More holiday gift giving ideas

We're getting ready for the holiday season, so this week's Quick Tip from Marketing Mentor offered a few resources we'll be using for client gifts.

Here are others suggested by readers:

• Roxana Villa's Illuminated Perfume Scented Samples and more.
• Etsy, a great place to buy (and sell) all things handmade.
• Pat Forbes suggests the Williams Sonoma Bay leaf wreath and glazed apricots—kid of a healthy, but yummy gift.
• From Lauri Beamish: "One of the neatest gift ideas I have ever seen, whether it's for business or someone you love is the "Ribbon" program. You purchase a gift album that comes with a gift card. The recipient looks thru the gift album and picks exactly what they would like. Then they can either redeem their gift thru snail-mail or online. They have general albums (by 4 of the $25.00 ones, get 1 FREE) or specialty albums whether you're shopping for a teen, for  a wedding, etc. I thought this was such a great experience after I received one as a gift, I started selling them! Everyone I have ever given one to loves it and it's perfect for those fussy teens that no one can ever shop for. This way you know you're getting them something they like. LOL. Take a look." (EDITOR'S NOTE: Lauri is an affiliate marketer for this service.)
• Marina Aubert has a great idea with long term effect: "I'm sending out to my best clients a small box containing a "christmas kit for the office". It contains a couple elegant christmas balls, a piece of tinsel and nice snowman pins to hang them to the office walls. I will also add some chocolates and a greeting card."
• Jezra Kaye suggests Heifer International. "Your prospect or client gets a beautiful card, and your gift money buys ducks or chickens or (if you want to splurge) a sheep or goat or water buffalo that produces food and income for a poor family. Heifer sets up breeding programs in villages, so your gift literally keeps on giving. Win-win-win."
• Teresa Magnuson of Designwise Digital writes, "I recently sent a handful of my top clients a sheet of personalized stamps from Photostamps.com. I designed each one to include the client's logo and either used holiday colors for borders, added holly berries, or used snowflakes or snowmen in the backgrounds (so as not to take away from their logo.) Then I sent a Thank You note telling them how this was a small reminder of my Creative Marketing, (with of course Smart Design) and mentioned they could use the stamps for their own marketing, or any way they saw fit!"
• Bill Weber, is a distributor for logomark.com, a great line of imprinted promotional products. Logomark is unique in the logo gift business in that every client gets 24-hour service -- you don't have to be a big million-dollar distributor or place a giant order to get treated well.  At this late date, Logomark will deliver!
• And Elliot Joel, a client who is currently knee-deep in a huge project, took time to send this: "Whenever possible i try to give something homemade:
  
  • FOOD (cake, cookies, etc.) i am "known" for my cranberry relish and clients look for it. in fact one client used to hide it in the back of the fridge and wait til her husband went to bed to eat it!)
  • CLOTHING- one year i made scarfs for my clients (by buying great fabric, cutting it out and pinning it and then taking it to a tailor to sew)
  • DESK STUFF- one year i made collages of each client and my relationship (or a favorite event we worked on) and made a mousepad, a mug, a folder i always make the wrapping extra special.....and over the top...sometime i even make the wrapping paper...after all it is showing my creativity, too"
• And an anonymous emailer suggested a magazine subscription tailored to your client's interests. "Each time a new issue arrives, your client thinks of you." I've done that with Cook's Illustrated for my clients who love to cook.

Any more out there to add?

Comments

[Dennis Dilday]

Great ideas, especially the Heifer International thing; and the magazine subscription is clever. The idea of being conscious about your gift giving makes sense out of giving gifts during the holidays.

[JoAnn Takasaki]

Last year I went to the Dollar Store and got tall, blank prayer candles. Then on my inkjet I created custom labels. The front had a wonderful image from an artist friend. The back provided tongue-in-cheek instructions about how to wish for good copy and contact me. Total cost for each gift was under $2 yet it was very personal and homemade.

In past years, I've made marinades, vinegars, oils, and jams with custom labels. This year I'm making a spice rub that I'm calling "Rub Me Tender." I usually find great jars at Cost Plus World Market, usually for about $1 each.

[lidia varesco design]

How about a personalized Sharpie?
http://www.sharpie.com

Paired with a notebook, it could make a nice gift!

[Justin Cole]

Great ideas....