It’s that time a year again. It’s time for corporate gift
giving and the gifts have started to roll in. We’ve received the usual gift baskets full of yummy treats like candy,
cookies, and fruit. Some clients send alcohol or personalized items like tote
bags, fleece blankets, coffee mugs, and t-shirts and then there are the booby
prizes which typically consist of items that were left over from tradeshow
giveaways that the company couldn’t unload at the show—so they use them as
gifts.
We received the latter and it got us thinking about bad
holiday offerings, so we thought we’d put together a list of the five worst
corporate holiday gifts. In reverse order, they are:
5.
A
Charitable Donation (this is only really on the list because we couldn't think of a 5th and lists sound better with 5 things): I’m all about giving back, especially around
the holidays and I think it is noble that organizations make donations on
behalf of those they work with throughout the year, however what if the charity
is one that you don’t support? It could
be because you have declared that you only support charities that help children
or you only give to charities that fight cancer, or help puppies—I don’t know.
What I do know is that people are sensitive when it comes to charities, so if
you do make a donation ask the person that you’re honoring what cause they’d
like to contribute to.
4.
Amateur
Gift Baskets: It’s nice to send something homemade;
however those on the receiving end need to have peace of mind that the gift
they’re receiving is safe to consume. If
you go the homemade route remember presentation is IMPORTANT—I can’t stress
that enough!
2. Tradeshow Swag: While it’s a memorable gift, it’s memorable for the wrong reason.
1. An Invite to a Company Party: Most people don’t want to go to their own company’s party according to a recent Glassdoor survey, let alone feel obligated to go to a partner company’s party. By extending an invite to clients you’re guilting them into coming and nothing says, “Happy Holidays” like the gift that keeps on giving—guilt.
So that’s our list of the worst corporate gifts, do you
agree? Let us know if you have any
horror stories of awful gifts that other companies have sent you.
