{"id":3034,"date":"2015-12-07T18:50:23","date_gmt":"2015-12-07T22:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/?p=3034"},"modified":"2015-12-07T18:50:23","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T22:50:23","slug":"my-100-year-old-promotional-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/2015\/12\/07\/my-100-year-old-promotional-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"My 100-Year-Old Promotional Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every Fall, ASI conducts a corporate gift-giving survey<\/a> to find out how much companies across the country are spending on client and employee gifts this holiday season. And every year the results confirm that a quality gift is the best way to express appreciation and build relationships.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

People from all kinds of industries told us that when they get a corporate thank-you gift it makes them feel appreciated, grateful and valued. And, when we asked about their most memorable gift, they responded with great enthusiasm for everything from a branded umbrella, laptop sleeve and reciprocating saw (yes, really!) to steaks, bourbon truffles and activity trackers \u2013 a list that goes to prove that you don\u2019t necessarily have to spend a lot to get a big return.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m living proof of that concept, which really is the central tenet of our entire industry. I still have one of the gifts my grandmother received probably 100 years ago from Rose\u2019s Store in St. Louis Crossing, Indiana, the tiny village where I grew up. When she passed away, she left it to me. To this day, I have it displayed in my house as a reminder of grandma, that simple little store, and growing up in Indiana farmland.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

More recently, I gave 10 of my closest friends a fleece with a logo designed for a special trip I took with them all to Argentina to celebrate my 50th birthday. The trip and the logoed items I gave everyone were my way of thanking them for the big part they play in my life, each and every day.<\/p>\n

Occasionally, three years later, three or four of us will show up at a party wearing that same fleece. Like the best promo products, a fleece \u2013 or a plate or a USB, or any one of thousands of branded products \u2013 is practical, useful and attractive. It\u2019s why people keep such items around for years \u2013 or even decades.<\/p>\n

Our annual gift-giving study turned up a ton of useful stats I encourage you to take on sales calls as further proof of the enduring effectiveness of this low-cost, high-ROI advertising medium. Whether you\u2019re thanking loyal clients for their business, courting potential ones or showing your own employees how much they mean to you, you really can\u2019t beat a branded item.<\/p>\n

Nate Kucsma, ASI\u2019s marketing research director, said that what struck him the most about the 2015 results is that companies are spending more overall on employee gifts this year than on client gifts. That makes sense in an increasingly tight job market when companies have to work that much harder to retain top talent.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How did you thank your employees this year? At ASI, our employees seemed to really appreciate the turkey or a pie we gave out before Thanksgiving the most.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for our press release on the gift-giving report and look below for some highlights:<\/p>\n