Corporate and Promotional Gifts 101

There is a big difference between a corporate gift and a promotional gift. Without much consideration it may appear that both are the same, after all both are gifted by a business/corporate entity and are meant to make a good lasting impression, however they serve very different purposes. In a nutshell, a corporate gift is generally given to a specific recipient or recipients to strengthen and reinforce a business relationship, while a promotional gift is given out to a much larger group of people to support and promote the business' brand, for example, gifting branded cupcakes to a visitor at an product launch. 

7 Differences between Corporate Gifts and Promotional Gifts

• A corporate gift may or may not be branded, while a promotional gift has to be branded.
• A corporate gift is not suited to a trade show or a similar event, while a branded promotional gift is well suited.
• A promotional gift does not need to be addressed or personalised for a single person (i.e. have a gift message) while a corporate gift needs to be addressed to the recipient, i.e. you should have an existing relation with the person.  
• Promotional gifts can be much cheaper than corporate gifts and be well received.
• Small promotional gifts costing less than £50 are tax deductible but only if they are clearly branded. Corporate gifts that are non-promotional gifts are classed as entertaining by the HMRC therefore non tax deductible.
• Corporate gifts should be carefully selected for the intended recipient in order to be successful, while a promotional gift does not need to be.
• Promotional gifts are best suited to attract NEW clients and customers, whereas corporate gifts are best suited to retain existing clients and customers.  

In light of the above differences, there are clearly different purposes served by the two types of gifts and striking the right balance between the two makes for a great marketing strategy. At Anges de Sucre we offer various gifts to suit your gifting needs and work closely with our corporate clients to create their perfect corporate and promotional gifts that will ensure making a good lasting impression! Get in touch for more info and ideas.