There is nothing as boring as buying or receiving the same kind of gifts year after year. It shows that the buyer has no creativity or imagination and the entire exercise seems to be mechanical without any sentiment attached to it. to be innovative with your
gifts ideas, there are certain aspects which you have to keep in mind, including:
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Who is the recipient? |
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Your relationship with the recipient |
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What is the occasion? |
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What did you give the recipient last year or last time? |
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What are the likes and dislikes of the recipient? |
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What is your budget? |
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Today gift giving is not just restricted among friends and family. Big and small businesses are thinking of innovative gifts to be given away as loyalty bonus to customers, good will gesture to employees or even as performance related awards. The primary difference between personal and corporate gifts is that the whole purpose is different and while the prime objective of a corporate to give gifts is to build goodwill, this need not be the main aim for personal exchange of gifts. Corporate gifts is also a nice way to gain free advertising for their products or services, as most official gifts would bear the company name, logo or product design. Key chains, ashtrays, luggage bag, caps, pens, T shirts are usually the corporate gift ideas. But when it is a matter of performance related gift to an employee, the gift would be more value-added accompanied buy a certificate of honor or something similar.
When it is a matter of coming up with creative gifts ideas, you need to find the answers to the questions cited above, if you wish to give a gift which is truly novel and useful. There are many utility gifts which many people like to give and receive. A cutlery set or a compilation of recipe booklets, a shaving kit or a garage tool kit, a wine making equipment or a needle-work design book would be great for people who like to 'use' their gifts rather than keep them as a showpiece in the house. If you wish to give statuettes, models, paintings and other home décor items, you must be very sure of the recipient's taste as well as whether your gift will suit the home of the recipient. These are delicate matters and are not recommended unless you are really familiar with the recipient and the household.
Fragrances are also something, which I think are very personal and fall under the ‘risky’ gift ideas. Neckties, cufflinks and other men’s wear, unless truly gorgeous and something out of a designer boutique are best left out, unless you are very close to the recipient and know his tastes clearly. In case you are thinking of giving a gift to someone as a mater of courtesy, be careful not to ‘stand out’ too much in the crowd as someone with poor tastes, etc. While it is nice to be innovative with your gift ideas, you also need to practice caution while choosing a gift so as not to disappoint the recipient too much. On the other hand if you are trying to be innovative with the
gifts ideas for someone close to you, you could make it as personalized as possible, without having to worry too much about it getting appreciated. |
