Throughout history, offering a gift has been considered an effective way to build relationships. The act is synonymous with respect and equates to reverence – so much so that in recent times, an entire industry, estimated to reach the $313 billion mark by 2025, focussing solely on corporate gifting has emerged.
As corporate gifting continues to gain prominence across the globe, it has become increasingly vital for businesses of all sizes to invest time and resources in tools that enable the seamless, and yet effective launch of gifting campaigns. In this article, we highlight some important things you need to know about sending corporate gifts internationally to strengthen your business relationships and positively affect your ROI.
1. Understand The Laws Governing Corporate Gifting
While the act of gift-giving is primarily motivated by appreciation and a yearning to solidify partnerships in the business context, rules have been established to regulate the giving and receiving of gifts in certain regions, and some explicitly prohibit such exchanges to eliminate any chances of bribery or indirectly influencing of decisions. It is therefore of utmost importance for a business to get familiar with such regulations before launching corporate gifting campaigns to prevent tarnishing their reputations. After all, prevention is better than cure!
There are numerous other ways corporate gifting is regulated, but this should not be discouraging. Instead of omitting corporate gifting from your general sales and marketing strategy due to regulation, use a corporate gifting platform that will enable you to navigate restrictions by offering region-specific tailored options.
2. The Relationship Aspect of International Gifting
Due to the fact that different kinds of business and targeted recipients have different levels of importance, tiering your clients, staff, prospects, and leads accordingly will assist with deciding on appropriate gift items and their value. A box filled with SWAG items might be perfect for a new member of your team, while a select leather document holder would be better suited for a head of a department.
3. The Cultural Aspect of Sending Corporate Gifts Internationally
The globe is a cooking pot of traditions and norms. What’s considered perfectly normal in one region may be frowned upon in another. It is therefore of utmost importance for a business to understand the cultural building blocks of the organizations or individuals with whom they do business.
It is in the sender’s best interest to familiarize themselves with the cultures and customs of their intended recipients to avoid insulting, especially when the intention is to entice and reward. Below is a simple ‘question checklist’ you can use to assist in evaluating what your limits are in terms of acceptable corporate gift items and occasions worthy of celebration:
- What are the religion-based limitations?
- What bank and religious holidays are observed in the region?
- Can men and women receive similar gifts?
- What items are considered inappropriate?
4. Consider The Recipient’s Industry
Would you send flower arrangements to a florist? Probably not. Senders need to consider this little detail when deciding on corporate gifts. Thorough research and client/prospect knowledge will not only help avoid such mistakes from occurring, but will assist in creating or strengthening existing relationships. Essentially, it’s the thought that will count more than the actual gift – if you choose it wisely.
5. Appropriate VS. Inappropriate
Even between businesses, some elements differentiate one entity from another. For instance, a manager in the general entertainment industry would appreciate a witty and comical gift, but we can’t say the same about a corporate employee, given the need for formality. Yes, we touched on the industry element above, but even with gifts that align with a particular industry, there’s a thin line between what’s appropriate and what isn’t. To help you decide better, here are some questions to ask yourself before signing off on a gifting campaign:
Who is the intended recipient?
What is the recipient’s role in the company?
Are you aware of their personal preferences?
What is the purpose of the gift?
When is it appropriate to send the gift?
What message will you add to the gift?
6. Custom Duties And Shipping Fees
Sending corporate gifts to different territories isn’t an easy feat. The rules, restrictions, and red tape may prove quite difficult to navigate, especially in countries where rules are set in stone. It is, therefore, important for businesses to gather reliable information about border control, import/export duties, and acquire ‘undesirable item’ lists to avoid disappointment and financial resource wastage.
7. Choose A Corporate Gifting Platform With True International Reach
Giftsenda offers you automated corporate gifting at any scale that you would require, whether you have a small business or a large enterprise. We remove the manual aspect of gifting, simplify address data collection, and eliminate shipping red tape thanks to specially selected and locally sourced gift items.
Additionally, the Giftsenda platform offers excellent reporting functions to help you optimize your KPI-backed gift campaigns. This way, you can focus on effectively measuring your ROI, while delighting your clients, staff, associates, and prospects around the globe.
Ready to get started with corporate gifting on a global scale? Book a 30-minute demo with one of our Gift Campaign Managers to see how our gifting platform works and to get access to Giftsenda so that you can start gifting.
