Gift Planning 101: SOBO’s Top Tips for Crafting Memorable Gifting Campaigns

By Dean Schwartz (SWAG Master): Sending gifts as part of a campaign is more of an art than a science, unlike traditional marketing. However, we find that clients who can answer these five questions upfront tend to be more satisfied with the results once the campaign concludes. Our SWAG Experts will guide you through and work to find the following:

1) Why are you considering this investment?

• Are you looking to address a sales issue, such as needing more referrals, faster sales cycles, open cross-selling opportunities, or access to higher-level customers?
• Or is the goal to enhance relationships, whether with partners, employees, or clients, and ensure their loyalty?
• It’s crucial to have a clear goal in mind rather than adopting a “let’s invest and see what happens” approach. The reason behind the gift determines the recipient, and that’s where the magic happens.

2) Who should be excluded from the list for now?

• While it’s easy to add people, removing individuals can increase the impact for those who remain.
• With a fixed budget, it’s essential to adjust the list to fit the budget rather than altering the budget to accommodate the list.

3) When should gifts be delivered, and what’s the strategic timing?

• Timing matters, whether it’s before, during, or after an event. Consider the impact on creating anticipation, reinforcing a theme, or providing a final call-to-arms.
• Design campaigns where gifts coincide with key milestones, creating surprise-and-delight moments.

4) How much should you invest, and where will the budget come from?

• If tied to a sales cycle, the budget should align with the value of the process. For instance, an onboarding milestone may warrant a larger budget than a demo milestone.
• Allocate 5%-15% of net profit, depending on whether the goal is retention or referrals.

5) What type of gifts should you choose? Individual or the same for all?

• For a small number of recipients, individual gifts might be feasible. However, for larger campaigns, uniform gifts are more practical.
• Consider the balance between personalization and scalability in your gift selection.

Effective campaigns require thoughtful consideration, and leadership should be involved in planning, if not execution. If you find this process overwhelming, SOBO Concepts can help. We’ll help streamline and enhance your gifting strategies starting with a simple call. Click the button below to let us know you’re interested and we’ll follow up with you!