Resources » 10 affordable gift marketing ideas

10 affordable gift marketing ideas

Turn your best wishes into branded outreach

Most people are flattered by a thoughtful gift, even if it’s a form of marketing.

Small customer gifts can go a long way to cementing a positive impression. Every time they see that free coffee mug or water bottle, they’ll accompany that warm feeling of giving with the name of your company. Your company will find a small yet practical place in the lives of your customers, keeping your brand top of mind on a daily basis.

But to make this work, your company’s logo needs to show up loud and clear, without appearing obtrusive. It’s all about striking the right balance between appeal and recognition.

Great gift ideas for your customers

Here are 10 of the best inexpensive gift ideas for your clients. With the right dash of charm, these affordable client gifts can do a campaign’s worth of marketing for every customer on your list.

Light carry bags

Brand a light carry bag and stay with your clients at the park or in the grocery store. Their broad surfaces allow for easy branding opportunities, whether you want to stick with a minimalistic logo or really fill up the space with an artistic design that grabs attention around the supermarket. 

Coffee and tea blends

Give your clients a real treat by saving them a trip to the coffee shop. You can liven up your client’s entire break room with a deluxe coffee and/or tea basket. Express your company’s flavor by creating your own bean roast or show your local pride by sourcing blends from your nearby tea house. Add a personalized pressure-sensitive label to your presents and let your customers know you’re thinking of them.

Baked goods

Many people in your client’s office are just begging for someone to walk into the break room with a sweet delight. Even better if it’s a dozen. So give them more than they asked for with an order of local doughnuts or pastries that the whole team can enjoy. Don’t forget to include some sugar-free and vegan options so that nobody feels excluded from dessert. Just remember, packaging is key if you want your gifts to stay fresh. Wrap it all up in paper or plastic, then add a branded embossed design to make sure they know where all those treats came from, at least until they dig in.

Headphones or earbuds

Whether you’re working in the office or home, a good pair of headphones or earbuds offer a simple respite in a noisy workplace. Your clients can associate your brand with their favorite music or podcast, adding a simple connection to things they already love in life.

Art prints or stickers

There aren’t many more blatant branding methods out there, yet people still love them, whether stickers still cover your laptop or you’ve got prints hanging in the living room. The trick is expressing your company in a fun and relatable way that people will want to share with their friends. Art prints allow you to express your company’s culture and mission in a way that customers can relate to and share in. And stickers are always a fun cheap client gift idea, because they turn practically any surface into a bold little company billboard. That’s why a lot of tech companies put logo stickers in their products’ boxes.

Nice notebooks

Sometimes it feels good to write in something a little nicer than the company notepads. Give your clients a subtle luxury with an ornate notebook for special notes to self. You can artistically add your company’s colors and logo for a subtle reminder that you’re there to provide a personal touch to service.

Water bottles

Water is life, if you can carry it. Help out your clients and the environment by gifting a reusable water bottle. These are useful gifts that offer a lot of space for a nice company logo. Make sure it’s of the highest quality so it doesn’t fall to the back of the drawer with all your client’s other leaky water bottles. It has to be the one they’ll want to use and be proud to carry. 

Body care products

Bath salts, lip balms and other body care products that are useful but not too personal can make great gifts that are easily brandable with a nice shrink sleeve label. Or you can gift a collection of small body care products all wrapped up with an informational extended content label.

Succulents

Bring life to the room without even stepping in the building by gifting desk succulents. These plants require just enough attention to remind your clients that you care about fostering a positive relationship. 

Donations to charity

When you want to gift something that doesn’t come in a box, consider donating to a charity in your client’s name. By selecting the right charity, you’ll have a great way to express your shared values and give them some free positivity in the process.

Give on-brand client gifts this holiday season

Gifts don’t have to be expensive to leave a lasting impression. This holiday season, give your clients something more meaningful than the typical company swag — stuff they’ll actually use and appreciate.

The right gift fosters a positive client relationship all year round. Let them know you not only care about their business but their people, too.