Earlier on this year, I did a survey with my suppliers to find out what their top selling products were to assist Belle Regalo with comparing our top selling gifts and to see if there were gaps in our offering that we needed to fill.
Later we followed with an on-line corporate gift survey with community members mostly entrepreneurs to see what their top gifts were that they wanted in the following three categories:
1. For a conference gift.
2. For the end of the year gifts.
3. For a sporting event gifts.
It seems that a lot of women have an issue with what they get because so many of them responded. In fact over 75% of the respondents were women.
Our results were:
Conference Gifts:
Top position: Conference bag: But one that is beaded or hand painted. = 19.44%
Position 2 & 3: USB and pen both got 8.33%
Other items mentioned: Beach bag; compact umbrella;, bath treats; clock; gadget; goody bag; IPOD; map book; GPS; shoe bag; music; toiletry bag with goodies inside
End of the Year Gifts
Top position: Pampering gift (hamper or Spa Voucher) = 19.44%
Positions 2, 3, 4 & 5: Binocular, wine, chocolates, hampers = 5.56%
Other items mentioned: Cooking hamper; crystal glasses; diaries, flash drive; gadget; hamper; preserved figs
Sporting Event Gifts
Top Position and position 2: Tracksuits and umbrella = 11.11%
Position 3: Windbreaker, but it needed to be fashionable = 8.33%
Other items mentioned: Calorie watch; caps; cooler bags; digital photo frame; fold up chair; hamper; hat; jacket; leatherman (not an imitation one); picnic hamper; t-shirt; water bottle
Respondents by Industry
Advertising: 2.78%
Banking: 8.33%
Beauty: 2.78%
Broadcasting: 2.78%
Coaching: 5.56%
Events: 25%
Finance: 2.78%
Healthcare: 2.78%
Immigration: 2.78%
Incentives: 2.78%
Legal: 5.56%
Marketing: 13.89%
Recruitment: 2.78%
Secretarial: 2.78%
Tourism: 5.56%
Other: 8.30%
What is startling is that I recently did a survey of what some of my suppliers gave as their top selling gifts. I say some because not all of them were willing to release this information.
There is a strong contrast between what people want and what corporate gift buyers are buying. The only item that matched up was cooler bags. They are on the wanted and sold list.
The results made me think of a conversation that I had with one of the BWA / Nedbank Business Woman of the Year finalists for last year, she remarked “I can not tell you how many of those stainless steel coffee mugs I have”.
It is sad when we focus our corporate gift procurement merely on what the budget allows and do not take into account what our customers want.
I encourage you to ask some of your top clients what they have already received as a gift and what they are most likely to appreciate. Ask for about 3 – 4 ideas and then match your corporate gifts budget to that or re-think your strategy.
Later we followed with an on-line corporate gift survey with community members mostly entrepreneurs to see what their top gifts were that they wanted in the following three categories:
1. For a conference gift.
2. For the end of the year gifts.
3. For a sporting event gifts.
It seems that a lot of women have an issue with what they get because so many of them responded. In fact over 75% of the respondents were women.
Our results were:
Conference Gifts:
Top position: Conference bag: But one that is beaded or hand painted. = 19.44%
Position 2 & 3: USB and pen both got 8.33%
Other items mentioned: Beach bag; compact umbrella;, bath treats; clock; gadget; goody bag; IPOD; map book; GPS; shoe bag; music; toiletry bag with goodies inside
End of the Year Gifts
Top position: Pampering gift (hamper or Spa Voucher) = 19.44%
Positions 2, 3, 4 & 5: Binocular, wine, chocolates, hampers = 5.56%
Other items mentioned: Cooking hamper; crystal glasses; diaries, flash drive; gadget; hamper; preserved figs
Sporting Event Gifts
Top Position and position 2: Tracksuits and umbrella = 11.11%
Position 3: Windbreaker, but it needed to be fashionable = 8.33%
Other items mentioned: Calorie watch; caps; cooler bags; digital photo frame; fold up chair; hamper; hat; jacket; leatherman (not an imitation one); picnic hamper; t-shirt; water bottle
Respondents by Industry
Advertising: 2.78%
Banking: 8.33%
Beauty: 2.78%
Broadcasting: 2.78%
Coaching: 5.56%
Events: 25%
Finance: 2.78%
Healthcare: 2.78%
Immigration: 2.78%
Incentives: 2.78%
Legal: 5.56%
Marketing: 13.89%
Recruitment: 2.78%
Secretarial: 2.78%
Tourism: 5.56%
Other: 8.30%
What is startling is that I recently did a survey of what some of my suppliers gave as their top selling gifts. I say some because not all of them were willing to release this information.
There is a strong contrast between what people want and what corporate gift buyers are buying. The only item that matched up was cooler bags. They are on the wanted and sold list.
The results made me think of a conversation that I had with one of the BWA / Nedbank Business Woman of the Year finalists for last year, she remarked “I can not tell you how many of those stainless steel coffee mugs I have”.
It is sad when we focus our corporate gift procurement merely on what the budget allows and do not take into account what our customers want.
I encourage you to ask some of your top clients what they have already received as a gift and what they are most likely to appreciate. Ask for about 3 – 4 ideas and then match your corporate gifts budget to that or re-think your strategy.
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