A personalised gift is a gift targeted to a person by including his name, or a gift that is specially picked based on his tastes or interests. It is fun, as it puts a smile on your customer's face. Knowing that you thought of them specifically, and went out of your way to find something so meaningful, will put you at the top of their mind always. It takes corporate gifting to the next level.

Most items can be personalised and a gift with your name on it will never go in the bin. While it is more expensive than other options, it is certainly a most effective marketing strategy. It is ideal for more valuable gifts, such as picnic hampers or diaries. Let's face it, everyone receives several diaries every year and they are more likely to keep the one with their name on it.

Dome decals can be placed on many types of gifts, as many now include recesses. These gifts use a different process, which does not involve creating a special plate and it can be done digitally, so it is not as expensive. Of course, you won't be doing thousands of these gifts, but only some for your best clients.

Engraving is another option, and it is a lot more subtly branded, but it is valuable because people keep it.

Some of the other gifts that work well with personalisation, include gift hampers to top directors, which could include their names on a brass plaque. Each gift could constitute a high monetary value, but the value of your client’s name on the plaque is worth a lot more.

A good strategy for personal gifting, is to take your top 200 clients, and personalise only the top 10% of those people's gifts. The rest can receive regular gifts. This will give you some powerful options and will be sensitive to the overall budget as well.

If you take an interest in your top clients, remember their family, too. This takes personalised gifts to the next level, and it will ensure that they continue supporting your business.

Ask your branding company for help in drafting a gifting strategy for your business. They would have many years experience in what works and what doesn’t and would be in a perfect position to identify gifts that can be appropriately personalised.

We would like to encourage you to implement the guidelines in this article straight away. If you are not sure how to get started or how it best applies to your business, please contact us and we will be happy to share some further thoughts with you.