Custom Ink’s Holiday Corporate Gift Giving Guide

The end of the year is the perfect time to thank your clients, customers, and employees for all their hard work. But finding the perfect gift that’s professional and also desirable can be tricky. As always, we think custom gear fits the bill! Customizing shirts, beanies, or even chocolates and snacks is a great way to add your own touch to holiday gifts. Whether you want to add your logo, a funny saying, or an understated graphic, it’s easy to create something for any relationship or occasion. Below are some of our favorite gift ideas to give this season.

T-shirts

Let’s start with our tried and true—a classic t-shirt. There are so many styles and brands to choose from, from traditional cotton to super comfy blends. For the holidays, we’d go with a trendy long sleeve tri-blend t-shirt like the Next Level Tri-Blend Baseball Raglan. It comes in so many fun-colored sleeves and is perfect for promoting a “team” mentality. We also love the Bella + Canvas Tri-Blend Long Sleeve T-shirt. It’s lightweight and supersoft, and will surely become your clients’ new favorite shirt. Customize your tees with a company logo on the chest, or go for a totally fun design relating to a project or an inside joke.

Nonprofit donation

If your clients are philanthropic or have an organization close to their hearts, consider making a donation in their name to a nonprofit. You can either make a donation on behalf of each individual you work with, or if you work with a team at a larger company, make a donation for the group. Consider looking at nonprofits in your city that are smaller or more niche. If you worked on a project this year relating to women and children, look for a women’s shelter. If you work in tech, maybe find an organization that teaches kids to code. Other great, but larger, organizations to consider are the American Red Cross, UNICEF, the ASPCA, and Doctors Without Borders. For a full registry of nonprofits to choose from, check out GuideStar.

Personalized chocolates & popcorn

Did you know it’s easy to customize chocolate and snacks at Custom Ink? Well it is! We have a sweet tooth, so we have all kinds of treats like caramels, jelly beans, and even popcorn tins. Or if your client or customer has a favorite candy, we have brand names like Sour Patch Kids and Starburst. Lately we’ve been loving our Assorted Mini Pretzels Gift Box. Put your business logo or project logo on tins or small gifts of candy so that each of your clients can have a treat for the holidays. These are perfect for handing out at your own office if you have some left over or order extras (hint hint).

Sweatshirts & soft shell jackets

It’s always a treat when your employer gives you a nice piece of swag like a sweatshirt or jacket. So why not bring that joy to your corporate giving this year? You can customize a high-end piece and still make it classic and easy to wear anywhere. We love North Face’s Ridgeline Soft Shell Jacket. It’s water and wind resistant, with a cozy fleece interior. It’s the perfect commuting or outdoors jacket and is sure to be a coveted holiday gift by whoever receives it. Since you might want to use your business logo but not everyone will want it front and center, consider modifying it. Try using a small graphic on the chest of the jacket, or just use the art portion of your logo for a chic and exclusive look.

Office massage day

If you just wrapped up a big year-end project, treat your clients or coworkers to a day of relaxation. This experience might be worth more than any material gift, especially during the stress of the holidays. Hire massage therapists to visit your client’s office to host a day of free chair massages. Make sure to send enough so that everyone can get at least one de-stress sesh in. Don’t forget to tip so that they don’t have to worry about anything but enjoying themselves.

Cozy blankets

We can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t love receiving a cozy blanket for the holidays. Our Port Authority Ultra Plush Blanket is velvety soft and comes in a bunch of fun colors and patterns–we’re buffalo plaid fans over here! Embroidering your company logo on the corner of this piece is so chic and a great way to let your clients and customers know you care this holiday season.

A local favorite

If your corporate gift recipients are located in a different city than you, send some love from your locale. Whether it’s food, beverages, or products that you can only get in your city, this gift is thoughtful and has a personal touch. If you’re in NYC, send cupcakes from Magnolia or a tray of cookies from Levain Bakery. For Chicagoans, it’s easy to send some deep dish pizzas nationwide for a cheesy (in a good way!) treat. Or if you’re in Texas, send a gift basket of local hot sauces you can only get from your town. We also wouldn’t hate receiving some Napa wine from colleagues based in San Francisco!

Pom pom beanies

Pom beanies aren’t just fun gifts, they’re functional. When the temps get chilly around the holidays, your clients and customers will be happy to have nice pom beanies to keep warm. Our Sportsman Pom Pom Knit Hat comes in tons of great solid and color block colors, making it easy to match your brand. You can easily put your logo on the brim of the beanie, or use a fun image or graphic relating to a project you worked on throughout the year. We love using emojis! This design is perfect for letting your team know they did a killer job.

Custom aprons

T-shirts and jackets are great, but your gift recipients will be surprised by unique workwear items. Work in the food and beverage space? Then customize aprons for your colleagues. They’ll love cooking in them year round, or when they bake holiday cookies. Embroider or screen print your logo on the front, or choose an inspiring quote or saying. We have aprons in different lengths and colors available for any size group. We’d sure love to wear one of these in the kitchen!

Snacks subscription

Subscription boxes are on many people’s wish lists this year, and we’re sure your clients would love them, as well. Instead of sending a gift basket or food gift to enjoy just during the holidays, purchase a subscription for a snack box for the following year. Each month, your individual client or office of customers will receive a new box filled with exciting snacks that will put their break room noshes to shame. There’s a lot of great snack subscriptions out there like MunchPak and SnackCrate, which even include some international snacks to try.

Custom bluetooth speakers

Give a gift that helps them let loose a little bit. The Laser Engraved Seneca Bluetooth Wooden Speaker is a high end corporate gift, made with Mahogany wood. You can laser engrave your logo for a sleek look that any customer would love. This nifty gift works from 33 feet away from a device and can play three hours of music on a single charge. These would even be perfect for jamming to tunes at the holiday party–or for keeping on a desk for a jam sesh whenever the mood strikes.

Custom face masks

Since corporate life looks a little different this year, custom face masks are a great gift idea for your network. Not only are these thoughtful and useful for your employees working from home or on an alternate schedule, but they’re great for gifting your clients and customers too so they’ll think of you every time they mask up. The Customized Triple‑ply Cotton Face Mask is an awesome mask to buy in bulk. It’s soft and comfortable and made with three layers of 100% cotton. It even contains silver and copper for antimicrobial properties–how awesome is that?

What’s the best corporate gift you’ve ever received? Tell us about it in the comments below!