How giving customers branded gifts is smart for business

As Christmas beckons, many will have their sights set on festive wish lists. However, there’s no need to save gift giving for December, as lots of goodies make excellent year-round presents for clients, which can be branded to help them remember their favourite agent.

While pens, fridge magnets and Post-it notes remain a staple giveaway among agents, one of 2018’s most popular branded goods trends has been for reusable drinking vessels.

Promotional merchandise firm TTP specialises in products for the travel industry, and group managing director Alan Sanders explains: “Because of the interest in sustainability, travel firms are buying them for their staff and to give away to clients. Sports bottles are particularly popular, as they are useful for taking to the gym.”

Branded luggage tags and ticket wallets form the bulk of TTP’s business, and each year Myriad Travel orders 2,000 fabric ticket wallets, which receive rave reviews from customers. “They really love them,” says owner Tiffany Woodley. “They’re big enough to contain documents and passports, and can be re-used. At £1.60 each, they’re affordable, and customers often say they wouldn’t get them if they’d booked through the internet.”

Haslemere Travel’s team have been giving out branded cotton shopping bags for more than a decade, which surged in popularity when shops started charging for plastic bags.

Each year the agency orders 1,000 bags, costing about £1.20 each. They are given away as goodie bags at events, when people pop into the shop to collect brochures, or are packaged with tickets. Many clients then send photos of their well-travelled bags abroad. Top- spending customers also receive branded luggage straps.

Owner Gemma Antrobus explains: “Investing in branded goods that your clients can use is always a particularly good idea – why waste money on something that will get put in a drawer, where your brand will never be seen?” If you’re looking to thank key customers, here’s our guide to standout branded gifts.

For adventurers

TTP’s Sanders predicts security- focused products will be in demand in 2019. Agents can help customers keep their valuables safe in bustling destinations with the Speldhurst anti-theft safety backpack. All zips are against the wearer’s back while the interior is packed with useful pockets. There is also an interior USB cable and an exterior USB slot. It’s an investment piece, but in classic black it’s likely to be reused by clients for years. With branding printed on the front, they won’t forget who it’s from. Priced from £21.55, with a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of 25. ttp2000.com

For families

Help families have an impromptu beach footie match with a lightweight football set. Alongside the ball and pump are two goals, which can be branded, and it all fits into a rucksack that can also be printed with your design.

For a cheaper gift, consider a branded Frisbee, which folds away into a small bag. The football set starts at £15.77, with a MOQ of 50, and the Frisbee starts at £1.12, with a MOQ of 300. allbranded.co.uk