A September 2014 study of 303 corporate end-buyers found that 62% plan to give gifts this holiday season, with most companies maintaining their spending levels compared to 2013. Popular gifts for employees include gift cards, while companies aim to express appreciation and develop relationships through gifts to customers. Spending averages are around $50 per employee and $43 per customer/prospect, with attractiveness, durability, and utility being key factors in gift selection.

1. 1
Corporate Gift Giving
Study Results
Nathaniel Kucsma
October 2014

2. 2 Background and Methodology
In September 2014, ASI® commissioned a study to be
conducted with corporate end-buyers about their gift-giving
plans for the 2014 holiday season. Respondents were screened
to ensure that they had final purchase authority or significant
influence over the gift-giving decisions for employees and
customers/prospects.
A total of 303 end-buyers who met these criteria responded to
the survey. Survey responses were collected between
September 30th and October 27th.

3. 3 Key Findings - Overall
• About six in 10 (62%) companies are planning on giving out gifts
this holiday season to employees or customers/prospects.
o The remaining 38% of companies have either decided to not give out gifts this year
or are still undecided.
• Spending on corporate gifts is anticipated to remain unchanged
from 2013 for most companies (74%) who are giving out gifts.
o Among the companies anticipating a change in spending this year, many
more (19%) are anticipating increasing their expenditure than decreasing
it (7%).
• On average, 68% of gifts that will be distributed this holiday season
will have the company’s logo on it.
o More than four in 10 (42%) companies who are giving out gifts this year
report that all of the items they give out will have their company’s logo
on it.
• When asked what the most important attributes are when deciding
what promotional products to purchase, attractiveness, durability
and utility topped the list.

4. 4 Key Findings - Employees
• More than four in 10 (43%) companies are planning on giving out
gifts this year to employees.
o Nearly one-third of companies are undecided about their employee gift giving plans
for employees.
• Three-quarters (75%) of companies who are giving gifts to
employees report that all employees will receive a gift.
• The most popular gifts for employees are gift cards (53%), followed
by food/beverages (33%), apparel (31%) and cash bonuses (28%).
• Employers report that they will spend an average of about $50 per
employee on gifts this holiday season.
• The median amount being spent by companies is $38 per employee.
• Most companies (78%) are planning on spending the same amount
this year as last year on employee gifts.
• Only 5% of companies that are giving employee gifts this year report that they are
planning to decrease their spending on them, compared to 17% who expect to
increase their spending.

5. 5 Key Findings – Customers/Prospects
• More than four in 10 (42%) companies are planning on giving out
gifts this year to customers and/or prospects.
o One-quarter of companies are undecided about their customer/prospect gift-giving
plans.
• On average, companies who are giving gifts to customers will
distribute 116 gifts, while those giving gifts to prospects will
distribute 76.
• The most popular gifts for customers/prospects are food/beverages
(53%), followed by desk accessories (35%), writing instruments
(31%) and calendars (28%).
• The main goal of giving gifts to customers/prospects is to express
appreciation (86%) and for relationship development (69%).
• Companies report that they will spend an average of $43 per
customer/prospect on gifts this holiday season.
• More than four in 10 (42%) giving gifts to clients/prospects report
spending more on their larger clients than on their smaller ones.

6. 6
Overall Gift-Giving Plans

7. 7
Overall Gift Giving
• Among surveyed companies, 62% are planning on giving gifts
out to employees and/or clients and prospects.
• The remaining 38% are not planning on giving out gifts this
year, or haven’t made the decision to do so yet.
Who companies are giving gifts to this
Employees
only
19%
Clients/
Prospects
only
Both 19%
employee
and client/
prospect
24%
Neither/
Not sure
38%
holiday season

8. 8
Overall Gift Giving
• Most companies are planning to spend the same amount on
holiday gifts this year as compared to last year.
• Among those changing the amount they are spending this year,
more are likely to report increasing their spend than decreasing
it.
Change in spending on all
gifts from prior year
Increased
19%
Decreased
7%
About the
same
74%

9. 9
Overall Gift Giving
• On average, 68% of gifts that are given out will have the
company’s logo imprinted on it.
• 42% of companies who are giving gifts this holiday season
report that all of the items they give out will have their logo on
them.
Percentage of gifts that will
have company logo on it
100%
42%
75% - 99%
10%
0%
23%
1% - 49%
11%
50%-74%
14%
68%
95%
Mean Median

10. 10
Importance of Attributes When Buying Promotional Products
• Attractiveness, durability and utility are all important factors
when end-buyers are deciding which promotional products to
purchase.
• Alternatively, much less consideration is given to the eco-friendliness
of the product or whether it was made in the USA.
46%
37%
92%
85%
70%
55%
83%
24%
25%
27%
19%
5%
9%
10%
29%
39%
6%
7%
11%
18%
3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Atractiveness of product
Durability of product
Utility of product
Product is low-cost
Product has been tested for
safety
Product is made in the USA
Product is eco-friendly
Important (8-10) Somewhat Important (6-7) Not Important (1-5)

11. 11
Employee Gifts

12. 12
Gift Giving to Employees
• More than four in 10 employers are planning on giving gifts to
their employees this holiday season.
• As of the survey date, nearly one-third of employers were still
undecided about giving out gifts to employees, while about one-quarter
had decided against it.
Planning to give gifts this
holiday season to employees
Yes
43%
Not
Sure
30%
No
27%

13. 13
Gift Giving to Employees
• The majority of companies (75%) who are planning to give gifts
to employees will give them to all of their employees.
• 86% of companies giving gifts to employees this holiday season
will give them to 75% or more of the employees in their
company.
Percentage of employees who
will receive gifts
All
Employees
75%
75% to
99%
11%
50% to
74%
5%
Less than
50%
9%

14. 14
Gift Giving to Employees
• Gift cards are the most likely gift to be given out to employees
this holiday season, followed by food/beverages, apparel and
cash bonuses.
Types of gifts companies plan to give to employees
5%
3%
8%
8%
7%
12%
19%
18%
16%
21%
31%
28%
33%
53%
Gift cards
Food or beverages
Apparel
Cash bonuses
Desk accessories
Drinkware
Electronics
Writing instruments
Calendars
Sporting goods
Bags/Luggage
Jewlery/Watches
Travel
Charitable donation
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3

15. 15
Gift Giving to Employees
• The median spent per employee is $38, indicating that half of
employers who are giving gifts will spend under $38 and half
will spend over $38.
• On average, employers giving gifts to employees will spend an
average of about $50 per employee.
Amount planning to spend
-Per employee-
$250+
7% $101 -
$249
11%
$76 - $100
11%
$51 - $75
$10 or less
$26 - $50 6%
24%
$11 - $25
22%
19%
Median: $38 per employee

16. 16
Gift Giving to Employees
• Most companies are planning to spend the same amount on
employee gifts this year as compared to last year.
• Those that are changing the amount they are spending this year
are more than three times as likely to report increasing their
spending than decreasing it.
Change in spending on
employee gifts from prior year
Increased
17%
Decreased
5%
About the
same
78%

17. 17
Customer & Prospect Gifts

18. 18
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• About four in 10 companies are planning on giving out gifts to
customers and/or prospects this holiday season.
• As of the survey date, one-quarter of companies were still
undecided about giving gifts to customers and/or prospects.
Planning to give gifts this
holiday season to customers/prospects
Yes
42%
Not
Sure
25%
No
33%

19. 19
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• Companies who are giving gifts to customers anticipate
distributing them to 116 customers on average.
• Companies sending gifts to prospects expect to distribute them
to 76 prospects.
Number of gifts
116
Clients Prospects
50
76
23
Mean Median Mean Median

20. 20
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• Food or beverages are the most popular gifts for customers and
prospects.
• Following food/beverages in popularity are gifts that could be
used around the office, specifically desk accessories, writing
instruments and calendars.
Types of gifts companies plan to give to customers/prospects
2%
1%
6%
6%
10%
9%
17%
15%
22%
20%
31%
28%
35%
54%
Food or beverages
Desk accessories
Writing instruments
Calendars
Drinkware
Gift cards
Apparel
Electronics
Bags/Luggage
Sporting goods
Charitable donations
Travel
Cash bonuses
Jewlery/Watches
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3

21. 21
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• The primary goal of giving gifts to customers and prospects is to
simply express appreciation.
• Relationship development is also a key driver behind the
decision to give gifts to customers and prospects
Goals of giving gifts to customers/prospects
7%
22%
21%
28%
51%
51%
69%
86%
Express appreciation
Relationship development
Generate company good will
Increase company awareness
Obtain a referral
Generate a lead
Obtain a sale
Other
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3

22. 22
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• On average, employers who are giving gifts to
customers/prospects will spend an average of $43 per contact.
• The median spent per customer/prospect is $38, which
indicates that half of employers who are giving gifts will spend
under $38 and half will spend over $38.
Amount planning to spend
-Per customer/prospect-
$250+
3%
$101 -
$249
3% $76 - $100
9%
$51 - $75
15%
$26 - $50
21%
$10 or less
24%
$11 - $25
25%
Median: $38 per customer/prospect
Mean: $43 per customer/prospect

23. 23
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• More than four in 10 who are planning on giving gifts to clients
state that they spend more on their larger clients than their
smaller clients.
Whether more is spent on larger
clients than smaller clients
Yes
No 42%
58%

24. 24
Gift Giving to Customers/Prospects
• Most companies are planning on spending the same amount on
customer/prospect gifts this year as compared to last year.
• Those that are changing the amount they are spending this year
are just as likely report increasing their spending as decreasing
it.
Change in spending on customer/
prospect gifts from prior year
Increased
11%
About the
same
76%
Decreased
13%