Finding the right corporate gifts can be a challenging undertaking for many. The beCAUSE minded blogs usually focus on helping our readers discover how to find great referral, employee, and client gifts. But sometimes the best way to learn is from your (or others’) mistakes. So, today I’m going to share a few times folks totally missed the mark, and tips to help you avoid these mistakes! When Corporate Gifts Go Wrong 

I’ve received countless corporate gifts. Some are really thoughtful, and it’s immediately evident that a significant amount of thought went into choosing the gift. Some are practical and immediately put to good use. Others are unique to their brand, such as free product. Any of these types of gifts can be a suitable corporate gift. However, sometimes, corporate gifts really miss the mark.

Let me give you a few examples from my personal experience. 

The generic branded coffee mug: I recently received a branded coffee mug from a company I do a lot of business with. I have a collection of coffee mugs I love – some beautifully crafted, like our Taino Mug, and some sentimental, like the one my mother-in-law got me with photos on it from my Boston-qualifying Berlin Marathon. In a small home, we aren’t afforded the luxury of keeping an excess of mugs…or an excess of anything for that matter. When I got the mug, I was on a call with a co-worker, and I chuckled and said, “So…should I donate this today or wait a couple of weeks?” It wasn’t that I couldn’t appreciate the gesture at all, but I simply don’t have a need for a generic branded coffee mug.   

When Corporate Gifts Go Wrong The charitable donation: Another time, during the holidays, I got a gift from a client. While I didn’t expect to receive anything from them, I was pleasantly surprised they viewed us a gift-worthy partner. When I opened the gift, I found a postcard in the box. It was a pre-printed postcard with a notice explaining they had made a donation to a non-profit organization that year in lieu of gifts. You know I am a huge fan of supporting all the causes. But this gift was a miss. Why? It lacked any kind of personal connection. To me, it came across as a PSA about their contribution more than a gift. 

The XL branded t-shirt & branded socks: The person who gifted me these items had never met me in real life, but when this gift arrived, it seemed more like leftover product than a genuine thank you gift for a donation I’d made to their organization. The shirt was 3 sizes too big, and the socks were cycling socks, but I’m not a cyclist, nor did the organization have a tie to cycling. I didn’t expect a gift, and truth be told, this organization would have been better served to forgo gifting altogether than send something that came across as a method of expending extra materials instead of a “thank you.” 

What could each of these companies done differently to make their gifts more impactful? Let’s go through each example. 

When Corporate Gifts Go Wrong The generic branded coffee mug: In this situation, instead of a branded coffee mug, which very few people would appreciate these days, the client could have selected an item more consumable, like a candle or actual coffee beans. This way, the recipient could use what they provided without cluttering up shelf space.  

The charitable donation: We are a company who provides corporate gifts that give back. So, we are completely on board with corporations who opt for a charitable gift during the holidays. The miss here was that I found myself not knowing how my gift contributed financially to the organization. They could have specified the amount given for each postcard sent. Or better yet, they could have given me a charity gift card to an organization, like TisBest Philanthropy, that would allow me to choose which organization will receive the funds.  

The XL branded t-shirt & branded socks: Nonprofit budgets are tight. No judgement there. In fact, compliments to focusing on your primary objective! But rather than give an ill-fitting shirt and cycling socks, this group could have mailed a hand-written card or sponsored a small lunch for their top sponsors. 

We hope you will find these anecdotal stories helpful in planning your corporate gifts! Do you have any stores you’d like to share of underwhelming or superstar gifts? Share them in the comments!