¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ! as low as $.29(C) after discount ! " # ! $% %& ! " ' ' $! $( ( ' $! " )! $* * ! " ' ' $! + $ ! something into their employees’ or clients’ hands to say ‘I am thinking of you.’ Today, we are working more strategically with them to step back and look at the big picture.” Both Boundless and Hillary’s won PPAI Pyramid Awards for exceptional gifting programs in 2021. “A thoughtful corporate gift includes knowing where people are, where their heads are at, what is keeping them up at night,” Feder says. “There is a ‘thinking investment’ to land on the right products. You need to know your client, their company brand, values, culture and voice. Know who will be the recipients—it is not one-sizefits-all, even in bulk gifting. It might mean a couple of different options if you are going to implement authentically and with heart.” As for the specific items corporate gifters are looking for, gift cards—both physical and digital—lead the way, making up 37% of all gifts, with 51% of study participants including gift cards in their programs. Everyday branded products, gift baskets, edibles and apparel still represent large segments of the marketplace, but electronics and elevated branded merchandise are on trend. Barry says clients are looking for “brands, brands, brands.” “There has been a pivot to perceived value,” he says. “Nobody wants to be perceived as cheap.” Peter Hirsch, MAS, president of Houstonbased supplier Hirsch Gift, says buyers are increasingly looking for the “it factor,” and cites Amazon best-sellers and Oprah’s Favorite Things list as guides for particular items that are trending. “Retail top brands have a higher perceived value than a generic product that may be similar,” Hirsch says. “A generic speaker, for example, may appear similar to a JBL speaker, but the JBL speaker is backed by a research and development department of 250 engineers. That difference will be picked up by the discerning ear, but perhaps more importantly, the recipient is receiving a branded product that they have faith in and know is backed by a retail warranty.” Hirsch says that a major factor in the increase in corporate gifting spending comes from organizations cutting back their in-person events and instead using those marketing dollars on promotional products. To project for 2021-2024, Coresight Research landed on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. For comparison, the wCAGR for personal gifts is expected to be 6% during the same time frame. Ellis is the publisher and editor-in-chief at PPAI. | APRIL 2022 | 73 THINK
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