Corporate Christmas gift-giving is an art, and this article collects expert-backed ideas to master it. Discover unique corporate holiday gifts to set your company apart and leave a lasting impression this winter.
We asked 10 experts to share their experiences receiving or giving the best corporate holiday gifts for Christmas. From mystery boxes to personalized charitable gifts, these suggestions offer fresh approaches to showing appreciation and strengthening business relationships. We shaped these suggestions into trends, supporting them with the relevant statistics.
Personalization:
- Personalized gifts with charitable impact
- Custom ornaments spark client engagement
- Personalized boxes deliver memorable experiences
Adding a human touch:
- Handmade kits foster lasting connections
- Tailored gifts with hand-crafted packaging
- Mystery gift boxes excite recipients
- An Advent calendar with corporate holiday gifts stimulates anticipation
Meeting individual preferences:
- Profession-specific presents show appreciation
- Employee input ensures meaningful gifts
- Self-service swag shop boosts engagement
Trend 1: personalization
The new golden rule is simple: the more personal your gift, the more profound its impact. Personalization shows you’ve paid attention and value the individual, not just the business relationship. And it is not just a theory: industry reports consistently indicate that personalization boosts the return on investment of gifting campaigns.
- According to McKinsey & Company, Personalization drives better customer outcomes. Faster-growing companies generate 40% more revenue from personalization than their slower-growing counterparts.
- According to the Corporate Gifting Market Outlook 2032 by Dataintelo, the growing trend of personalized gifting is projected to propel the corporate gifting market in 2024-2032.
- A recent study from the University Network found that personalized gifts foster deeper emotional connections and make people feel more cherished.
Here’s what experts have to say about this powerful trend.
Personalized corporate holiday gifts with charitable impact
“One memorable and unique approach businesses can take for their corporate Christmas gifting campaign is to combine personalization with meaningful impact. For instance, a company could launch a “Gift with Purpose” initiative, where each corporate gift sent to clients, partners, or employees includes a personalized message highlighting how their collaboration contributed to a charitable cause over the year. The gift could be paired with a donation made in the recipient’s name—such as supporting a clean water project, funding education, or planting trees.
To elevate the experience, the corporate gift packaging could be sustainably designed and include visual storytelling elements, such as artwork or messages from communities benefiting from the cause. This thoughtful approach transforms a traditional business gift into a meaningful expression of appreciation and shared values, helping the company stand out while reinforcing relationships built on trust, purpose, and goodwill.”
Wan Ting Tan, Managing Director, Corporate Gifts Singapore
Custom ornaments spark client engagement
“One way a business can make its Christmas gifting campaign memorable is by personalizing gifts with a storytelling element tied to the customer relationship. For example, instead of sending generic gift boxes, we once sent custom-made ornaments featuring a small illustration and an inside joke from the year’s collaboration with each client. It was low-cost but incredibly personal—and sparked responses, social shares, and long-term goodwill. The key is making the gift feel thoughtful and unique to the recipient, not just seasonal.”
Heinz Klemann, Senior Marketing Consultant, BeastBI GmbH
Personalized boxes deliver memorable experiences
“When it comes to a gift-giving campaign at Christmas, in order to make it memorable, it is necessary to make it personal so that it is perceived as an experience rather than a transaction. A business that I collaborated with has done precisely that by creating personalized gift boxes. Every box was individually filled with thoughtfully chosen items according to the person and their interests, such as quality coffee blends for people who enjoy fine coffee, organic skincare products, and other items.
These gifts could be called not only presents but well-considered experiences that made the recipients realize that the company had gone the extra mile to learn what their clients were truly interested in.
The effect was significant. This approach was not about the monetary value of the gift, but rather the customization that made clients feel highly appreciated. It established an intense emotional bond and motivated recipients to recommend their personalized gifts, attracting new business through word-of-mouth. Instead of mailing a standard gift that might easily get lost in the mix, this strategy made the campaign memorable and reinforced the company’s reputation well past Christmas.
This demonstrates that the key to a successful holiday campaign lies not in quantity, but in the quality and effort invested in each gift.”
Ben Richardson, Owner, Acuity Training
Trend 2: adding a human touch to corporate Christmas gifts
The highest level of corporate holiday gifts personalization is a human touch. People want to connect with brands that feel real, and hand-crafted elements like hand-written postcards with individual messages, contextual illustrations, or hand-crafted packaging make every interaction feel authentic, empathetic, and truly personal and memorable. This is how real relationships build up.
Here’s what the experts have to say about this game-changing trend.
Hand-made kits foster lasting connections
“What I have discovered to make a Christmas gifting campaign memorable is not how big or shiny the present is, but how the impression is created that it is personal and honest. We have also surprised our partner schools with specially designed and student-created thank you kits a few years ago, filled with handwritten notes, school-created crafts, and a voucher to have a staff breakfast at their local cafe of choice. We have chosen to make the process collaborative and fun for the students, rather than using branded gadgets, and the recipients were truly seen and appreciated.
The most unexpected feedback was received several weeks later when employees said how those small notes would end up on classroom walls or be posted in school newsletters. The gesture was a long-lived summer game. The lesson here was that when you engage your community in the creation process, you do make something that has a long resonance after opening.
This campaign was successful as it united people and made our partners realize that we understood what was most important: building real relationships and mutual respect. It was not a competition to beat anyone but to make memories that last.
When you are looking to make gifting campaigns sticky, you need to look beyond products in a box to experiences and messages that create a shared experience.”
Mark Friend, Company Director, Classroom365
Tailored corporate gifts with thoughtful packaging
“To create an effective Christmas gifting campaign, one should focus on developing personal, high-quality gifts that will truly resonate with the recipients. Utilize custom products rather than generic branded items that speak to specific interests. For example, companies can use sublimation printing to produce a customized mug or shirt featuring a message (often inspirational) that the recipient might find meaningful. This adds extra significance to an ordinary gift, appealing to emotions and fostering a stronger connection.
It is crucial to make the gift appear unique. Time-limited holiday packaging or personalize-your-own wrapping adds that extra element of thoughtfulness to the gift, without necessarily incurring high costs. The memorable details lie in those small touches that a customer will surely remember: a special design or a unique package. Not only do such little gestures ensure the campaign is memorable, but they also demonstrate to customers that you are committed to providing them with a personalized experience and elevating your brand above the competition during the busy holiday season.”
Hasan Hanif, Founder, Colour Vistas
Mystery gift boxes excite recipients
“Working in marketing for a company that gives gift suggestions for coworkers, I’ve seen a lot of cool ideas, but one that really stands out right now is the mystery gift box. It’s becoming super popular! What the best companies are doing is filling a box with surprise gifts, samples, fun limited-edition items, or quirky little corporate gifts with branding. The mystery of what’s inside makes it all the more exciting. People love the surprise and often post about it online. I think this could be a really fun and memorable activity for any organization.”
M Farhan Rauf, Head of Marketing, Gift for Coworker
Advent calendar with corporate holiday gifts stimulates anticipation
“Instead of sending a gift card or a wine basket that’s opened once and quickly forgotten, you can transform corporate holiday gifting into a week-long journey.
This idea redefines the “unboxing” moment. Imagine a sleek, silver holiday box that doesn’t reveal its secrets at once. Instead, it holds seven small, branded surprises, each one opened on a different day in the final week before Christmas.
This creates a powerful, daily ritual of anticipation and delight. Every small gift adds to the festive atmosphere, building a lasting, positive emotional connection. This is how you make your brand a cherished part of their holiday season, one unforgettable moment at a time.”
Oksana Gedrovica, CMO, Swag42
Trend 3: meeting individual preferences
The one-size-fits-all approach is officially dead. To win a competition, you have to meet individual preferences by giving people the power to choose. Whether it’s a specific color, style, or the gift itself, letting them pick what they genuinely want makes them feel valued and ensures the gift succeeds. This avoids giving a gift that misses the mark and builds a stronger, more meaningful connection.
Check out the expert insights supporting the trend.
Profession-specific presents show appreciation
“One efficient and practical method businesses can use to make their Christmas gifting campaign memorable and special is by giving tailor-made gifts based on the recipient’s likes, profession, or personal interests.
For example, giving medical gear to a healthcare worker will show that you appreciate them in their profession. Additionally, including personalized letters will not only enhance the gift but also add a personal touch that will leave a lasting impression.”
Doug Crawford, President and Founder, Best Trade Schools
Self-service swag shop boosts engagement
“Working at a hyper-growth company feels like a constant sprint. You’re building fast, hiring fast, and making decisions on the fly. There’s energy in that pace, but there’s also chaos. Especially around the holidays.
Every year, gifting turned into a bigger stress. I used to handle it myself. Picking swag, managing shipping, dealing with timelines. It was fine when the team was ten or twenty. But once we passed forty people in a year and kept growing, I just couldn’t keep up. One holiday season, I waited too long to start and nearly missed the window. It was frustrating, and honestly, it felt like I was letting my team down.
Then we started using the Swag Shop. And it changed everything. Suddenly, I could create a branded experience that felt like us. I didn’t have to chase vendors or guess what people might like. Each person could pick a gift they actually wanted. That simple change turned gifting from a task into a way to recognize people. It gave me back time, but more importantly, it made our team feel appreciated.
That’s when I realized it’s not just about sending swag. It’s about making people feel seen.”
Michael Zaitsev, VP of Partnership at Swag42
Employee input ensures meaningful gifts
“Always ask your employees what they want for Christmas! There is no point in giving meaningless gifts that will end up being forwarded to distant family or friends later on. One interesting way to decide on a gift is by conducting a poll of 5 unique and trendy gifts and gauging employees’ interest. Another idea includes Amazon coupons, so they can buy whatever they want for themselves or their home.”
Nir Appelton, CEO, The CEO Creative
Summing up
The experts agree that the most memorable gifts stem from three key ideas: personalization, a human touch, and a focus on individual preferences.
By moving beyond generic items and embracing a thoughtful approach, you’re not just giving a gift but creating an experience. It’s the difference between being a brand that’s simply known and genuinely appreciated and remembered one long after the holidays are over.
Contact us today for a free merchandise consultation. We’ll provide more corporate holiday gifts ideas and help you design a winter holiday gifting campaign that will leave an unforgettable impression on your clients and team.
