other hand overweight people get paid 30% less than their more slender colleagues.        

Although this may seem a bit “tongue in cheek”, legislation for “lookism” (no really) already exists in the USA and is coming to a workplace near you in the UK!
So the rather tenuous link into this jaw dropping insight into workplace preferences is that The Corporate Gifts Company has probably the best looking selection of desirable premium incentives and business gifts on the web. In fact, if Carlsberg did corporate gifts, this would be their website! From fantastic desk accessories like the sleek Desk Set, to beautiful ladies gifts like the Handbag mirror, the Corporate Gifts Company is the best website for drop dead gorgeous promotional items. After all we now know a good look gets you further in business, don’t we?


Corporate gifts fit for a king

 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.


Business travel incentives

 Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

A recent survey from Barclaycard, stated that £500million of expenses go unclaimed by business every year. Behind this state of affairs lie a lackadaisal one in three travellers who simply can’t be bothered to fill out their claims. Apparently, the more senior your position, the more lax your attitude. Chairmen fail to claim on average £719 per year compared with PAs who fail claim £25. Women are more vigilant than men £293 slip through their fingers each year compared with £366, and private sectors employees fail to claim £397 compared with their public sector counter parts who fail to claim £199.
Obviously not politicians then!
Although business travel has taken a hit during the recession (prompting the Ryan Air boss to say that business class was dead but – he would say that wouldn’t he?), the corporate travel incentives and business related travel gifts are still integral to the corporate gift market. The Corporate Gifts Company have a comprehensive selection of travel related business gifts.
The leather travel wallet and passport holder are available from our standard leather range and our premium leather range and best sellers. Other leather items perfect for travel incentives are the A4 folders, luggage tags, and journals. Also popular are travel alarm clocks, business card cases and metal luggage tags.
Call the Corporate Gifts Company for more information.


Marketing to Niche Markets

 Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

In today’s difficult economy many companies are seeing their traditional revenue streams shrinking. If there is one challenge to the sales promotion industry it is how to reach minority markets, currently estimated at about £400billion. Conventional marketing and promotional methods are not enough to capture those hard – to – reach minority markets This is made up of a range of markets including ethnic minorities, seniors and the LGBT community. A lot of the organisations have been unsure how to respond to these changes, opting instead for a, “one a size fits all,” generic approach.

During the recession, businesses should be investing in marketing strategies that target these diverse, groups through targeted products and messages.

An advantage of the promotional merchandise industry is that it provides the perfect platform for this short of approach to our increasingly diverse, cultural society. Promotional products and services can reach and engage with hard to reach audiences.

In terms of cost, promotional items and corporate gifts, can reduce wastage and maximise efficiency. According to the Office of National Statistics and Brand Choice;

1) Disposal income in the U.K ethnic minority market is access of £90 billion.

2) 18.7% of the U.K population is 65 and over.

3) 8% of the population in the U.K are ethnic communities.

4) 1/3 of businesses are owned and run by members of ethnic minorities.

A number of major brands already communicate well with ethnic groups in the U.K as part as their marketing, and PR strategies, such as Tesco and HSBC. They, have conducted specific very successful campaigns and built brand loyalty and revenue. Niche products tailored to meet specific needs, are also doing well.

In the good times, when budgets are generous and targets are perhaps less important, sales campaigns often are characterised by a scattergun approach – throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping enough of it will stick. Obviously in a recession every marketing pounds or dollar needs to count and promotional items and corporate gifts can prove highly targeted and cost effective; different products can be chosen for each and target market with a range of branding techniques; from jewellery to keyings and flash drives .


Office Beautiful

 Monday, August 3rd, 2009

The place where so many people spend their working lives should have a “social life.” That sounds like jargon doesn’t it, but it means that people in office should have easy access to one another. Instead of regarding the workplace as the dump where they have to work for eight hours every day, they should see it as the place where they interact with colleagues, in a stimulating and rewarding way. This is the office of the future; the desktop has a key role. Flat computer screen are fast replacing those huge monoliths, so that the surface has more room, and indeed the desk can be smaller. The result is that you are nearer to your closest colleagues. Look around the modern office and you see fewer divisions and partitions, because they represent rigidity and hierarchy. Chance encounters in the corridor or by the drinks machine are more fruitful than organised meetings. So, if colleagues bump into each other and want to talk about marketing or advertising they need to scuttle into a hole. Hence tomorrow’s office should have enough space to have one to one chatting. Décor will have to be high on the agenda too. Shabby conditions depress many office workers and dull their minds but clean discreetly coloured walls are an aid to calm, constructed thoughts. The colours, however, should be natural, so that staff are able to adapt the walls so that they can match their own taste and personalities – with photographs, posters and whatever else you might like to put into your office to feel more comfortable.
Generous use of glass is another means of brightening up the office. The theory is that large windows physically let in more light and psychologically encourage cleaner
Thinking. If there is more glass there should be fewer venetian blinds, which symbolise the opposite of transparency.
Electronic record keeping is so much more efficient and it saves space. Designers say filling can easily be cut by 50% in most offices.
Sick building syndrome needs to be eliminated as this can make people ill. The answer maybe is to insist on water based paints and minimal use of toxic chemicals and also adhesives. Consequently employees stay with a company, they feel better and the staffing difficulties and recruitment costs are reduced.
So a desirable office environment is not too difficult to achieve; de – clutter, take down unnecessary divisions, add some natural colours on the walls and you’re nearly there. And with all of the extra space you should have on the desks, why not co –ordinate some great looking desk items from The Corporate Gifts Co; here are five great example from our website.
1) Lunar post it holder
2) Boomerang letter opener
3) Star desk award paper weight
4) Decision maker pen stand
5) Chrome puzzle globe


Why Investors in people is good for our customers

 Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Why Investors in people is good for our customers

Recent research from Cranfield School of Management pinpoints exactly how Investors in People make a dynamic difference to the bottom line. Investors in People has always been more than an’ act of faith’ by most recognized organisations. Direct experience of benefits has been confirmed in recent years by reports from organisations like the Confederation of British Industry, The Institute of Employment Studies and the Central Office of Information which showed the strong connection between using the Investor in People framework and business improvement. This culminated recently in research from the Institute of Employment which illustrated that the financial benefit of being an Investor of People amounts to an average of an extra £176 per employee in gross profit, every year. Why does Investors in People produce these benefits and what are the key factors between Investors in People and bottom line profitably? Cranfield School of Management’s research showed exactly how Investors creates the conditions in which the organisation performs better and more profitably. At the centre of Cranfield analysis was what was referred to as a “chain of impact.” This was based on the idea that the positive changes in a way an organisation operates ripple out producing, in their own turn a series of other changes in what becomes a virtuous circle of improvement. Other result from being Investors in People – includes levels of customers satisfaction, the ability to recruit and retain other employees, the quality of employee relationships and also by how well the organisation’s products and services are perceived.

The Corporate Gifts Company have held the Investor of People status since 2005 and we strongly believe that this enables staff to be more committed, also better trained and more knowledgeable through out the business. This means our customers get the best possible service from initial enquiry, through to through to advice on branding your corporate logo, from production and despatch through to after sales.

Call our expert sales team on 0845 430 2902 and see for yourself!


Guerrilla Marketing and Corporate Gifts

 Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

In today’s climate of slashed marketing budgets, a little guerrilla marketing could go along way – but what’s it all about?

Guerrilla marketing can shake up markets and break the mould. It can make your company seen as innovative and daring with a reputation for creativity. That goes for all of your promotional activities too. Guerrilla marketing with its unconventional tactics and frequent run-ins with the law can be an ideal way to launch a new business or product. By bending the rules a little by using a lot of imagination you can execute cost effective ideas to get your target marketing buzzing. Guerrilla Marketing tactics can also identify your brand or company as one to take notice of.
 
To refer to a campaign as guerrilla, it has been surprising and use media in unconventional way. But more than anything, a guerrilla idea must try and get customers talking. Trying to establish marketing on a low budget is particularly challenging. Guerrilla tactics raise your profile and can also position your brand as an unconventional and innovative company. Traditional forms of marketing might not be able to convey the same message to the right audience.

Online Guerrilla tactics- the internet is also a hotbed for guerrilla activity, from leaving comments promoting your sites in a rival’s forum; to posting brands content on sites like YouTube and Flickr some search engines marketing also have a rebel about it. Until recently if you typed in “miserable” failure into Google, George Bush’s homepage would come up as first result!

The practice known as Google Bombing is now a common part of online marketing guerrilla marketing.
Guerrilla marketting is a cost effective and way of promoting your business. It can motivate staff and make people take notice. It’s not for every one; you would not see many banks using guerrilla tactics, and it doesn’t always work. But every once in a while, a great unconventional idea can be highly effective and won’t kill your budget.
Click below to find examples of guerrilla marketing
http://weburbanist.com/2007/06/06/15-coolest-craziest-and-most-innovative-guerilla-marketing-campaigns/
http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Great_examples_of_Guerilla_Marketing
http://www.bootstrappingblog.com/10-great-guerrilla-marketing-examples

Corporate gifts are one of the most traditional promotional methods, but used creatively and imaginatively they can form of a valuable part of a Guerrilla marketing campaign – do something different with your business gifts, engage your target audience and really get them talking about you.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking;

  • If you’ve got an event you need to promote or invite customers, to use metal post cards printed or embossed with individual details. They can be used like a normal postcard. Costumers would have never received anything like it before.
  • Most companies just engrave a logo on a promotional product; but why not engrave a challenging message, question or riddle that drives traffic through your business’s websites or initial a response.
  • Business cards holders are one of our most popular corporate gifts; but most are sent out empty – why not fill them with your own cards or printed leaflet.

Obviously different things will work for different companies so why don’t you  ring our sales staff on 0845 430 2902 to see how The Corporate Gifts Company can help with your marketing campaign.


Promote youself, get the edge over your competition

 Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

With the huge rivalry between companies online, it is hard to differentiate yourself from the throng. An area internet marketing people fail to utilise fully is with business giftware.

Corporate gifts are products that are branded with your company logo, URL, contact information or a different message you want to relay.

Normally the 1st item that comes to mind is branded pens or T-Shirts but in actuality there are thousands of a different items you can use all you need is a bit of creativity to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Promotional product giving points:

1. Promote Your Website
• This is the one of the first things that comes to most people’s minds once they think of how they should use business giftware. Every product you choose to promote your business you should include your URL on it.

2. Niche Promotional Gifts
• You can find products that compliment your type of business items.
An example is, if you sell handbags, it would-be be a great idea to include a handbag hook for table that has your brand on it.

3. Motivate the consumer to purchase more – the upsell!
• You can use promotional gifts to incite your customers to buy more products than they would normally, this is called up selling. This can be easily achieved online by bundling multiple products on with a promotional item.

4. Affiliate rewarding
• Thanking your best affiliates by giving them a business gift. it shows that you appreciate that they promote your company. You could send gifts to your partners once they reach a pre-determined goal, or you can simply surprise them with a present. In doing this you are building a stronger relationship. And they will be more likely to promote your business more and make you more money in the long run.

5. Thank Your Customers
• Just like saying thank you to your affiliates, it is always worth considering thanking your clientele. The most effective way to do this is with a tiered giving approach. Give your top clients a high perceived value products and then decrease the value of the products for the preceding tiers. You can have as many tiers as you want.

6. Get a competitive benefit
• Because of tough online competition, it’s harder than ever to compete for business online. But promotional gifts can give you an advantage. If your competition aren’t utilising this essential marketing technique then steal a march on them!


Business gifts is the most successful advertising and communication tool

 Monday, July 20th, 2009

Giving business gifts is the most successful advertising and communication tool that a business can use. Corporate gifts remain the most enjoyable method to strengthen the relationship between staff in the office and to express your thankfulness to your customers, corporate gifts have come an extremely long way and do not necessarily mean plastic pens or bumper stickers!

Of late businesses have increased marketing budgets for business products, they have realized that it is one of the most cost effective marketing tricks available and frequently the most effective one. It doesn’t matter what the size of your company is or your budget, it is still possible to fit the promotional product campaign to your limiting factors.
Perhaps the most appealing thing about business gifts is the ability to articulate that certain sentiment you can’t communicate through other advertising strategies. People love to get gifts, especially gifts that are specially picked out for them and that illustrate how much you value them as a customer, a client, a business partner or a part of your team.

While business gifts are not the solution to start the ball rolling on new commerce contacts and dealings, they certainly play an important part in maintaining the associations you have already established. Giving corporate gifts is not just a way to construct relationships, but it’s more a way to continue them and it’s also a very good way to promote your commodities and services. In addition to that, business products can be used to improve your company’s image.