Corporate Gifting in 2023: Why Your Businesses Gifts Need To Give Back This Holiday Season

As corporate holiday gifting budgets are going into effect business leaders across the country are reflecting on how best to express their gratitude for the relationships that drive their growth and reputation.

Here at Gifts for Good we are keenly aware that these gifting initiatives are golden opportunities for brands to enact their values and creatively demonstrate what it means to be a part of their community.

Gifts for Good has helped over 2,500 businesses gift over 75,000 employees and clients their choice of gift through our platform. We’ve handled gifting campaigns for many of the world’s largest brands including: National Geographic, Google, Toyota, and Amazon.

Here are our guidelines for companies looking to gift appropriately, and successfully, in 2023:

1. Do NOT skip corporate gifting this year (you will regret it). Over the last year, the biggest question we have gotten from business leaders is whether or not they should be sending a gift in the first place. “Is it inappropriate to send a gift when we’ve had to let go of some of our employees?” they ask. While we can understand the hesitation, this outlook fails to recognize the detriment that comes along with NOT GIFTING.

In times of uncertainty, you need to turn up the volume on your relationships – relationships matter now more than ever. Clients and employees will always remember who had their backs during times of crisis. If you want to position your business to rebound and thrive in the new normal you need to continue investing in your relationships and driving loyalty.

2. Make sure your gifts give back. Just as companies need to leverage gratitude, they also need to leverage their pre-existing gifting budgets (for good). Money is no longer the focus of gifting this year – positive energy is. Giving a meaningful gift that tells a story allows your company to be an agent of light in a culture and country full of great unrest and uncertainty. Companies who continue to showcase their values and ethics will be the ones who flourish in 2022, and beyond.

3. Don’t overspend (but don’t be cheap either). The problem with corporate gifting is that most leaders lack the right mindset when it comes to gifting. When you focus on yourself and the benefits you’ll reap personally – while being cheap – your gift comes with negative energy. This year more than ever, the world needs positive energy. Don’t go into a gifting discussion focusing on how much the gift will ‘cost’. Focus instead on the surprise and delight it can bring to others; and how it will positively impact others.

4. Choose a branded experience over a branded product. 2022 is not the year to send a product that promotes yourself. If you want to give a thoughtful gift this year, choose an unbranded product – and then incorporate your branding discreetly using a branded gift note or sticker.