Why You Should Gift Your Employees and Customers Promo
November 13, 2024
The holiday season is the perfect time of the year to promote your brand using promotional products. At the same time, it is an opportunity to show your appreciation for your employees and customers by gifting them high quality, useful gifts that will passively market your brand.
Why gift branded items to employees?
- Boosts Morale and Job Satisfaction: Receiving a thoughtful gift can make employees feel valued and appreciated. This recognition can boost their morale, enhance job satisfaction, and foster a more positive work environment.
- Increases Employee Engagement and Productivity: When employees feel that their hard work is recognized and rewarded, they’re often more motivated to stay engaged and contribute at a high level. This can lead to increased productivity and a stronger sense of commitment to the company’s goals.
- Strengthens Team Loyalty and Retention: Employee turnover can be costly, both financially and culturally. Giving gifts that acknowledge loyalty and dedication can make employees feel a stronger connection to the company and encourage them to stay long-term.
- Builds a Positive Company Culture: Recognizing employees with thoughtful gifts helps to create a culture of appreciation, gratitude, and respect. It demonstrates that the company cares about its employees as individuals, fostering a supportive and enjoyable workplace.
- Enhances Brand Ambassadorship: When employees feel appreciated, they’re more likely to speak positively about their workplace to friends, family, and even potential customers. This word-of-mouth advocacy can enhance the company’s reputation and attract both talent and clients.
- Celebrates Milestones and Achievements: Recognizing employees for important events like work anniversaries, promotions, or successful project completions helps to mark these milestones and show that the company values their contributions. This can encourage them to strive for further achievements.
- Promotes a Sense of Belonging: Company-branded items, such as apparel or office accessories, can foster a sense of belonging and team unity. It helps employees feel like they’re a part of something bigger, which can increase their commitment to the organization’s vision.
Why gift branded items to customers?
- Builds Brand Awareness and Recall: Promotional items keep your brand visible to customers in their daily lives. A product with your logo, like a pen or tote bag, acts as a reminder of your business every time they use it. Think about you favorite pen or tote bag, are they branded? This frequent exposure helps customers recall your brand when they need your products or services.
- Creates a Positive Brand Association: People appreciate free, useful items, which can create a sense of goodwill and a positive perception of your brand. When customers receive something for free, especially something of quality, it leaves a favorable impression, which can build trust and loyalty. Think about how you felt the last time you received a freebie.
- Encourages Customer Loyalty: Regularly gifting customers with small, thoughtful promotional items reinforces that you value their business. Loyal customers who feel appreciated are more likely to return and even refer your brand to others, which can help grow your customer base.
- Cost-Effective Marketing Tool: Promotional products offer a high return on investment. They’re generally affordable to produce in bulk, and each item can reach multiple potential customers when used in public, creating a high number of impressions for a relatively low cost.
- Provides a Tangible Brand Experience: Unlike digital ads or emails, promotional products give customers something they can touch and use. This tangibility can make your brand feel more
real and accessible, fostering a stronger connection.
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Canvas totes are having a moment. Thanks to Trader Joe's, what started as a simple grocery bagsare now widely recognized as stylish, everyday accessories that businesses are using to increase brand visibility. As Forbes notes, Trader Joe’s tote bags have become “an unlikely status symbol,” driven by scarcity, cultural cachet, and social signaling. Outside the U.S., owning one suggests access, travel, and a certain worldview, proving that “the object accrues value through scarcity.” That same psychology makes these bags especially effective as promotional products. Why we are paying attention and your brand should too: Canvas tote bags tap into perceived exclusivity Limited-feeling, small-format canvas totes come across as intentional and collectible, creating perceived value without a luxury price tag. Canvas totes act as social signals, not just swag A well-designed tote aligns your brand with style and lifestyle, not giveaways people forget at the bottom of a drawer. Their size encourages daily use Perfect for phones, wallets, keys, and small essentials, mini totes are easy to grab for errands, lunch runs, events, or travel. Canvas totes feel premium and practical Durable canvas, reinforced bases, sturdy handles, front stash pockets, and modern color options give these bags a retail-quality look. They align with modern brand values Reusable, PVC-free, and built to last, canvas totes naturally support sustainability and thoughtful branding. Mini canvas totes blend trend-driven psychology with everyday function. They give brands a stylish, affordable way to stay visible wherever life happens. At Behind Your Design , we believe the best promotional products are the ones people actually want to use. Mini canvas totes check every box: on-trend, functional, and easy to customize in a way that feels intentional, not overbranded. Whether you’re planning an event, creating client gifts, or building branded merchandise, we help you turn a simple bag into a lasting brand impression that shows up in everyday life.
Umbrellas may not be the first item that comes to mind for promotions, but they deliver impressive value when it comes to visibility, usefulness, and longevity. More than just rain gear, umbrellas offer year-round protection and everyday practicality, making them a promotional item people actually keep and use. Why umbrellas work as promotional items: Year-round usefulness – Provide rain coverage and help block harmful UV rays, adding a health-conscious benefit. High brand visibility – Large canopies create prime space for logos and messaging that can be seen from a distance. Repeated exposure – Stored in cars, offices, and bags, umbrellas are reused often, extending brand impressions. Wide audience appeal – Practical for all ages and lifestyles, making them ideal for diverse audiences. Long lifespan – Quality umbrellas can last for years, continuing to promote your brand long after distribution. Strong return on investment – Durable, useful items outperform smaller or disposable promotional products. Whether you go traditional or try something a little more fun, umbrellas remain a smart way to keep your brand visible rain or shine.
Branded merchandise is more than a giveaway. When used strategically, it becomes a marketing tool that builds visibility, connection, and loyalty. According to PPAI Research, 83% of business leaders say branded merchandise improves brand recall and campaign performance (PPAI Research, 2025). The key is thinking beyond the logo and choosing products people will actually use. Make Recognition Matter Recognition is one of the simplest ways to strengthen relationships. The best gifts are practical, high-quality, and thoughtfully timed. Apparel, lifestyle items, or accessories paired with custom details or packaging become keepsakes, not throwaways. Tying gifts to milestones like promotions or anniversaries helps reinforce your brand story. Companies with strong recognition programs see 31% lower turnover and 12 times higher engagement (Gallup Workplace Report, 2025).
Matt and I traveled to Las Vegas last month to the PPAI Show where our suppliers and manufacturers from around the world come to showcase their new and current products, educate us on trends for the upcoming year and learn more about what we are hearing is important to you, our customers. We will be featuring these products we saw and more over the next couple months in our newsletters and on our social media channels. If you'd like to schedule a time to come in and check out all the samples we brought home, just let us know! We'd love to show you what we found.
Expo and trade show season is an exciting time for many businesses. It is your chance to show up in person, meet potential customers, and put your brand front and center. It can also feel overwhelming when you start thinking about everything that needs to be done. From booth design and signage to giveaways and marketing materials, there are a lot of moving parts. That is where planning ahead and having the right support can make all the difference. Behind Your Design works with businesses every year to help make expo season easier and more successful. Start with clear goals Before anything is designed or ordered, it helps to define what you want to get out of the show. Are you focused on generating leads, building brand awareness, launching something new, or making connections? Behind Your Design helps clients walk through these questions, because your goals should help guide every decision. When your goals are clear, it becomes much easier to determine what your booth should look like, what materials you need, and what giveaways will make the most sense.
Some projects mean a little more than others. Cummings Property Management is one of those. We’ve been working with the Cummings team for nearly 15 years, and our relationship goes back even further. We’ve known the family since high school, so this rebrand wasn’t just another project. When they reached out about updating their logo and website, we knew how important it was to do it the right way. Cummings Property Management has been serving community associations since 1977. What started in the Flint and Genesee County area has grown into a company that now manages more than 130 communities across mid-Michigan. Over the years, the company has evolved, but their brand hadn’t quite caught up with who they are today. The goal of this refresh wasn’t to change who they are. It was to better reflect their experience, professionalism, and commitment to communication and education. We started with a clean, modern logo that still feels timeless, followed by a new website designed to be clear, easy to navigate, and useful for boards, homeowners, and prospective clients. The site supports their focus on education and communication while presenting a professional, approachable look. We’re really proud of how this project came together. The new logo and website feel like a true reflection of Cummings Property Management and position them well for what’s next. Even better, it’s always a win getting to work with people you’ve known and trusted for so long.