Deciding Differences – 5 Distinctions Between Promotional Products and Corporate Gifts

Giving promotional products is one of the best ways a company can build trust and loyalty with its customers. Corporate gifts, on the other hand, are a great way to say, “Thank you,” for a job well done. People love getting free things like corporate gift cards, which is why promotional products and corporate gifts are so popular in the business world.

With that said, many people use the terms interchangeably, which is incorrect. Although both promotional products and corporate gifts are free, their similarities stop there. Below, we explore the many distinctions between promotional products and corporate gifts.

1. Purpose

The best promotional products and corporate gifts are printed with the company name or logo on them. The only difference there is that corporate gifts often display a smaller insignia than the promotional products because the company isn’t actually trying to sell its own employees anything. Instead, corporate gifts are given to employees or clients who have worked hard for, or been loyal to, the company for many years. They are a “thank you” for the hard work and loyalty a person has given.

Promotional products, by contrast, are items given away to customers as a way to promote the company and its products/services. Businesses will often give them away at trade shows when patrons stop by the booth and inquire about the company and what it offers.

2. Price

Because promotional products will be given away, and you’ll likely give many away, the typical promotional product costs less than $10 per piece.

On the other hand, because corporate gifts aren’t given as frequently and they’re meant as a sincere “thank you,” they usually cost more individually. For this reason, you may want to limit corporate gift giving to employees or clients who have displayed the highest level of dedication to your company.

3. Usefulness

As a general rule, the promotional products you hand out should be useful, so the recipient uses them often and sees your logo all the time. Examples of useful promotional products include water bottles, t-shirts, tote bags, pens, keychains, and sunglasses.

Corporate gifts are meant to impress the recipient, so you can be more selective in your choice of gift. Depending on the client, you may wish to consider well-crafted pens, luxury hampers, or watches.

4. Recipients

When handing out promotional products, you’ll want to be selective in who receives them. Anyone that could be a potential customer is a good candidate for a promotional product.

When giving corporate gifts, on the other hand, the recipient(s) are already your employee, client, or even contractors like your IT support company. You aren’t trying to reel them in, you’re just showing your appreciation for their dedication to your company.

5. Frequency

There is a big difference in how often you give out promotional products versus how often you give a corporate gift. Corporate gifts are something you only give out once or twice a year – often during the holidays – to show your appreciation to employees and clients who have stuck by your company throughout the year. These gifts are usually reserved for those who stand out or have gone above and beyond for your company.

Promotional products are something that should be a part of your daily marketing campaign. These promo items are handed out regularly throughout the year.

These are the main distinctions between promotional products and corporate gifts. As you can see the two are very different. Hopefully, now that you’ve read this article, you’ll know which one is appropriate for which occasion and be able to use them accordingly to grow your business.