Australia, officially referred to as the Commonwealth of Australia, isn’t just big bugs, giant spiders with the stamina to adorn entire parks with their web, and slithery mates that come to parties without an invite. This spectacular country that comprises the continent’s mainland, as well as the Island of Tasmania, and several smaller islands, boasts four “World’s Top Ten Liveable Cities” positions, incredible landscapes, and a quality of life that makes it the ultimate settler’s dream.
Though considered the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, Australia proudly holds the title of ‘Megadiversity’ thanks to its richly unique landscapes with deserts in the center, tropical rainforests in the northeast, and mountain ranges in the south-east. With a population of just over 26 million, the Australian government has for decades opened its doors to skilled individuals from all walks of life, making its work culture an immensely diverse one.
Australia is a highly developed country with the thirteenth biggest economy, the 10th highest per-capita income, and the eighth highest human development index. Despite being home to the earth’s oldest continual aboriginal culture with spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime, Australians have a multi-cultural outlook. They don’t necessarily harbor ‘set in stone’ quirks or nuances. They are generally pleasant and require very little to no observation of customs to initiate contact and conduct business with them.
In this blog, we look at the Australian corporate gifting culture and highlight ways that you can wow your clients, staff, and prospects by sending corporate gifts to Australia without seeming too culture-focused or generic.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Sending Corporate Gifts to Australia
For the Aussies, living in a country that’s considered one of the world’s most precious jewels is gift enough, and as such, not much emphasis is placed on pre or post-business gift exchange rituals. So, while the best gifts to offer your Aussie partners, clients and staff are integrity, mutual respect, and merit-based deal closure, well-thought-through gifts are sure to add an element of surprise and pleasantly delight your recipients.
However, it’s vital for anyone with corporate interests in Australia to understand the basic gifting culture and be wary of the do’s and don’ts. Let’s look at a few.
DO wait until the business is concluded and deals are closed before offering gifts. This way, you do not lead your associates to believe you’re bribing them or are in a hurry to close a deal. Being too hasty is considered distasteful and warrants distrust.
DO offer cross-regional gifts representative of cultures outside of Australia. This is considered a fond form of cultural exchange and will leave a lasting impression on your recipient.
DO offer symbolic gifts. Aussies are open to new experiences and will appreciate any gift type, especially ones that show how much thought was put into them.
DO offer gifts with company logos on them, but be tactical about it. While adding a logo to your gifts might seem logical to increase brand awareness, you need to keep in mind that some gifts are meant to be about the recipient and that adding logos might take away from this sentiment. Offer branded gifts if the occasion warrants such, but opt for personalized gifts instead, whenever possible.
DON’T offer gifts that are too pricey, personal, or suggestive.
DON’T offer gifts with religious or political connotations. Be as neutral as possible in your gift choices.
Make Use of Australian Public Holidays for Tactical Gifting
March 22 – April 25 – Easter
April 25 – Anzac Day
May 2nd Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 26 – National Sorry Day
June 2nd Monday – Queen’s Birthday
September 1st Sunday – Father’s Day
October 31 – Halloween
November 11 – Remembrance Day
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 26 – Boxing Day
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 26 – Australia Day
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
April 2 – Good Friday
Why Use a Corporate Gifting Platform To Send Gifts to Australia?
When launching your campaigns to Australia through the Giftsenda corporate gifting platform, guesswork is eliminated from the process, and you can be sure that culturally inappropriate gifts will not make it into your cart. This is because:
- The Giftsenda team has 20 years of international gift delivery experience and a deep understanding of the gifting cultures, norms, and traditions of every region we service.
- Gift items are sourced locally in Australia. This way, items align with cultural preferences and adhere to general gifting etiquette rules.
- With our automated gifting tools, recipients have an option to choose from a variety of gift items available in our Gift Catalog and this eliminates chances of inappropriate or offensive gift item selections.
- Recipients can either accept, swap, or donate their gift items when you send gifts digitally.
- Gift offers can be sent via email or shareable gift links and without the need for actual home addresses. This way, a sense of formality is preserved, and recipients can decide where these are to be delivered.
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 create an account.
