Dos and don'ts of gift boxing for any time of year

Tis the season for gift giving. From your family and friends, to your co-workers and clients, finding a meaningful gift can be a daunting task. With the increasing popularity of gift boxes, neatly packaged with everything from electronics to food and beverage, it can be difficult to find the perfectly curated gift. 

Relying on core values, vision, and goals is incredibly important to our work with our clients, and to how our clients approach their experiential strategy. Which made us think… why should gift giving be any different? With that in mind, we made a list of best practices as it concerns the “dos and don’ts” of gift curation. 

Do: Know where the products are sourced

Even though that beautifully branded Instagram advertisement you keep seeing seems like an easy choice, make sure you do the research behind the brand. Are the items locally made? If so, where? Who does this company employ? What creators are they supporting with these curated gifts? Can you confirm they are quality items? If you’re looking to make sure you support locally in your home city, we are loving the curated boxes by Keep Your City Smiling.

Don't: Be generic

While some may enjoy a nice tea, scented soap or something beginning with the word “lavender” - these are also the generic items that often end up getting regifted or forgotten. Leading with intention and thought around the person on the receiving end goes so much further than the old, tired options returning every year. We think a great place to get inspiration for gifts with personality is Etsy’s gift box section. From boxes of “exotic beef jerky” to “organic California avocados” there are endless ways to have fun.. and as a bonus you are likely to be supporting a small business!

Do: Consider sustainability

From how items are packaged, to the elements inside, it is now more important than ever to consider the sustainability of the products you gift, and the packaging it’s sent in. We know we hate receiving a package in the mail with a box five times the size of the item inside, so don’t make the mistake of unnecessary waste with your gifts. A sustainable company we are loving is Handpicked Lemons - all items are intentionally thrifted or handmade and as a bonus they use all upcycled boxes!!

Don't: wait until it's too late

The holidays aren’t the only thing slowing down our friendly delivery drivers - since the pandemic the number of folks shopping online has skyrocketed. Sometimes niche boxes take weeks to ship and even longer to arrive. If you find yourself in a crunch, check on brands that align with your values to see if they have curated a box for the season. We personally love REI’s Force of Nature gift box, where everything inside comes from a company owned, led or founded by a woman, just like us!

When in doubt, don’t be afraid to curate your own box - or hire someone to help you! What is important to you? Your brand? Your stakeholders? Thoughtful gifts, be it for the holidays or for your conference attendees, can be the difference between being forgettable or making a lasting impact.