The corporate gifting market has positively exploded since early 2020, and if you haven’t already jumped on the bandwagon, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to strengthen bonds with your customers, employees, and associates.

But what IS corporate gifting, and why is it relevant? Let’s start with the basics: “Corporate gifting” is a term used to describe the act of a company creating connections with their employees, clients, and other contacts through the giving of gifts. Types of gifts vary from physical items like apparel, branded swag, or edible treats, to virtual tokens like e-gift cards.

The practice of corporate gifting has been around for a very long time, but during the COVID pandemic it evolved into a new beast altogether. As almost every aspect of our lives went virtual, companies scrambled to build, maintain, and salvage relationships with various stakeholders. Many organizations had budgets set aside for in-person events and incentives that could no longer take place as planned, so they had to get creative. Gifts were sent to employees, clients, and contacts to help nurture important relationships; and since this was the only point of ‘physical’ contact between parties, companies put a lot of thought and energy into creating the perfect gift bundles for every occasion.

The corporate gifting market became very sophisticated as organizations stepped up their gifting game, and it looks like this trend is here to stay. With a huge portion of the workforce remaining in fully WFH or hybrid working arrangements, and a generation of workers who are more likely to undergo multiple job, company, and even career changes in their lifetimes than previous generations, the pressure is on for companies to maintain talent and create meaningful bonds with each and every worker and associate. In a survey conducted by Coresight Research, over 70% of respondents said that they would either maintain or increase their gift giving frequency post-pandemic, and estimates suggest that the corporate gifting market, estimated at a value of $217 billion in 2019, will swell to over $300 billion by the year 2024.

So how can you get in on the action? Well, here’s what we know:

1) Quality and intention in gift giving is highly valued, now more than ever.
Instead of sending a generic gift to your employees on holidays, consider sending out gift bundles to acknowledge important events and milestones like work anniversaries and new-hires. Gifting in this way is much more personal, and will really let individuals know that they are valued. You can also send out ‘just because’ gifts to let your people know that you’re thinking of them.

2) The gifts you give should be a reflection of your brand and company culture, while also being personal and meaningful to recipients.
If you’re an eco-conscious business, this could mean gifting recycled or biodegradable items. If you’re big on healthy living, you probably don’t want to hand out sugary candy and sodas. The gifts you give are a reflection of your company and the relationship your company has with its stakeholders, so the choosing of gifts is not a decision to be taken lightly!

If you’re itching to get started on some powerful and intentional corporate gifting, but aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help. According to the Coresight Research report, branded merchandise is included in 42% of corporate gifts, with another 27% specifically including apparel. At Mapleleaf, we’ve got thousands of items for every niche, just waiting to be customized for your unique brand. Gift them on their own or add them to a themed bundle to kick start your gifting program!