Top Client Appreciation Curated Gift Designs

It's that time of year again! The time when we reflect upon our custom gift design projects from the last 12 months and come up with our top designs to share with you. Perhaps you recall last year's favorites featuring spa and wellness themes gifts along with gourmet snack themed gifts? To be honest, this is always a tough process, especially for me, because I'm notorious for saying that EVERY project is my favorite project. (That's how it's should be, right?) After going back and forth as a team, we've narrowed it down to just ten of of favorite custom corporate holiday gifts and custom client appreciation gifts. 

Soon we will share our Top 10 Wedding Welcome Gifts and Top 10 Corporate Event Gifts, but for now, let's take a closer look at our Top 10 Client Appreciation gift designs of 2018...

Advertising Client Thank You Gift Boxes for Pinterest

When Pinterest called and asked for "Pinterest worthy" curated gift boxes to be designed and sent to their advertising clients at the holidays, I must admit, I had one of those "Am I worthy?" moments. Then, I quickly snapped out of it and got to work curating a gift design that represents their brand, while at the same time, giving off a festive holiday vibe.

Their red and white branding was the perfect foundation for a festive holiday gift set. Chic black round hat boxes as the gifting containers added dramatic flare. We included sweet treats, a modern luxury candle by Brooklyn Candle Studio, and the real show stopper...custom cookies in the shape of an iPhone featuring the Pinterest app icon. We finished the gift boxes off with evergreen springs and pine cones for a seasonal touch and black and white striped ribbon with a simple logo gift tag. We took a collective deep breath, exhaled, and sent a sea of these out the door hoping and praying that they pass the "Pinterest worthy" test! 

Cocktail Themed Holiday Gifts for LA Galaxy

We created custom holiday gifts for professional soccer team LA Galaxy last year and were thrilled to have the opportunity to do it again this season! Their navy, gold and white branding palette is a joy to work with, and is festive for the holiday season in its own right. To create a luxury feel, we used navy blue deluxe gift boxes and embossed their logo in gold on the top of each box so it's the first thing that's seen when the shipping box is opened. A bit of gold foil is sure to elevate any gifting experience! 

We created a hot toddy theme to curate an interactive holiday gift for the team's top supporters. We included branded toddy mugs, a gorgeous hot toddy kit, honey, cinnamon sticks, and even a tin of small batch peppermint bark. Pine, pine cones and simple navy blue ribbon finished off the design.

Vegas-Inspired Conference Invitation Welcome Bags

Never could I imagine putting a LEGO set in any of our custom gift boxes but never say never! When the American Institute of Architecture hired us to design on-brand client gifts to serve as invitations to their upcoming conference in Las Vegas, a Vegas architecture LEGO set made perfect sense!

Instead of traditional gift boxes, we chose sturdy L.L. Bean tote bags that would be useful to attendees during their upcoming trip. We also included locally-sourced small batch popcorn as well as Vegas-made lollipops (in the shape of dice...so fun, right!?) to further get attendees excited about the destination. We wrapped the tote bags in AIA-branded tissue paper and closed the tissue paper with AIA logo stickers before drop-shipping them to the recipients. This aesthetic is a bit of a departure from our normal look, but we thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and are thrilled with how AIA's modern brand was represented and how their business objective was met. 

'Better Together' Themed Holiday Client Gift Boxes

California-based Gold PR loved the 'Better Together' theme and wanted us to incorporate this in their custom holiday gift boxes for their clients. We paired like items to accomplish the 'Better Together' concept including handmade cutting boards, gold cheese knife sets, and gorgeous geode tumblers as well as honey and pecans to round out the design. Each gift was topped with a small olive wood board for a high end charcuterie themed holiday gift. 

While their branding colors of white, gold and fuschia aren't necessarily traditional holiday, we played up the gold that's typically seen during the end of the year holidays and also added greenery and pinecones for a seasonal look. The gifts ended up high-end and festive which is representative of Gold PR's brand, not only at the holidays, but year round.

Custom Vendor Relationships Gifts for Luxury Floral Designer

These botanical-inspired pine gift boxes we created for a luxury floral designer were destined to make this year's top 10 list. Reason being...whenever we shared peeks of these on Instagram, they were always a fan favorite.

Our client's objective for these gifts was to thank event planners and other industry contacts for referring them. So, in other words, they went out to our client's industry contacts to solidify relationships and express gratitude instead of being sent directly to their clients.

To achieve a luxe natural look, we chose pine wood boxes and filled them high-end, floral-inspired items such as dried flowers, a ceramic bud vase, botanical facial steam, floral scented soap and more. To solidify the organic vibe, we used textured silk ribbon to close the boxes and wrapped the ribbon around numerous times for a layered look. 

Wedding Photographer Client Welcome Hat Boxes

The custom gift boxes for wedding photographer Lauren of Lauren Kearns Photography were definitely high impact! We paired black round hat boxes with her deep, rich burgundy branding for a rich, dramatic look. We love designing custom gifts that break with the traditional color expectations for the holiday seasons, while still keeping a festive feel.

We included small batch coffee, a luxury mulled wine candle, and artisan chocolate and then finished the gifts off with custom holiday note cards featuring a sincere message of gratitude from Lauren. We then incorporated pine cones to solidify the cozy winter vibe! Who wouldn't be delighted to receive one of these cozy and festive self care inspired holiday gift sets?

Luxury Pool Designer Home-Inspired Client Gifts

Sunset Pools, located in Texas, designs luxury pools and outdoor spaces for their clients. They came to us desiring a high end gift design for them to show gratitude to their clients throughout the year. They wanted items that could be used and enjoyed at home. With all of this in mind, we created a layered gift to help them express their gratitude to their clients while also keeping their brand and values in mind. 

We selected deluxe ivory gift boxes and filled them lotion and soap sets and artisan candles for a cozy touch of home. Custom wooden cutting boards in the shape of Texas added a nod to their home state. Small bottles of bubbly were perfect to help their clients toast to the new year. To top it off, we added a turkish towel that can be used poolside. We loved the idea of pairing both indoor and outdoor items within the same gift. 

Virginia-Inspired Real Estate Client Appreciation Gift Boxes

A Virginia based real estate firm came to us looking for gender neutral client holiday gifts that would represent their branding aesthetic without being over-the-top holiday. With blues and greens making up their branding palette, we used these colors as a foundation to build cozy winter gifts that would give a nod to the business' Virginia location. Locally sourced gifts make that much more of an impact while also supporting other small businesses. 

To highlight the cozy chic gift vibes, we chose sturdy kraft boxes and included both sweet and savory snacks including a dogwood flower cookie, which is the state flower of Virginia. We also created custom holiday notecards to send a thank you message to the real estate firm's clients. Springs of pine and pinecones added that extra wintery touch while custom logo gift tags and navy ribbons tied it all together. 

Festive Snack-centric Holiday Client Gifts

KY Meds is a repeat client of ours and we were so excited to have them back again for 2018 holiday client gifts! And these gifts literally had it all. From sweet and savory snacks to small batch coffee and bubbly, there was definitely a little something for everyone.

We worked with a neutral color palette of wintery silver, white, and black for an elevated holiday gift without being kitschy. Custom holiday notecards by Just Write Studios gave the gifts both professional and personal polish. 

'Better Together' Pairings Themed Client Gifts

The theme of 'Better Together' is the perfect starting point for holiday appreciation gifts. Trader Interactive loved the idea of creating pairings to represent this concept. We came up with three unique pairings: peanut butter and jelly, beer and nuts, and tea and honey to suit a variety of palettes and interests.

We used large sturdy black gift boxes for the packaging and paired it with bright red ribbon representing their branding color palette. This gave the gifts a luxe and modern look. We added custom logo gift tags that were really special and made the gifts instantly recognizable. Silver foil elevated the gifts and added a touch of luxury. To tie everything together, we also included custom booklets representing their company mission and further reinforcing the 'Better Together' message.

That's a wrap on our favorite client appreciation gift designs of 2018. Do you have a favorite custom corporate or client gift from this list? 

We'd love to hear from you and learn more about your gifting goals for the New Year! Reach out to our M&G gifting experts to learn more about our custom gift design services and how we can help you craft client appreciation gifts that stand out. 

For more client gifting inspiration, check out our Top 10 Client Appreciation Gifts from 2017.

Happy client appreciation gifting!

3 Ways To Do Gifting With Marigold & Grey

When it comes to corporate gifting, gifts for your business, or gifts for your company's employees, clients or events, there are three unique ways to gift with Marigold & Grey.

#1: Custom Gift Design Service

If you're interested in elevated branded gifts for your company for employee appreciation, holiday or any corporate event in between, please get in touch with us to ask about our custom corporate gift design services. We'd love to work with you or your team to create something that reflects your company's brand with limitless options for customization to include branding the packaging, gift contents, printed collateral, and more. 

#2: Add-Your-Own-Logo Program (i.e. Semi-Custom Gifts)

In addition to custom gift design, we also offer a thoughtful semi-custom gift design program with low order minimums and your company's logo and brand on each gift you send. Our Add-Your-Own-Logo Program is perfect for businesses that want to send company branded gifts either all at once for an event or particular marketing campaign OR throughout the year, on demand as you need them, for special occasions like employee appreciation, birthdays, client thank you gifts, and more.

#3: Ready-to-Ship Collection in our Online Shop

For curated gift sets and themed gift baskets that are easy-to-send for any occasion in life or work, don't forget to shop our curated collection of ready-to-ship gift boxes with quick turnarounds and no order minimums. These ship out within 1-3 business days; rush next-day shipping is also available at checkout.

Trader Interactive Gift Images: Emily Belson Photography
All other images: Lissa Ryan Photography