Holiday Gifts

Summer is here, golf courses are packed, people are at the summer cottage and your marketing department is likely already looking into this holiday gifts. Seems crazy but it’s true. This year the first contact I had from a supplier regarding holiday gifts was just after Victoria Day in May.

Each year marketing departments try to come up with new and unique yet a generic enough gift that will make the masses happy. For smaller firms and sole practitioners this can be somewhat easier as they have the ability to purchase individual gifts and can do it later in the year.

Some firms have forgone the generic gift (usually larger ones) and rather give a monetary donation to a charity, hospital or community organization that is aligned with the firms’ values. This can be a great solution for firms that have simply out grown the ability to purchase individual gifts or have realized that budget constraints will not allow them to purchase a generic gift.

Where gift giving becomes difficult is when the size of the firm is somewhere in between – they want to give a gift but do not have the ability to source individual items. At this point the ability to come up with something that is generic enough yet special can take time and finding something that falls within budget is often more challenging than people think. New items are great but finding ones that fit your brand and your client’s tastes is a challenge. Thus the marketing department will begin the process in the summer.

So if you come to your Marketing department in November with a great idea for a holiday gift, don’t be surprised if they tell you “next year”