All Star Incentive Marketing discussed business gifting as companies continued postponing events and group travel during the pandemic, in guidance published on September 27, 2021.

The provider emphasized choosing gifts around the recipient and adding a personal message. It also identified a name or initials on the item as one way to distinguish a gift from a generic distribution.

Its article cited the Business Gift Strategy Report in discussing the difference between senders’ intentions and recipients’ experiences. The practical point was that a gift intended to express appreciation can feel impersonal if there is no visible connection to the person receiving it.

All Star proposed occasions beyond the year-end holiday season, including employee or company anniversaries, completion of a project, birthdays and the birth of a child.

The guidance positioned corporate gifting as a planned relationship activity with attention to timing and presentation. All Star linked that approach with its own merchandise and business gift services.