In the world of business relationships, thoughtful gestures often catalyze loyalty and collaboration. One example of a thoughtful gesture for businesses is corporate gifting, often cited as an effective way to strengthen business relationships with customers, partners, and employees. Gifting is not new. In today’s world of data and analytics, however, we can no longer view gift-giving as a purely altruistic act; we must be able to measure it. When companies provide monetary (and thoughtful) corporate gifts, they often want something in return—ROI (return on investment) in some form.
Corporate gifting has evolved past holiday baskets and branded pens. With advancements in personalization, packing, and fulfillment, gifting is now better recognized as an opportunity to communicate, a channel. When gifting is done thoughtfully, it reinforces brand values and positively influences the recipient’s experience, often resulting in outcomes that extend beyond a basic view of gift-giving. Evaluating the ROI of corporate gifting is just as important in understanding how gifting can create a variety of outcomes for your business: retention, referrals, and brand awareness.
1. Tracking Client Retention and Repeat Business
Measuring the ROI of corporate gifting seems simple if we assess the client’s retention rates. Gifts are reminders of appreciation by the company that typically receives clients to continue or renew services. When recipients believe they have been appreciated, they are more likely to be loyal. If you track customer lifetime value (CLV) before and after gifting, you could determine whether gift campaigns result in a longer partnership or an increased expenditure.
Tracking repeat orders from the same client post-gifting will give you additional information about the client’s changed behavior. If you have a gifting campaign and see some increase in engagement or contract renewal, you may have a positive relationship.
2. Monitoring Employee Engagement and Productivity
Internal corporate gifting, such as milestone recognition or holiday gifts for employees, is an influential component of company culture and morale. Tracking internal corporate gifting effectiveness is accomplished by tracking indicators like employee satisfaction scores, engagement scores, and productivity or work output levels.
Surveys conducted before and after gifting seasons allow for comparative qualitative data on employees’ perceptions of their workplace. So, while some increase in the volume of employee referrals, improvements in employee turnover of employees, or participation in company programs occur post-gift, it is a strong indication that the corporate gifts helped shape a more engaged and loyal workforce.
3. Analyzing Referral and Word-of-Mouth Impact
Gifts can create organic marketing through referrals or word-of-mouth marketing. Typically, a warm, beautifully packaged, custom corporate gift will encourage the recipient to reflect on their experience and will prompt them to share that experience one way or another (via conversations, reviews, or social media). While some of these experiences are hard to track directly, we can use social listening tools, monitor branded hashtags, or simply send a post-gifting survey to measure word-of-mouth.
Another item that can be measured is the number of referrals received after a gifting program has been introduced. It does not matter if the gifts have gone to existing clients, partners, collaborators, or for the sake of influencer marketing; tracking who refers a new client after receiving a gift is a good, tangible example of its marketing benefits.
4. Measuring Engagement Through Personalized Follow-Ups
Gifts are often the first step toward deeper engagement. Future contact with recipients (using a list, a personalized correspondent email, a thank-you note, or a phone call, e.g.) is an excellent opportunity to assess interest and improve communication. These engagements would be recorded and come with “analytics” around their follow-up response, tone, and outcome.
As an illustration, clients who received a gift and then returned our contact for a meeting, a testimonial, or a new inquiry are clearly showing signs of re-engagement. Documenting engagement outcomes provides a quantitative measure of how effective corporate gifts are in opening business conversations or advancing embedded engagement.
5. Evaluating Brand Perception and Sentiment
Aside from transactions, gifting affects a brand’s public image. For example, unique, high-quality gifts can improve brand reputation and connection/emotion. Companies can measure these changes in their clients’ sentiments via client feedback, net promoter scores (NPS), or brand perception surveys.
Alternatively, companies can also collect testimonials or user-generated content that references gifting experiences. When customers or partners start speaking about a brand in positive, appreciative terms after receiving a gift, it indicates that the gift was successful in reinforcing the brand’s identity and trust.
End Point
Your return on investment in corporate gifting is not just based on billable transactions. That’s step one. In the long run, however, the return on investment is derived from the loyalty and sentiment your gift creates and the relationships this gifting builds and nurtures. If you plan responsibly and track your corporate gifts strategically, they will be more than just a gift—they can account for business growth.
