27% of businesses believe that giving gifts increases referrals, and helps build and strengthen your customer base. Your gift doesn’t have to be big or expensive; it’s the very act of giving a gift that makes that lasting impression (the phrase “it’s the thought that counts” rings true for corporate gifting, too).
Whether you decide to give a gift or not could sometimes mean the difference between winning that big account, to missing out, and it’s not for the reasons you might think.
That's why we believe giving gifts could save your brand, and here’s how.
1) Gifts strengthen your relationships
Gift-giving is one of the best ways to strengthen relationships that last. Daniel Farrelly, professor of psychology at the University of Worcester, argues that because we’re a social species, gifting is in our DNA:
2) They also nurture new ones
With everyone being bombarded with emails and calls promoting great offers every single moment of every. single. day…catching your prospect’s attention can sometimes feel like you’re wading against absolute chaos.
If you’re in the habit of CTRL-ALT-DELETE-ing everything every morning, what’s to say your prospects aren’t doing the same? To grab their attention, and keep it, you need to stand out from the crowd, you need to make a big impact.
By sending a personal, thoughtful gift that makes a lasting impression, you’ll do just that. If you start your relationship off with a superbly positive tone, you’ll be on your way to a positive working relationship in no time.
3) Gifts are the rocket fuel to brand awareness
Getting your brand in front of people is half the battle, the rest is keeping their attention.
Everyone loves to receive a gift, right? Even you! You’ll know that any brand that has sent you a gift, be it a free chocolate bar or even just a card to say thanks, they leave a lasting impression, right?
The emotional bond that forms puts their brand in the forefront of your mind, and the next time you need them, you know exactly who to call.
4) The science of reciprocity
Gifting isn’t only theoretically beneficial to your brand, it’s been proven to be. In their book, Yes! 60 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion, Steve J. Martin, Noah J. Goldstein, and Robert Cialdini explore how you can use reciprocity to benefit your brand.
In an experiment performed by behavioural scientist David Strohmetz, a waiter gifts customers different quantities of mints. When the waiter gives a table two mints per person, tips increased by 14.1%. When he gives them only one, tips increase by a measly 3.3%. However, when the waiter gives tables one mint per person, walks away, and then comes back and gives everyone an extra mint, tips increased by a whopping 23%.
This is reciprocity in action. The customers wanted to give back to the waiter who had exerted an extra effort in making them feel special, with a gift.
Reciprocity is the secret sauce of making your gifting campaign worth it.
Giving gifts isn’t just good for your brand, it’s biologically good for you, too. It has been scientifically proven that gifting:
And that warm, fuzzy feeling you get after giving a gift? Scientists have worked that one out, too. It’s actually a chemical reaction where serotonin (aka the mood-mediating chemical) is released in your brain, along with dopamine (a feel-good chemical) and oxytocin (the bonding chemical). These all combined create that wholesome satisfied feeling we get when gifting.
Rethink your gifting agenda to reinvigorate your brand’s marketing campaigns. Why not read more about why we love gifting so much? Plus, check out these 7 gifting secrets for branding success.
To explore our range of trending gifts, get in touch today. Isn’t it time to get your gifting on?