The holidays is a perfect excuse for companies big and small to send gifts to clients, staff, partners and other target recipients. It is the season of giving, after all. No one can be faulted for immersing in that sense of generosity and goodwill that Christmas evokes.
Gifting can be done any time of the year, but the Yuletide season provides companies and businesses — yes, including PR companies themselves — with a perfect opportunity in that they can use Christmas as the reason for the gesture at the same time build, if not strengthen, rapport and relationship with their community. It’s hitting two birds with a single stone. In fact, it could even be more than two birds. Not to say that the effort is insincere, but that it has its other purposes and motivations benefiting the parties involved.
PR gifts or packages help businesses express their gratitude to clients, suppliers, other partners and even the media, which in turn contribute to building loyalty and long-term collaboration. In today’s social media-frenzied world, PR packages gifted to influencers can enhance brand exposure and awareness as their resultant unboxing content, reaction videos or product reviews will likely be deemed authentic and thereby relatable. For many companies, in particular smaller ones, this approach can be more practical or cost-effective than taking the advertising route.
No matter the recipient and purpose, PR packages this holiday season will express goodwill and bring joy to both the giver and the receiver. It will be worth making the effort to make sure your gifting will not go to waste or send out the wrong message.
Be clear about your intentions. Your motivation for sending a PR package influences what the gift will be, who you will send it to and other such matters. It’s of course a lot simpler if the purpose is to express appreciation and gratitude for a good working relationship this past year. Food items could do the job, especially this holiday season where celebrations are the norm. But if the motivation is to promote a new product while sharing the Christmas joy, that can be tricky. The recipient might read something negative about the gesture. One option some take is to include a note with the product as to how it can make the season even more memorable or how the product suits the person’s lifestyle and preferences. This makes it a little more personalized, thereby increasing the chances of it being appreciated.
Manage expectations. Better yet, do not expect anything in return. Your gifting is the reward in and of itself. Do not presume that the journalist you gifted will now publish every press release you send or that the influencer will create some content about your product.
Some media outlets actually prohibit their personnel from receiving gifts so your PR package might even be returned to you. As for influencers, some are increasingly inclined to engage in paid partnerships and will limit content creation for gifts. Netizens nowadays are also more discerning of the content they consume and would be circumspect about product-centric vlogs or blogs that they think are paid material.
Think carefully about what you will give. Your PR package need not be about or contain your company’s products or brands, especially if you’re not launching a new product or doing a rebrand. You can promote your company even without sending any of your products.
In this case, you can think of what the receiver will likely appreciate, especially if you have already established some level of personal relationship with the person. Christmas PR packages containing items that are useful to the recipient are usually the well-received ones simply because they convey the idea that consideration has been given to the receiver and their needs or preferences.
Personalize even if only a little. You’re most likely to prepare similar packages, and that’s understandable given budget considerations, especially if you’re gifting quite a number of people.
To make each gift special, customize it a little. Add a note and address it to the recipient. If you can handwrite the note, even better. The devil is always in the details. These little things add up and do matter to the person you’re giving it to.
If you’re gifting influencers or suppliers with whom you’ve been collaborating, all the more you need to add a personal touch. This helps solidify the relationship.
Check with the recipient if gifting is allowed. As mentioned earlier, some media outlets forbid their staff from receiving gifts to ensure journalistic integrity. Some influencers shun unsolicited gifts. They may need to control the kinds of products they receive as they cannot create content for all of them, especially if they have entered into agreements with competing brands. To show respect for boundaries, you may consider checking first with your target recipient if it’s ok to send a present or two.
Sometimes a thank you card is enough. Yes. It doesn’t always have to be big. A small yet sincere gesture such as a handwritten well wishes for a heartwarming holiday will go a long way even in this digital age. In fact, a handwritten note means you invested time and energy at a time when a quick text, PM or email will have been the default option.
PR is about relationship-building, and presents big or small reflect an effort to establish a bond that can go well beyond the Yuletide season.
