Thoughts on Marketing

‘Tis the Season. Or at least, it soon will be….

[Originally published as The Marketing Mix newsletter on Substack]

If you want to send Holiday gifts to clients and prospects, now’s the time to start planning. Yes, it’s still pumpkin-spice season🎃, but there’s only 8 weeks to the end of the year. If you wait until Black Friday to plan your gifting, you’ll be feeling blue.

It’s tricker than it used to be. Many people no longer have an office address, or they visit it infrequently. A generic “gift to the group” like popcorn or chocolates doesn’t work for remote teams. And with rising costs, you may have to be more selective with the recipients.

How do you stand out from the crowd?

I worked with an agency owner who gave a hand-picked bottle of scotch whiskey to his key clients at Christmas. A high-value gift to a small number of people. Did it work? Well…I can tell you, he was guaranteed a 1on1 with my CEO every December!😏

One of my clients is known for sending a wheel of cheese as their holiday gift🧀- how unique is that? Their customers are actively looking for it every year. And the sales team hand delivers them, a sure-fire reason to stop by.

Whatever you do, find a way to add a touch of personality. Maybe it relates to your location (black and white cookies from Manhattan, pistachios if you’re in California); or your company culture, or brand colors.

Make it Land

What about the presentation? You could create a luxury gift box in company colors. Or add a handwritten note to the customer. Anything that says “we didn’t just pick this from a catalog.”

And how do you know the recipient will get it? Send an email with a promise.

“Hey, we’re wrapping up our end of year gifts. I’d hate for it to land on the wrong doorstep. Should we send it to your office at [xxx], or is there a better address?” [Add a link to a Jotform to make data collection easier].

And….if anyone wants to send me a sample of their gift, I’d be happy to share my details 😁

---

This Podcast is a Gift…

To be honest, when I interviewed Kris Rudeegraap, CEO of Sendoso, we didn’t talk too much about gifting – I was more focused on his marketing philosophy. But they are one of the leading platforms for corporate gifts – FFWD all the way to 25:00 to hear his advice.🎧 I’ll just leave the link here. 🎧

---

A Cider Smash

Ready for an autumnal cocktail? Last weekend I enjoyed a Cider Smash inspired by Hudson Valley Distillers, using local ingredients.

Sometimes, simple is best: Vodka (1part), apple cider (4 parts), a few drops of maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon, over ice. Autumn in a glass 🍎

Cheers 🥃

Steve

P.S If you know you need to take marketing seriously, but don’t know where to start, let’s chat. I help growing B2B tech companies build their marketing muscles.

P.P.S If you’ve enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to The Marketing Mix newsletter – my thoughts on B2B marketing, sent out every 2 weeks.