Corporate merchandise refers to gifts given by employers to their workers as a means of appreciation. These humble presents can play the essential role in promoting your company's image and motivating your staff to improve at work. Besides, every time your employees wear or use branded items, it is a form of advertisement that boosts awareness of your brand. Now, let’s discuss how corporate merchandise can inspire corporate workers.
We can start this section with a very important question: Did you know that inspired employees are 125% more productive?
Therefore, employees' motivation is critical to an organization’s prosperity. It's the degree of responsibility, drive and energy that a company's laborers bring to the job regularly. Without this approach, organizations will experience decreased efficiency and lower levels of yield. Once that happens, things as symbolic as corporate merchandise can help bring the corporate spirit back.
The thing is, when employees get gifts that they can use to facilitate their job, this can make them more excited to work. And with enthusiastic employees comes improved quality of work and met objectives. Even something as simple as a fidget spinner can effectively help staff handle work-related pressure. Therefore, one of the best ways to boost employees' drive is by giving them occasional incentives and gifts.
(Source: https://www.outstandingbranding.co.uk/about-us/why-it-works/)
Driven employees often want to see results of their work from the first moment. And sometimes, when they don’t, they fall into the self-sabotaging cycle. Tackling this issue and motivating such workers has proved to be a typical managerial challenge. Luckily, the idea of providing employees with small rewards can solve the problem.
The excitement of receiving branded merchandise is unmistakable and can re-ignite the drive and energy employees had on their first day. Corporate products can create an emotional link between workers and organization, especially if the gifting happened on a significant day (such as a birthday.)
Positive emotions spur employees to keep performing at their best since they're not doing it only for salary – they're doing it for their colleagues, employers and personal satisfaction.
Source: talkfeely.com
When employees receive gifts from their organizations, they feel personally ‘indebted’ to return the favor. In fact, many people are more comfortable with giving than receiving, according to experts. It’s just a normal human behavior to give something back after receiving a gift. And since employees usually don’t buy items for their company – well, there’s no harm in trying – they reciprocate the gesture by becoming more engaged in corporate affairs.
Forbes estimates that highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable than average teams. That speaks to the indirect benefits of giving staff corporate merchandise. When employees believe their employer is investing in them, they will be more likely to put in their best to show gratitude.
Every day, entrepreneurs are loaded with choices, gatherings and business meetings. No matter which industry they work in, top-level executives often have more diverse engagements than the average worker. However, for the employees, developing a boring work routine is quite easy. That is because they have repetitive roles and tasks making their days nearly indistinguishable. This routine problem is most applicable to factory workers with a limited range of duties.
When these workers receive company merchandise, they can take a much-needed break off their monotonous work cycle. If a secretary receives branded sticky notes, they can open their minds up to a new way of grouping information. Hence, any corporate gift can help employees look at the processes they are used to from a different angle.
Have you at any point considered how your employees represent your organization in public? You may think that you have your brand values nailed down, but are your workers well aware of them too? Branded merchandise can help promote your business values more than you think.
When you give corporate gifts, you keep your brand values fresh in your workers’ minds. Using simple but powerful words on mugs and t-shirts, you send that inspirational message across the company. When employees come across these powerful words often, they subconsciously get into the mindset needed to thrive in the company. The right messages can make them optimistic about their work right to the point that they become envoys for your organization outside the workplace.
When employees are committed to seeing a company grow, they all work hard to achieve a common goal. Imagine yourself walking into a mall wearing the T-shirt of your favorite band and seeing someone else wearing it too. You get a sense of belonging, and an unspoken connection appears between you and that other person. Your corporate merchandise can replicate such bonds in the workplace and foster brand culture.
Branded gifts create a connection between employees, which is even more essential for a company that encourages diversity. A worker from one arm of the organization may meet another from a different department and identify them by the branded item they are using. These individuals may feel excited to have been connected by your brand. Over time, they can build friendships that transcend the workplace.
Every business has an overarching goal. But when the business grows, it’s easy for new employees to join the organization without fully understanding what it stands for. Long-serving workers may also lose sight of what is important unless employers enforce these goals. For such reasons the importance of building a strong employer brand is on the rise. In this case employer branding involves providing your employees with recognizable merchandise that will make your employer brand more recognizable.
Corporate merchandise can remind employees why the company does what it does. By utilizing eye-catching items, you can bring staff closer to your main goal and vision. Regularly rewarding workers with branded merchandise will strengthen their understanding of your corporate objectives. Over time, they will consider their work a piece of their identity instead of just another job.
Giving your employees corporate presents shows them how essential they are to your organization. What's more, buying gifts can be significantly cheaper than granting money-related rewards or product discounts.
For instance, if you are stuck between giving an employee the item they like when they arrive at their first $1,000 in sales or giving them a financial reward, you can opt for the former. Personalized gifts will provide them with the acknowledgment and distinction they seek in a business position. Such an approach will also make them feel that you know and cherish their desires.
Gifting corporate merchandise is a winning strategy for any company. But if you want to initiate this approach in your business, you need to be tactful. Here are some dos and don’ts of giving corporate gifts:
Of course, you don't have to get something extravagant or luxurious for your workers. If you take a closer look at their routines, you can tell what they need to make their work easier. Go ahead and buy those items, brand them and give them out. For example, if you notice that your staff don’t have notebooks to jot down their ideas, it’s time to get them ones. This gesture will make them feel appreciated and spur them to do better.
The fact that you gave your employees some small gifts as a means of thanking them doesn't mean you should expect them to work overtime. If they decide to, that's fine. If not, you shouldn't feel offended. Don’t give corporate presents while requesting a specific action in return. That will take away from the essence of the gift and employees will not value the gesture.
As a business executive or entrepreneur, you want to increase awareness for your company. This promotional mindset may push you to give random items as corporate gifts. But don’t fall into this pitfall: don't make your employees feel like you are taking advantage of them.
Marketing tools and corporate gifts are not the same. Merchandise may bear the company’s elements, but ensure that it serves the employees’ needs, not yours. People can tell when you are trying to use them as human billboards and they will resent such an attitude.
When handing out corporate merchandise, remember to select something memorable while bearing each worker’s needs and desires in mind. Your staff will obviously prefer cheap but thoughtful items to expensive, needless ones. In winter, you can gift them neck scarves with an embroidered corporate image on them. Such scarves will protect your employees from the cold weather while reminding them of the brand.
You can get creative not only in your choice of corporate merchandise but also in the way you brand it and give it out. If you want the merchandise design to be your logo, it has to be subtle.
Create a design that your employees can rock away from the office without feeling out of place. Also, choose days that are significant to them and give these corporate gifts. This will help the gesture stick in employees’ memories for long.
People love to feel that their work is valued and well-compensated. As an employer or HR personnel, your job is to build your workers as much as they build your brand. And you can make deserving employees feel acknowledged by giving them branded merchandise.
Something as basic as a customized espresso cup can leave workers with a feeling of pride and inclusiveness. Eventually, with corporate merchandise, you can create bonds between employees, foster employee engagement and boost the brand culture.
Amanda Dudley is a writer and a lecturer. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Stanford University and she currently works as a lecturer there. She loves to see students excel in their academic work, so she provides college essay writing service for them. She has a broad scholarly knowledge and writes college essays on any given subject.
How does corporate merchandise reduce workplace stress?
Corporate merchandise, often seen as a token of appreciation, can boost morale and reduce stress by making employees feel valued.
In what way does merchandise foster emotional attachment to the company?
Merchandise symbolizes belonging and can strengthen employees' emotional connection to the company and its culture.
How does merchandise promote employee engagement?
Thoughtful merchandise can make employees feel recognized and appreciated, increasing their engagement and loyalty.
Why is aligning merchandise with the company's mission important?
Merchandise aligned with the company's mission reinforces corporate values and unifies employees under common goals.
How does merchandise make employees feel valued?
Well-chosen merchandise demonstrates care and acknowledgment of employees' contributions, enhancing their sense of being valued.
