The Business of Giving

Speaking of doodles, the journal's easy connection to the creative world should not be forgotten. Dickson related an interesting journal promotion from outside the business world. "A recording artist had journals made with the lyrics of one of her songs foil stamped on the cover," she said. "The artist appeared at a music store and gave these journals, which she autographed, as a gift to fans who bought her CD. The goal was to encourage fans to write in their journals and use them as a creative outlet."

JEWELRY

Business gifts don't always have to be awards from the company's top, handed down to the workers below. Sometimes, the chain-of-gifting flows upward, and the company staff is faced with finding gifts for the people in charge. Electronics, luggage or even executive-style stationery can certainly be fitting, though there is another genre that should be considered: executive jewelry.

There are many choices out there for executive jewelry, though for the male CEO, it is hard to beat a good pair of cuff links. "What sets cuff links apart from other executive jewelry is its multifunctional and stylish edge to promote one's business," said Ryan Spunt, sales and marketing for CNIJ, Montreal.

He provided an example of how the company's cuff links have been used in the past as a business gift. "A great example with cuff links was with Desjardins Bank," he said. "One of their employees was leaving after 25 years of service. To show appreciation for her years of service and dedication, we had a pair of 14K cuff links made with the Desjardins logo and underneath had '25 years of excellence.' It was a great success."

PICTURE FRAMES

An office staple, picture frames can make excellent gifts for the office. "Picture frames are a great business gift because they have universal appeal," said Audra Lehnert, marketing coordinator for Crystal D, St. Paul, Minn. "People from all walks of life and every industry enjoy displaying images that have personal meaning in a well-designed frame." Lehnert noted that when shopping for frames, distributors should look for high imprint quality on the frame. "A picture frame with an imprint that meets minimum standards cheapens the entire gift," she said. "The imprint should have clean edges and a high level of detail."