What branding to use

There are so many branding options that even I get taken by surprise from time to time.

It takes quite some research to get on top of all this branding.

As a rule of thumb: Items given away on mass, like fun run t-shirts etc should have big branding on it, but do remember that your runner’s number needs some special as well and try not to have your logo so big that it is partially covered by the runner’s number.

On days like these less really is less. Your single branded banner may look larger than life in your office, but on a day where there are masses of entrants, masses of watering points, you need to go big or as the critics say, go home.


For more personalized gift such as the ones that you give to your individual clients, subtle branding is always best.

Here is a list of some of the forms of branding that are available.

• cap printing;
• 3d embroidery;
• branded ribbon;
• customized labels;
• domed stickers;
• embroidery;
• foiling;
• laser engraving;
• pad printing;
• sand blasting;
• scratch engraving;
• screen printing;
• tip in pages;
• YAG engraving;
• gift wrapping.

Happy Branding

What are some of our most frequently requested gifts?

This is a question that I often get asked। A lot of clients find that it is very difficult to choose what to give on the various occasions that clients have to receive gifts. It is heard to ask outright what a client wants.

That is rather like your spouse or girl find or boyfriend asking what you would like as a gift. There is no element of surprise at all. But perhaps you could send out a survey at the beginning of the year to your clients and find out what they like or have already received.
When your Financial Director approves a budget for you, then you pretty much have to stick to it, but that does not have to mean that your gifts can’t be great or well appreciated. Some of the best gifts are items that can be consumed, for example we recently supplied a Nomu hot chocolate and cocoa box and the recipients loved it. Consumables get used up and not left for years on end in a cupboard.
But to answer the question plain and simply, here are some of our most frequently requested gifts.
Eventing companies and advertising companies often request low cost gifts and in this category our top sellers are:
• Caps;
• Lanyards;
• Pens;
• Stress Balls;
• Wallets
• And of course for 2010 soccer balls
Corporate Companies order products that have a higher value. Our most popular products are:
• Business Card Holders;
• Hampers;
• Laptop trolley bags;
• Moleskine notebooks;
• Outdoor gifts;
• Picnic baskets;
• Wine;
• Wine tool boxes


Happy Shopping.

All I want for Christmas

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.