Corporate giveaways are a great way to promote your brand and create lasting impressions. Typically branded with a company’s logo, these promotional items can be used at events or as gifts for customers and employees.
The right giveaway item goes a long way to creating a lasting customer or a loyal employee and company culture in the event that it’s internal corporate gifting.
Choosing the right corporate giveaways is crucial for promoting your brand and building relationships with customers (and staff). Giveaway items should be practical, unique, and relevant to the recipient. Practicality ensures it’ll be used and uniqueness ensures it (and your brand) will be remembered.
In this article, we’ll help you make sense of corporate giveaways. We’ll start by listing what you should consider when choosing your event giveaway. We’ll then discuss 17 creative giveaway ideas to get the cogs turning in your creative factory.
Finally, we’ll end with some tips for maximizing the effectiveness of your giveaway campaigns.
Criteria for Choosing Corporate Event Giveaways
You don’t want to be handing out items that are not fit for purpose, break on first use, are generic and cheap, or are irrelevant to your brand or identity.
The best companies put a lot of time and effort into designing their products with the end user in mind. You should similarly put some thought into each marketing activity your business does and ask yourself whether or not it is relevant, memorable, and beneficial to your business.
On the other hand, you know that with a giveaway, most people will not return and may, in fact, just be there for the free stuff. You need to balance overthinking or overspending on the giveaway with doing it cheaply or quickly, risking it being a waste of time and money.
Read more: How Long Should A Giveaway Last For?
Let’s look at five considerations you should make during the selection process and building of your corporate giveaways.
Have It Make Business Sense
By ‘business sense’ here, we mean two things: that it should not be financially ruinous for you and that you should run your giveaway in a way that directly benefits your business.
To ensure it’s not a huge loss-making exercise, run a rough calculation before (‘bush maths’ I like to call it – because you can do it anywhere, just in your head!).
You’ll want to calculate the revenue you’ll likely make from the increased brand awareness and leads you will collect in this campaign. Then, check that the giveaway items and the costs of running the giveaway sum to no more than the revenue you’ll likely make from it. If that checks out, you’re not likely to make a loss.
The simplest way to ensure it benefits your business is to turn every entrant in the giveaway into a lead you can later prospect or market to. The entrant will need to opt-in to marketing, of course.
Have each entrant leave their email address at the very least. The more valuable the giveaway item, the more info you can request. The ViralSweep Giveaway app makes it super easy to collect information in this manner.
Practicality and Usefulness
Go for something that people will actually use. This way, your customers and employees (in the case of employee gifts) will be reminded of your brand each time they pick it up.
For employees who go into an office or customers on the go, laptop bags or power banks are likely to be used more than, for example, an occasional gift like a t-shirt or cap.
Other practical items include pens, mugs, cups, and water bottles.
Relevance to Your Brand and Event
Choose a giveaway that aligns with your brand and the event you’re attending. If you’re holding a fitness event, drinks bottles or fitness gear will be most relevant – think gym gloves, sweat towels, jump ropes, running belts, and water bottles.
If you’re launching a new product or service, consider giveaways that use your product somehow.
For instance, if you’re launching new software, give items with a QR code that links to a free trial of the software – like a new-age business card. It could also link to a webpage with more info or FAQs.
Perhaps your event relates to travel. Then, consider a giveaway like a travel bag, passport cover, airplane pillow, sunglasses, an umbrella, a keychain/lanyard, or luggage tags.
Durability and Quality
Give away good-quality items. If they break easily, your brand will be associated with poor-quality promotional products instead of generosity and prestige.
Make sure it’s made from durable material and is designed well. Check for any defects in the item before giving it away.
Unfortunately, the companies you would typically use to provide a whole bunch of items are themselves trying to make a profit and have likely bought them in bulk from the lowest bidder.
As such, the quality can often leave much to be desired, and it would be in your interest to hunt around for a high-quality product made of good materials and built strongly.
Uniqueness and Creativity
Finally, you’ll want to think of something unique. Uniqueness sets you apart from other companies and encourages people to discuss your giveaway and evangelize your brand.
One idea could be a custom-made item with an added personal touch like the company logo or event name printed on it. Another option would be creative packaging for the business gifts rather than just giving away items in plain brown gift boxes.
Even more unique would be the entrant’s/customer’s name on the item. You’d need a printer or caligrapher on site, but it would be well worth the time and cost.
17 Awesome Corporate Event Giveaway Ideas
With the range of possible giveaway items not limited by anything, where do you begin?
Start by considering your target audience (who would you like to receive these items), the type of event (conference, trade show, etc.), and your brand’s image and perception in the public space.
Giveaways should be used to build connections and loyalty with your customers, not just give away something for the sake of it. To that end, what you give away should be practical, useful, and unique and be aligned with your brand identity.
Here, we’ll discuss corporate gift ideas for your next event across five categories: tech gadgets, drinkware, personalized swag, desk accessories, and edible treats.
You’ll have dozens of new ideas at the end of this section. You might even consider bundling some of these to make gift sets or baskets.
1. Tech Gadgets
Tech is an area many people won’t treat themselves in because of the overwhelming volume of options, jargon, and price ranges they’re confronted with. Help them get into the game and remember your brand with a useful everyday gadget.
Smartwatches
Smartwatches are all the rage as people increasingly strive for a more active, healthier lifestyle. Get your attendees a useful and fashionable timepiece that can track their sleep, count steps, and even track activities using GPS.
Even better if your brand is related to fitness and well-being in some way.
Bluetooth Speakers
A Bluetooth speaker is the perfect gift for traveling or accompanying someone at home while they do DIY or cook in the kitchen. All you need to offer is a small one with an intuitive interface, hopefully with your logo printed or etched in.
When it comes time for cooking, traveling, or DIYing, your brand will be top of mind again!
Wireless Earbuds
What I like about wireless earbuds, also known as true wireless earphones, is that you can find good quality ones at ridiculously low prices, like $20–30.
Find a sleek, good-sounding pair, probably black and with a space for your logo, and have your logo printed on.
2. Drinkware
Next, we arrive at a truly everyday use category. People consume beverages every day. Drinkware can include anything from mugs, tumblers, coasters, and shot glasses to coffee machines and beer and wine glassware.
Tumblers
A classic corporate giveaway item – every home has a branded tumbler that comes out with fine whisky!
Useful for both hot and cold beverages and classy in all situations. Try to keep your logo subtle and monochrome (probably in white) to align with the situations it might be used in.
Water Bottles
Useful at the gym, on the bike, in the car, at the office, etc. Water bottles are also a great way to show your green credentials – look for eco-friendly options like metal or glass water bottles.
Double-walled aluminum flask-style options are great for keeping fluids either hot or cold.
Coffee Mugs
Coffee mugs are a personal favorite of mine. People tend to get very attached to their coffee mugs and use them daily.
Make it unique with a mix of your logo and original designs. Print on the correct side of the mug using the right kind of ink for a longer-lasting outcome.
Travel mugs or flasks are a nice variation of this.
3. Personalized Swag
Personalized swag refers to typical clothing items garnished with your branding. Think hoodies, caps, backpacks, t-shirts, and so on.
It’s a great way to inject your brand into people’s daily lives subtly and effectively. And people need clothes, so this is a timeless option.
I’ve seen a lot of poorly done swag – either the branding design makes it completely unacceptable for public use, or the clothing is cheap, fits poorly, or is in ugly colors.
T-shirts
T-shirts are a foolproof way to get your brand out there. Try to make the design both subtle and attractive. Personally, I’m a fan of two styles:
- A small logo on the left breast, ideally on a white t-shirt; and
- A larger logo across the chest (perhaps even just the logo part without the name), and then a very small logo on the back right below the collar.
In the USA, where people are passionate and patriotic, an American flag somewhere on the t-shirt is usually looked upon favorably.
Hats
Hats are interesting swag because they’re more of a fashion accessory than a clothing item. It’s very easy to go over the top with hat branding, so keep it simple and ensure your logo looks good in small sizes.
Add a slogan or hashtag related to your brand to give it that extra personal touch – maybe down the side.
Trucker caps are suitable for some situations, like fitness or outdoor brands, but generally, they don’t suit people well. A standard, single-color cotton cap is a safe bet—logo on the front, velcro, or snap-adjust strap on the back.
Tote Bags
Tote bags: a great daily storage option, and they look good too. Think of a tote bag as a mini-billboard – silk screen or embroider your logo onto the side, and you’ll have an instant classic.
And they’re useful, so people will keep them around longer and get more value out of them. Shopping, the beach, your partner’s house. With drawstring or without.
You could go all-out and make a statement with personalized fabric bags: canvas, or leather, with your branding on the outside and pockets for storage inside. More expensive but with a longer usable life.
In a similar vein are duffel bags. More expensive, especially at scale, but it could go a long way with the right brand.
4. Desk Accessories
People tend to be very picky about their desk space, so give them something that will fit in with the rest of their items and look good on their desks.
Think classy, brushed aluminum or stainless steel items or subtle-branded stationery.
Notebooks
Notebooks come in all shapes and sizes, so you can find one that fits your brand perfectly.
For example, to convey a professional image, use an A5 hardcover notebook – maybe with a Moleskine cover. Or how about a spiral-bound notepad or jotter for something more casual? Coloring books are also good for an audience with kids.
Pens
And they don’t just have to be the boring black-and-blue variety. Explore different colors and materials, like wood or stainless steel.
Highlighters are also a type of pen that may suit professions like law and town planning well. Source pens with ink that doesn’t fade away or dry up quickly. A similar option is a branded stylus for use with a tablet or smartphone.
Cell Phone Stands
Phone stands are highly practical and something people will use every day. My phone informs me that I unlocked it over 70 times yesterday.
Now, imagine someone’s phone is on a stand with your logo, and they look at it 70 times in one day – that’ll probably stick! Find one with a hole for a cable at the bottom.
Flash Drives
Perhaps less and less useful with the rise of cloud storage, but if you can hit the right audience, a flash drive can be a great giveaway.
Keep up with modern standards and make it a USB-C flash drive, which fits phones (except iPhones!), tablets, and almost every laptop.
Notable Mentions
Other cool items people always have on their desks are mousepads and chargers (for phones, tablets, e-readers, etc.), stress balls or other stress relievers, and – more recently – hand sanitizers.
5. Edible Treats
Everyone loves edible treats – from custom-labeled candy to branded cookies. Perhaps the least memorable of the lot as they get devoured quickly, but it still helps that someone is literally putting your branded item into their mouth!
Chocolates
Go for something reasonably priced with a good shelf life so you can give them away at least two weeks in advance. Custom shapes are possible, too – hearts, circles, cars, etc.
Maybe there is a provider out there who can emboss your logo onto the chocolate during the molding process?
Gourmet Popcorn
A slightly healthier option is gourmet popcorn. Enjoyable to eat, and the packaging can be customized with your logo or a message. Or you can pre-pop the popcorn, package it in small bags or boxes, and add your branding to that as well.
Customized Cookies
The best thing about ordering customized cookies is that you can be as creative as you like.
Order ones with your logo. Choose from different flavors and shapes – maybe even full color – to make your giveaway cookies unique.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Corporate Event Giveaways
We’ve seen that the tried-and-tested corporate giveaways is still a viable marketing channel. You’re handing someone something that, theoretically, they’ll use for a long time! That makes it a good opportunity to etch your brand into the recipient’s memory.
Here, we’ll look at a checklist of five top tips to maximize the effectiveness of the next giveaway you run.
Choose Items That are Useful and Relevant to Your Audience
When choosing the best items to give away, consider what will be most useful and relevant to your audience.
Consider things like bottle openers, coolers, coasters, golf balls, etc., for an outdoor event or more stationary items such as planners and tins. Whatever you decide on, make sure it’s something people can use!
Make Sure Your Branding is Visible
There’s no point in having giveaways if your brand doesn’t feature. Ensure the items you give away are branded with a logo, tagline, or website address.
Use imprinting, engraving, embroidering – whatever works best for the item!
Consider the Packaging
If you’ll hand out items in boxes or tins, make sure they are customized. Consider adding a touch of color or special finishes like foil stamping.
But don’t only consider the aesthetics of the packaging – think about sustainability too. Use eco-friendly bags or materials like biodegradable plastic, which can be recycled better.
Brands that make a conscious and public decision to switch to, for example, cardboard packaging where previously they used plastic or polystyrene have made bold and memorable statements.
Use Corporate Giveaways as a Way to Drive Engagement
It’s not just about handing out items at an event but also looking for ways of driving engagement with them.
For example, you could create a hashtag associated with the giveaway and ask attendees to post photos or set up an online survey about the gifts.
You could also use giveaways to collect data from attendees, such as contact details which can be used for follow-up emails after the event.
Pro-tip: You could also turn to co-marketing to reach wider audience and boost engagement.
Don’t Skimp on Quality
This isn’t just a reflection on your event but also on your brand: if people receive cheap and flimsy items, it could leave a bad impression. Invest in your giveaways – they’ll last longer and be more appreciated. Focus on quality in the following areas:
- Materials – for example, a leather or aluminum card holder over a plastic one.
- Printing – use full-color printing for t-shirts and other apparel.
- Sustainability – consider options like biodegradable materials and eco-friendly packaging.
- Shapes – choose from different flavors, shapes, or 3D models to make your giveaway unique.
- Weight – strangely, people associate higher mass with higher quality.
Run Your Corporate Giveaways with ViralSweep!
Now that you’re armed with tips and ideas for making your corporate giveaways succeed, you should begin testing!
We discussed many things, including the criteria for choosing your giveaway items, no less than 17 ideas for actual giveaway items, and five tips for making the most of your corporate giveaways.
ViralSweep can help you with your giveaways. Chiefly, it’ll help you keep track of those taking part in your giveaway – making it simple to turn them into leads and new customers.
You can use ViralSweep to create a hashtag for your giveaway and collect data from the people who participate on social media. Learn more about the ViralSweep Giveaway app here – one of their more suitable applications for running giveaways.
