Gifting for us is about three things: supporting local, quality over quantity and building connections. It is a gesture of care and kindness and one that requires genuine thought.
When I receive an unexpected gift in the post, I do a little happy dance while opening it. Thoughts like ‘Who could this be from?’ and ‘What little treasures are hidden inside?’ race through my mind. When I eventually open the gift, I usually feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. More often than not, what I’m grateful for is the thought that went into curating the gift and the fact that someone I know took time out of their day to do this for me. For me and for so many people, that’s the true value of the gift.
When it comes to corporate gifting, the same sentiment applies. It’s not always ‘the thought that counts’ especially when no thought at all goes into the gift. Employees recognise the difference between good quality, personalised gifts and gifts that are rushed and pieced together without any thought or consideration. Last summer, we worked with a corporate client to create a bespoke gift box for their team and it was one of our favourite curations of 2021 for so many reasons.
Firstly, the theme of the gift box was significant. Before the pandemic, every summer the whole team got together for a barbeque. It was an opportunity for everyone to connect with each other socially and on a more personal level. Events like this are proven to have a positive impact on company morale and can mean the difference between engaged employees and employees who feel like they are just part of the corporate machine. In a virtual, remote working environment, having to cancel events like this was inevitable. Nonetheless, some companies, like our corporate client, found new ways to connect with their employees in a meaningful way.
We worked with our client to create a colourful gift box of locally sourced Irish products. Three of the items were sourced from suppliers in Co. Kerry as the team had a special connection with 'The Kingdom'. We sourced chocolate kebabs (in place of meat and vegetable skewers) from Wilde Irish Chocolates in Co. Clare to bring the BBQ theme to life in a unique and scrumptious way.
The reaction to the gift boxes was overwhelmingly positive. There is no doubt that this was down to the thoughtfulness of the gift boxes. The BBQ theme evoked positive memories of togetherness and helped to create a more meaningful connection between the giver and the recipient.
Contents:
- Brand ‘Have a Cool Summer’ box sticker created by Boxable
- ‘Have a cool summer’ greeting card
- Milk chocolate kebab with marshmallows, handmade fudge and jellies
- Coffee beans
- Cupán tea
- Handmade fudge
- Shortbread biscuits
- Chocolate bar
All products were locally sourced from Irish suppliers in Co. Kerry, Co. Clare, Co. Cork and Co. Waterford.