Holiday Gift Guide
A comprehensive resource for stress-free, impactful gifting this holiday season.
The year is flying by and your end of year timelines seem to move even faster. To help you make the most of your time, we’ve pulled together everything you need to know to send employee and customer gifts without breaking a sweat or stepping foot in the post office.
In this guide you’ll find:
- Ideas for creating more intentional gifting initiatives
- Recommendations for picking great gifts
- A checklist for planning your gifting program from start to finish
- Stealable message templates for sending
- Expert insights on how to create a stress-free gifting program
- Tips for better gifting with the Loop & Tie platform
Table of contents
Gifting is an investment in connection
Go to section ->The potential downsides of holiday gifting
How to know if a holiday gifting program is right for your business
Should you send branded or unbranded gifts?
Send holiday gifts with intention
Get to know collection-based gifting
Go to section ->Meet our most-loved gifts
Holiday collections that have something for everyone
How to delight recipients with personalized gifting options
Go to section ->Your holly-jolly holiday corporate gifting timeline & checklist
Templates to help write your corporate holiday gift messages
Expert tips for a better holiday gifting
Go to section ->Why holiday gifting?
A gift is rarely just a gift – it’s both a tool for connection between the gifter and the giftee, and a tool for connecting corporate budgets with impactful engagements.
It says “I thought of you”. Is there anything better than when you give/get a gift that makes you feel noticed?
It’s no wonder that corporate gifting is so popular. It enables two pillars every company needs to survive and grow: providing personalized, engaging experiences and nurturing strong relationships. Gift-giving helps businesses show appreciation for the people who matter most: employees and customers.
With so many distractions, stressors, and competition, slowing down and pausing to acknowledge the relationships that really matter to you and your business is the most rewarding act of relationship-building out there. The end of year offers many opportunities to do so. Holidays are seasonal, but the impact of gifting is felt long after we sing Auld Lang Syne.
“Just as there’s no bad time to say thank you, there’s never a bad time to give a gift.”
Gifting is an investment in connection
There’s a misconception that corporate gifting is a cost center that you just “have to spend money on” because everyone else is doing it. This mindset is soooo last century!
Forward-thinking businesses understand an important fact about gifting: when done right, it can boost your bottom line and strengthen your brand.
When you boil this information down, what it tells us is that people want to know that they are being acknowledged, appreciated, and valued. It seems so simple, doesn’t it?
Yes, the combination of gratitude, intentionality, and personal connection through gifting is just smart business –
and you get that because you’re a smart cookie. 🍪
of professionals said receiving year-end gifts from vendors made them more likely to continue working together.
of U.S. customers find a positive experience with a brand to be more influential than great advertising.
of professionals said receiving year-end gifts from vendors made them more likely to continue working together.
To give or not to give?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But for many it’s also the most stressful time of the year (other than Tax Day, of course). There are parties to attend, cookies to eat, year-end projects to wrap up, and gifts to give. So. Many. Gifts. It’s true that giving gifts can be overwhelming, whether you’re sending five or 500. So, let’s have some real talk for a minute...
Do you need to send gifts to your customers, employees, partners, etc. during the holidays? No!
And you shouldn’t feel obligated to do so, as there are many reasons why running a holiday gifting program might not be right for your business. That’s 100% okay, and we’re not here to judge. 🫶
The potential downsides of holiday gifting
- Your customers or employees might feel the gesture is inauthentic or transactional only.
- Customers and clients might feel pressured to continue a business relationship.
- Everyone is super busy at the end of the year and it’s possible they won’t even remember or care about your gift.
- The gifts you send get donated or, more likely, end up in a landfill.
- You didn’t set aside the budget for sending gifts and the cost of purchasing, wrapping, and mailing items across the country (and world) is too prohibitive.
How to know if a holiday gifting program is right for your business
On the other hand, holiday gifting is great if you’ve been looking for more opportunities to develop relationships with customers and employees. A year-end gift is the perfect chance to show the folks in your orbit some well-deserved love!
Here are some of the most common reasons behind corporate gifting during the holidays 👇
- Help reinforce company and brand values
- Strengthen positive brand perception so customers and employees keep you top-of-mind
- Say “thank you” to the customers who support your business
- Develop stronger relationships between your customers and customer-facing employees
- Boost customer engagement and loyalty with another thoughtful touch points
- Get to know your employees better and show your appreciation
- Build more meaningful relationships with your employees
- Nurture a gratitude-filled work environment
Ultimately, the decision to give or not to give is up to you!
Don’t feel pressured to do so because it seems like everyone else is.
There are so many other meaningful touchpoints you can make with customers and employees (such as Employee Appreciation Day, Customer Appreciation Day, team milestones, birthdays, and customer/employee achievements) throughout the year. These are often forgotten and could potentially have a huge impact on your business goals.
Our general advice for year-end gifting is to only do it if you can answer “YES!” to these three questions:
The great branded vs. unbranded gift debate
Let’s be honest: we’ve all ended up with branded merch that was either low quality, way too branded, or simply not something we needed more of (coffee mugs, anyone?).
And while we love high-quality branded merch, it’s important to make smarter decisions about how to create and send it. Consider this: 54% of corporate gift recipients have thrown away at least one gift without using it. Yikes! Not only is that wasteful for your wallet,
it’s just plain wasteful.
Our advice on sending branded merch is to make the decision on a case-by-base basis. Taking care to send gifts your recipients actually want is kinder to the planet, your giftees, and your wallet. That’s an all-around win! 🙌
Should you send branded swag as holiday gifts?
Send holiday gifts with intention
Gifts are inherently joyful – who doesn’t love getting a great gift?! In a world that’s always “go go go,” giving and receiving a gift is an act that makes us stop and think about our connection with someone else for a minute.
If you’ve read this far, you’re already well-equipped to build a more intentional holiday gifting initiative!
Just remember to follow these 4 principles:
- 1.Gifting isn’t all about you, it’s about connecting with the recipient.
- 2.Don’t send gifts “just to send gifts” – always align gifting with a bigger goal.
- 3.Plan ahead for the best experience for you and the giftee.
- 4.Keep company brand values at the center of gift giving.
How to pick the right holiday gifts for your customers & employees
Unless you’re a gifting maestro, this question has probably haunted you every year between September and November. You know it’s on your to-do list to find, purchase, and send gifts to everyone on your list but you don’t know how to do it. What’s a gift that everyone will like? 🤔
The way we see it, you have a few options…
🔮 Hire a psychic to go through your Excel sheet row by row and suggest the perfect gift for each recipient. (This could take a while and get really expensive depending on the size of your list and the hourly rate of the psychic.)
😩 Ask a bunch of different people at your company for suggestions of gifts that make everyone happy. You’ll eventually get overwhelmed, stare at your screen, eat some sad fruitcake, and eventually make an order for the most neutral option: a stainless steel travel mug.
✅ Skip shopping altogether and let your giftee choose their own gift.
Our advice is to go with option #3.
This is something we call “choice-based gifting” or “collection-based gifting,” but no matter what you call it, this really just means letting someone pick their own gift from a collection of great options.
Get to know collection-based gifting
Why should a business opt for collection-based gifting?
Well, other than it being more reliable (and probably less expensive) than hiring a psychic, it also just makes sense.
Collection-based gifting makes it easier for you to send a gift and more convenient for the recipient to pick out a gift that best fits their interests. Plus, that gift is less likely to go to waste (literally).
At Loop & Tie, every collection is carefully curated so that giftees have tons of high-quality options. Our inventory is based on many factors, like market trends and best-sellers, and every item helps support craft makers , small businesses, and local artisans.
of professionals said receiving year-end gifts from vendors made them more likely to continue working together.
of U.S. customers find a positive experience with a brand to be more influential than great advertising.
of professionals said receiving year-end gifts from vendors made them more likely to continue working together.
Corporate holiday gifts that don’t *feel* corporate
You’re here because you don’t want to give any ol’ gift this year. You want to give good gifts that foster genuine connection. Loop & Tie has helped companies, from solo business owners to big enterprise businesses, send over 2 million gifts since our founding, so we know great gifts! We ran the data to help you gift better this holiday season.
Collection options that have something for everyone
Our curated collections have something for everyone with gifts spanning six distinct categories:
Not sure which collection to send to you customers and employees? These are the most-sent collections from last holiday season!
How to delight recipients with personalized gifting options
Let’s talk about providing your recipients with really great gift options – “options” being the operative word. (Remember we’re all about choice here!) A question we hear all the time is: How can you build a collection of gift options that appeal to every person on your list?
We’ve got a few suggestions:
- 1.Use past gift redemption data to figure out what types of gifts are most popular with your giftees, then tailor the options to match.Identify if there are common interests, hobbies, or causes among the folks on your list. Add items, experiences, and donation options that align with those areas.
- 2.Simply ask them what types of gifts they want to see offered this year.
- 3.You might be worried about ruining the surprise, but the truth is most folks appreciate that you’re acknowledging their wants.
- 4.Give many options across categories so that everyone can find something they’ll love!
Now you can go forth and gift better this holiday season!
The most anticipated new gifts
Corporate holiday gifts for clients & employees that don’t feel so corporate.
Loop & Tie has two easy ways to give your recipients more options:
Standard Gift Collections
Custom Gift Collections
Your corporate gifting timeline & checklist
You’ve decided to send holiday gifts. You’re planning to give recipients options so they can pick the gift they want most. You’re ready to get this big task off of your to do list. Now what? Don’t worry, we got you! Use this timeline and checklist to keep your holiday gifting on track.
July - August: Planning & Budgeting
Decide if you want to send holiday gifts and who your target audience will be. Consider including employees, customers/clients, partners, and board members.
Set your budget with wiggle room to cover taxes, shipping costs, and other unexpected expenses.
Identify the purpose of your holiday gifting program (e.g. showing appreciation, building stronger relationships, celebrating end-of-year milestones).
Start brainstorming gift ideas
Key input from key stakeholders and create a shortlist of gift optionsRequest quotes if you’re planning to send branded merchandise or other customized items
Loop Tip: Sending gifts from Loop & Tie makes budgeting much easier. Pick collections by dollar amount so you know exactly what you’re spending on each gift. You’ll only pay $5 for standard shipping when you use the Free plan. For subscribers, shipping is included.
September - October: Logistics & Communication
Finalize your gift options
Make a list of recipients and their contact details. Check it twice!
Create a communication plan for key stakeholders
Think about how you want to talk about your holiday gifting initiative so it aligns with your objectives and brand values.Should you make an internal announcement so employees know you’re sending gifts to customers?Do you want to tailor employee gift messages by teams or individually?Do you need anyone to sign off on messaging?
Loop Tip: You can schedule gifts to deploy on a specific date so you can go ahead and check this task off your to-do list!
November - December: Final touches, sending & monitoring
Final check on contact information accuracy
Prep your gifts to send
Send gifts in time to arrive on or before the desired delivery date
- Request quotes if you’re planning to send branded merchandise or other customized items
November - December: Final touches, sending & monitoring
Gather insights and feedback from recipients to evaluate satisfaction with the gifts
Conduct an internal review to evaluate the program's success and document learnings for next year
Loop Tip: You can analyze redemption rates and thank you notes to evaluate the success of your gifting initiative.
Last minute store run? Standing in line for hours at the post office? Nope, not for you. You followed this timeline and sent your corporate holiday gifts ahead of schedule.
Last call for shipping!
Please note: It's quite common for gift recipients to take a few days to decide which gift to select from your collection. This table of estimated arrival dates assumes your gift recipient redeems their gift the day you send their digital redemption. In the event that your recipient needs time to decide, your gifts will arrive roughly 2 weeks after redemption if not sooner.
Domestic
Sending internationally? Your best bet is to send out your gifts 3-4 weeks before you want them to arrive.
Tongue-tied? Use these templates to write your corporate holiday gift messages!
Your gifts are set…now you just need to figure out what to say in your personal note. In general, you want your messages to be brief, personalized, and show appreciation for the relationship.
Here are a few templates you can use and customize for your gift send:
Dear :first_name:,
Thank you for all you’ve done for :company_name: this year! Our team wouldn’t be the same without you.
Obviously I can’t thank you enough for the ways you’ve shown up for the team and customers this year, but I wanted to send this token of appreciation to express my gratitude.
This year, we’ve partnered with Loop & Tie to send a hand-picked collection of gifts you can choose from, including the option to gift-it-forward to a charity of your choice.
Happy holidays!
[Your Name]
Happy holidays, :first_name:!
The holidays are a time for celebration, reflection, and thanks.
As we wrap up another year, we wanted to send a heartfelt thank you for your hard work this year.
As a small token of our appreciation, we’ve partnered with Loop & Tie to offer you a selection of specially curated gifts.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends, and look forward to next year!
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
Happy holidays, :first_name:!
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for getting to work with you this year.
[Company Name] wouldn’t exist without amazing customers like you, and I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership in the New Year.
It’s impossible to get the perfect gift for everyone, so I’m sending you a collection of options to choose from. Pick whatever will make your holidays more merry & bright!
I’m wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons and a great New Year.
[Your Name]
Dear :first_name:,
Thank you for your support of :company_name: this year. Customers like you make our world go ‘round!
I wanted to send a small token of our appreciation before the New Year.
This holiday season, we’ve partnered with Loop & Tie to send a hand-picked collection of gifts for you to choose from, including the option to gift-it-forward to a charity of your choice.
I hope you pick something as meaningful to you as you are to us.
Happy holidays!
[Your Name]
Happy holidays, :first_name:!
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for your contributions to [Company Name] this year.
We wouldn’t be where we are without amazing partners like you and I’m looking forward to continuing our partnership in the New Year.
It’s hard to get the perfect gift for everyone, so I’m sending you a collection of options to choose from. Pick whatever will make your holidays more merry & bright!
Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons and a great New Year.
[Your Name]
Dear :first_name:,
Thank you for your support of :company_name: this year. Partners like you make us tick!
To show our gratitude, I wanted to send a small token of our appreciation before the New Year.
This holiday season, we’ve partnered with Loop & Tie to offer a hand-picked collection of gifts for you to choose from, including an option to gift-it-forward to a charity of your choice.
I hope you pick something as meaningful to you as you are to us.
Happy holidays!
[Your Name]
Expert tips for better holiday gifting
Hey, you made it this far! That means you’ve learned a lot about sending great corporate holiday gifts, but you might be a tad overwhelmed by all of the information.
We asked our gifting experts to share their best tips your holiday gifting program – plus, tricks for applying this advice through Loop & Tie.
The people handling all the gifts for the company have vacations, too. Even though you're going on holiday, you can get your work done ahead of time.”
-Johanna Beaulieu, Sr. Account Manager
Use magic tokens in your message to personalize gift emails with the recipient’s name.
Use Loop & Tie’s international collections to streamline the process with all-inclusive pricing. All you need to worry about is sending the email on time.
Save time (and stress) by scheduling your gift sends in advance. You can cross the task off your to-do list without breaking a sweat.
All paid subscriptions allow senders to customize emails to giftees with branded banners and messaging. Premium and Enterprise customers can create custom collections with promotional products and branded packaging.
Nearly every Loop & Tie marketplace collection includes options donate the value of a gift to a good cause. You may also send a collection of only charity options if you know your recipient can’t accept gifts.
Do’s:
Do plan your budget early in the year so you can send high- quality gifts.- Do give your recipient a few options to choose from to prevent your gifts from ending up in a landfill.
- Do set up your gifting initiative to track success metrics like redemption and satisfaction. This will help you improve similar initiatives in the future.
Dont’s:
Don’t limit gifts to only what can be branded!- Don’t send one-size-fits-all gifts to your list of unique recipients.
- Don’t wait until the last minute to finalize your gift of recipients. You’ll want to confirm contact details as soon as possible to ensure smooth delivery.
FAQs: Easier holiday gifting with Loop & Tie
Wrapping Up
If you’ve made it this far, you’re ready for the most successful holiday gifting program of your career (so far)! We’re excited for you to send amazing gifts to your customers and employees.
There are a lot of factors to consider, but you’ve got this task in the bag – the gift bag. 😉
If you have any questions, need help, or just want us to handle all the nitty-gritty details, contact us. You deserve to sit back, relax, and eat holiday treats in peace.
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