OK, I was never too fond of the old "Basket of Cheese and Sausage in Cellophane" as a corporate gift, but times have changed. I recently struck up a partnership with one of the largest suppliers/creators of consumer gift baskets in the U.S. They basically run the show behind-the-scenes for retailers like Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and 1-800-Flowers (you didn't think there were actual people at Neiman putting these things together, did you?). Big business, especially in 4th quarter of course, but their creative gift packages work year round.
I was pretty impressed when I toured the factory. This is not a cookie cutter approach (no pun intended). After a thorough analysis of your needs, they choose a package to best represent the promotion, your brand, etc. It could be a basket, sure, but it could also be a leather photo box, a cooler, a boat tote, even an upside-down ball cap. The package is then filled, in accordance with your desired size and budget, with luxury food gifts, spa items, imprinted merchandise, or your own product samples. Branding is via imprinted gift ribbon (subtle), et voila! Your custom gift is fulfilled and ready to go.
Think about these high end gifts for low quantity, high impact events...room drops, anniversaries, milestone parties, client appreciation. Everyone loves a big basket of cheer, right?
