The Benefits of Brand-guided Holiday Gifts for Employees

Leverage your brand to create an intentional experience and give your team a holiday to remember!

It makes sense that businesses focus heavily on their customer base towards the end of the year. Holiday marketing campaigns, Q4 wrap-ups, and extra sales pushes get the most real estate in our brains in November and December, and for good reason. One-third of small businesses in the United States report that Q4 is their most profitable time of the year across industries.

But while you're finishing out 2022 strong with your customers, remember to pay attention to the other people who help make your business great. Your staff! Choosing the best gifts for your employees is easy to do when driven by your brand’s story.

Nurture how your brand resonates with your staff

The holidays can be stressful for everyone, and after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we move right onto a busy new year. Don't let the end-of-year grind cause you to lose touch with your staff. Your team should be able to see and feel the intention of your brand at every level and have opportunities to stay engaged with it. Remember, branding isn't just for your customers - your company's internal stakeholders will be your best assets if they're bought into the brand too. 

Keep staff retention top of mind.

You don't want to lose great team members any time of the year, but you should pay especially close attention to retention goals during Q4 and Q1 when employees are more likely to be burnt out and setting goals for the new year, which hopefully doesn’t include searching for a new job. 

Replacing an employee is costly for businesses and hurts team morale. Use your internal branding wisely by staying true to your brand messaging and following through with delivery for your employees. Remember, many of your employees likely came to work for you in the first place because your brand aligned with their values. Don't waste your resources on optics. When it comes to choosing the right employee holiday gifts, be authentic, consistent, and creative to keep team members engaged, even during a busy holiday season.

Tell your company's story with brand-guided employee holiday gifts.

This is where you put your money where your mouth is. Meaningful, brand-guided gifts are a great way to show your team what your company is all about and make them feel like they're part of that mission. 

Employee holiday gifts should feel like an extension of your brand, curated thoughtfully and with intention. Don't just slap your logo on any old promotional item and call it a gift. Select premium branded items that match your brand message and align with the values and needs of your team members.

If you're a company that's all about environmental sustainability, every one of your gifts should come from sustainable sources. If your company's brand centers around the local community, your gifts should come from local businesses!

Consider outside-the-box gifts that align with your brand as well. Donations to charity, company events, and out-of-office experiences may align better with your brand and resonate more deeply with your team.

If you're a company that focuses on pets, a charity drive for a local shelter might fit the bill. And what could be more fun than box seats for your team at a football game if you're a sports marketing company? 

After you have chosen the perfect gift, tie it all together with the delivery. Even the most carefully selected gifts won’t mean as much if the mission behind them isn’t properly communicated.  At Quill Creative Studio, we always recommend including some kind of communication piece, like a card or message printed on the box, that serves to reinforce your brand story and strengthen the gift’s message.

Your staff should be able to feel the intention and see your company's story woven into effort.

Plan your staff gifts ahead

Employees shouldn't be an afterthought during the holidays. Full integration of your brand at every level of your company builds the trust and confidence of your employees, makes them feel valued, and ensures they want to stick around for longer!

Putting your brand message and strategy into practice is what we do best at Quill Creative Studio. If you need help putting together intentional, brand-guided gifts or experiences for your company this holiday season, let's chat!