AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for October, 2010

With families and friends spread out across the globe these days, chances are some of your wedding guests will be traveling to come to your wedding. When they arrive, they will be tired and in need of some pampering. Why not leave gift baskets at their hotels so they can freshen up or treat themselves to something tasty? Filling a gift basket for guests shows you really thought about the effort it took them to travel to see you get married. Even if you’ve never met your fiancé’s Uncle Bob and Aunt Helen from Michigan, you can still make them a gift basket that feels personal and well thought out.

Your gift basket container doesn’t actually have to be a basket. If your guests have to get back on a plane after the wedding, they won’t want to carry a hefty basket with them. And they won’t want to discard it either. So, what to do? Instead, pack your goodies in a sturdy disposable bag or cloth tote. That way, they can easily carry it or tuck it in their suitcase to take home.

Include local delicacies. If you live in Vermont, you’ll want to include maple syrup candies and perhaps Vermont cheddar cheese with some crackers. A California gift basket could include oranges and other citrus. Is your town known for its barbecue? Put a couple of bottles of barbecue sauce in.

Don’t feel you have to stick to only one thing. If you want to include fruit and snacks for the room, you can also include sunblock for the beach, extra sunglasses, or a foldable beach hat. You can also put in bath beads, a candle with matches for a relaxing bath, or travel size toiletries in case they forgot some of their own. Include bottles of water for your guests’ convenience.

The best thing you can do is put yourself in your guests’ shoes. Have they ever been to your area? Include maps to the area with coupons or gift certificates to restaurants or theatres. Make sure you include phone numbers of people they can contact if they get lost or have last minute questions. Include lists of things to do in the area and recommendations for the best sushi, barbecue, or whatever your area is known for.

If your guest are going to bring their children, you’ll want to include age-appropriate things to occupy them at the hotel. Inflatable float wings for swimming or a soft teddy bear are always welcome for little ones. Bigger kids will like travel games that they can play in the car or on the plane as well as puzzle books and markers. Include drinks and snacks they can enjoy in the room.

Think like a foreigner. What would you need if you just arrived in town? Is the weather vastly different than the climate your guests are coming from? Offer t-shirts or flip flops in case your guests didn’t know it would be so warm. Or offer a cozy flannel blanket with your hometown team’s logo on it for winter travelers.

You can get as creative as you like with your wedding guest gift baskets. Think about their needs while they are staying and you’ll be able to come up with some great ideas.

If you have special working relationships with certain business colleagues, you’ll want to do something at holiday time to let them know you value their business. Loyalty in business means a lot in today’s rapidly changing “here today, gone tomorrow” climate. Foster goodwill and show your generous spirit by offering your clients something meaningful this holiday. Tailor it to them and you’ll really impress them with your thoughtfulness.

A Cruise

Organize a company cruise with clients this year. Just about everyone lives near some waterway even if it’s a lake. It doesn’t have to be the Atlantic Ocean, although that would make for a spectacular site. You can hire a charter boat to accommodate as many people as you like. Offer the invitation to all your employees as well as all of your recipients if the numbers aren’t overwhelming. Offer a dinner cruise with live band. You’ll be remembered for it long after the holiday decorations come down. Another way to do the cruise is to invite just the head executives at your client’s company and the tops of yours. You can have a more intimate cruise that way. Limit it to three or four hours, however, so you can enjoy yourselves but not tire of each other’s company. Make a toast or speech thanking your clients for joining you and for their business.

A Simple Treat

Sometimes it’s the simple things that mean the most. Sending over a frozen turkey for each employee at your client’s business is a nice idea. It shows you have holiday spirit and the delivery time will be fun as everyone will be invited to come and pick up their gift. You can also do a frozen ham. These foods will keep until the employees can get home and refrigerate them.

Send Lunch

Pick a day near the holidays to send over a catered lunch for your client’s employees. Make sure to schedule it well in advance with the secretary so that someone knows to expect it. They’ll want to get the word out on their end that you’re providing lunch for them on a certain day. If you want to keep it a surprise, have the client’s secretary announce it that morning before everyone makes their lunch plans. This can be a real treat for people especially if they are in an industry that gets busier around the holidays. They may not even have time to go out to get lunch during very busy days, so your treat will be extra inviting.

Play Santa

Visit your client in person with a gift for everyone on his staff. Even if it’s just a gourmet cookie or a custom chocolate bar, the fact that you showed up in person and took the time to distribute it will make all the difference. Whether you decide to go in full Santa costume is up to you!

Think about the individuals you want to thank. Instead of sending something generic that could be for anyone, consider the client’s work environment, product line, tastes and location. By personalizing your thank you gifts to the individuals, you’re giving the positive impression that you value working with them. And in today’s business climate, every relationship counts.

The art of the thank you note has fallen by the wayside. It used to be years ago that every literate person knew just how to write a beautiful thank you note. It was expected that a note would be sent for every gift received. People wrote their notes on lovely stationery and the recipient often kept their note in a special box to look at again and treasure.

Today, emails and texts have replaced the formal thank you note. It is still, however, necessary to send a more formal note through the mail when you have received a gift or kind gesture.

Select the very best note card or stationery you can find. Use a black or blue pen as older people often cannot read notes written in pink or light green or purple. They are lovely colors but not legible all the time.

Now, what to say? There are so many occasions where a thank you note is needed. Here are a few to get you started.

The Wedding Gift Thank You

Dear Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob,

We were so delighted to receive the set of cast iron cooking pans for our wedding. We love to cook and will think of you both every time we use them. We will have to have you over once things settle down to enjoy a meal with us that we prepared using your pans. Again, thank you for the wonderful gift.

Love, Alice and Brian

Always try to mention the gift by name and tell how you will use it. Offer an invitation in the future if the gift-giver is close to you. Be sincere and don’t feel you have to go overboard with flowery thanks. A simple note is best. If you can’t remember what a person gave you (but you know they gave a gift) because the gift card was lost, you still need to write a thank you. Never skip it and pretend you didn’t get the gift. The person who gave it to you may ask you about it and then you’ll be embarrassed.

Here’s what you can say in that case:

Dear Aunt Grace and Uncle Bob,

It was so lovely to have you both at our wedding. We loved seeing you there to share our special day. And thank you for the generous gift. Your kindness is much appreciated. We hope to see you again soon.

Love, Alice and Brian

Here, you’ve thanked them properly but eliminated the awkwardness of not knowing exactly which gift was theirs.

A Kind Gesture

Often someone will do something nice for you or go out of their way to help you. A thank you note is in order. Here’s an example of what you could say:

Dear Theresa,

It was so kind of you to help me clean out my mom’s house last weekend. I know you took time out of your busy schedule to help us sort through mom’s things. Having you there was such a comfort. I hope I can repay the favor someday soon.

Love, Mark

Thank the person for exactly what they did or gave. If it was their time, be sure they know how much it meant to you. Be specific and sincere, and never let a good deed go unnoticed.

This year send out gifts to your colleagues and business associates that are fun, interesting and different. Have your logo embossed or engraved on an upscale product that your business associates will use and want to display. Any reputable company you order from will be glad to send you samples of the products before you order. Always check on the quality of the item before sending it ordering and especially before sending out. Order online from promotional gift companies who specialize in placing logos on products for the best deals.

Here are ten ideas to get you started.

1. Luxury Wine Accessories: You can have your logo engraved on a handsome box that contains a rabbit-type bottle opener, wine bottle stopper and foil opener. The presentation case is wooden and it looks much more expensive than it really was.
2. Spa Sets: You can get a high end cotton robe and slippers personalized with your logo. If you’re in the hospitality industry these are an especially good choice. But even if you’re in an unrelated industry, your recipients who travel on business will love having these.
3. Auto Safety Gift Set: Your recipients will keep this gift in their glove compartment and your logo will be top of mind. Purchase kits that include tire gauges, flashlights and other essentials for on the go travelers.
4. Chocolate Gift Basket: There are few people who don’t love the excitement of opening a basket full of chocolate goodies. Send a huge basket over when you want to thank a whole office or several people. They can open it right away and share it. Be sure your basket includes high end chocolate and not discount brands. Go with Ghirardelli or Godiva for the most impact.
5. Grill Master Set: Order a set of tongs, forks and carving knives in a sturdy presentation case. Every time your recipients take it out to barbecue with friends, your logo will be right there in front of them.
6. Chocolate Logo Bar: Have your company’s logo molded into a real chocolate bar. Not only will this be surprising, but delicious too. When your recipient opens the wrapper, they’ll find a real full size bar of delicious chocolate with your name on it. They’ll be sure to show it around the office.
7. iPod Dock: Every hip executive these days has their iPod at the ready. Why not have your logo put on an iPod Dock that also has speakers and a radio. It will end up on the desks of many of your recipients for top of mind recognition.
8. Wine Bottle Thermometer: If you have wine enthusiasts on your list, this handy stainless steel thermometer will be just the thing they need. Add your logo to it and you’ll be remembered every time they grab a bottle of wine out of their cellar or refrigerator.
9. Optical Mouse: Have your logo set on a mouse so you’ll be seen every day. You can go cordless or corded, but make sure you choose a high end product so it does its job.
10. Personalized USB Flash Drive: Everyone transfers documents from home to work and from computer to computer these days. So why not proclaim your company’s name on a USB stick? They’ll think of you every time they transfer files.