Despite talk of a weakened economy and not much money being around, if you’re in business then life has to go on. As is normally the case, marketing departments will take one of the biggest hits when cost cutting measures are announced but expectations do not seem to fall quite as quickly, so for many departments that will mean trying to achieve the same results on a drastically reduced budget.
This can prove problematic if you are trying to get across a distinctive brand image for your company, appealing to a high end target market through your advertising and promotional campaigns. Personalised business gifts have always been an effective way of portraying an executive brand image, so can you still utilise these for your campaign if your budgets have just been slashed?
When it comes to business gifts, it is often not how much the product cost that matters, it is the perceived value that the recipient has of the gift based on the appearance of the item. It should also be something that represents the qualities of the brand and any promotional or advertising activities that are currently being undertaken. Because of this, it is possible for marketing departments to still make the most of the benefits of business gifts despite budget cuts having taken place.
Brand Image
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get across your brand image, even if your target audience is of a more discerning nature. High perceived value is what it is all about so combine this with a relevant product that enhances your brand values. Whether it’s flash drives to develop a modern image or business card holders for a sense of executive style, it is still perfectly possible to use business gifts to get your brand image across to your customers. You might have to make a few sacrifices when it comes to the material that the items are made from or the memory capacity of the flash drives, but ultimately these business gifts will still have the necessary effect in order to enhance your promotional ambitions.
Wow Factor
It’s all about appearances and appearances can be deceptive! If a gift is beautifully presented, personalised and epitomises the company’s brand values then nobody is going to question how much the business gift cost. Fortunately this is all possible without spending a small fortune. Some companies will offer free presentation boxes and affordable gift wrapping services with branding included in the price, so making your business gifts look great should be both effortless and affordable.
We may all be living in a world of austerity but rather than cutting out all expenses it is simply about making those expenses go a lot further. Rather than shelling out on the latest shiny toy, the same results can be achieved with a little thought, some creativity and a lot less cash.
Posted by Alan Grainger
