Gifts and Gift Baskets

What does a gift do?
It’s meant to reflect your brand, your company values, personality and shows a level of generosity and implies that you care about individual relationships. 

Gifting Plan
The lack of client gift-giving plan may be the one fundamental flaw in marketing your business, especially small businesses. A small investment nay potentially outweighs the initial investment. Take for example a small gift that is given to a potential client that could result in thousands of dollars in income. This is the art of appreciation and goes a long way in building relationships and customer loyalty.

Why give gifts?

Of course, it’s because everyone loves to receive gifts. Gifting branded token items to your potential customers, new clients, vendors and not forgetting your present customers is a great way to highlight your business’s identity and values, to stay in front of your customers. Remember, they do not get up every morning thinking about you.

 

Send gifts with a storyline.

Story-Telling

Have you found that people are taking ‘buy local,’ seriously?

As the owner of a gift-giving company, Bear Town Baskets, I am finding that my customers want to know where their clothes, furniture and most importantly especially where their food comes from. It truly matters if it’s from their community or China.  Most folks want to send gifts that tell stories too, especially in an age when so few gifts are store bought, artificial and don’t tell authentic stories. A product with a ‘Made in China’ label is no longer in vogue.

Seeking Authentic

Gift Basket makers are finding out that anything that hints of the hand-made, artisan, creative design, is what people are looking for. People are responding much more authentic, design as opposed to ‘Made In China’ products. It’s clearly a time to make genuine connections with the folks in our lives. Vintage, ethnic, Victorian-inspired, homespun and maybe even groovy-fare is also the trend. Anything artisan – look, taste, anything that’s handmade or even gives the appearance of being handmade. I really prefer, things that have age and character.They want their friends and family to read  a novel they are sure they’d enjoy, while they are sipping a cup of tea that they’ve send them or by candlelight made by the local candle maker.

A Renaissance

In a big way, this is a can be described as a reawakening, a rebirth, a renaissance of what was old is new again. You don’t have to spend that much to get the perfect gift, who selected a number of artisan and particular objects at more accessible prices. As described in a New York Times article explained that gifts need to be meaningful. “Margaret Visser states in ‘The Gift of Thanks’ — that gift-giving, like most rituals, is a form of social glue. And the strength of that adhesive is in direct proportion to the amount of energy and effort the giver has expended, or appears to have expended.” Consumers want to know that the things they purchase are being made by someone in their community and they want to know the story of the person making the gifts.

Trends in Gifting

They also are trending toward wanting their gifts to be particularly special and the gifts are distinctive and in some way special to whomever they are sending it. Ms. Visser even suggests that criticizing the commercialism of the season is an important part of the ritual.

However, we eed to show that our struggles with finding the right gift and complaints about creating gifts have manifestly cost us trouble she writes. “We may not actually have made them, but everyone is aware — our own grumbling making sure it is understood — that work, freely undertaken, went into their acquisition.” ”

The End of Cold Calling – Use Pop-By Gifts.

What are Drop-By or Pop-by gifts?

Try walking in with a little gift that lets them know they’re appreciated. The gifts are intended to deepen your relationship and provide an opportunity to connect.

It means the end of cold calling, as you know it!

Most people add a catchy line with the gift to make it fun, memorable, and ultimately for inexpensive marketing purposes to promote their business.

They can become a favorite part of your business.

Each is done by hand, customized to the clients requirements.

These gifts, when customized, can include your name, company info and phone # with a quirkily, memorable tagline such as ‘Just Popping By to Say Hi’

Gift Basket Villas creates these are beautiful little gifts to be given to clients to create, maintain and grow relationships. There is no longer need for cold calling. These gifts ensure you’re are a welcomed sight.

 

 

Marketing with gifts

The impact of gift giving

What’s in a gift? A thoughtful token of appreciation, a basketful of delicacies, a uniquely, handmade gift just for the occasion. The right gift can say everything from thank you to thinking of you, making gift-giving a great way for your business to connect with customers, build loyalty, and grow your brand.

Stay front of mind

A card during the holidays is great, but consider sending customers little gifts throughout the year to keep them engaged. Remember (this may not be good for the ego but…) no one gets up every morning thinking about you. Organized quarterly, you’re now gifting four times a year, giving you more opportunities to connect with your customers to show thanks for their continued support. And you don’t need to quadruple your budget — planning ahead, and ordering larger quantities of gift containers like baskets or trays, can keep your gift expenses manageable.

Make an Impression

Make an impression with your gifts, and remind customers how special they are. Truly custom gifts, the kind that demonstrate thought and care, go a long way toward building loyalty. Go beyond just printing your logo on pens and mugs.  Think about how you can wow your customers with personalized gifts. Bear town Baskets work with our customers, no matter the size, to create gifts and make gift containers to off their brand from their point of view, and to make customers feel special. 

Tell Your Story

Are you putting some thought into what goes into that basket or box? The gifts you give add to the story your brand represents you and your company. If your brand is fun loving, make sure your gifting reflects that. Build a baskets around an idea –  choose the contents of that basket based on that idea. If your brand is sober and serious, keep your gifts professional and useful. If your brand is all about fun or the elegant things, think about what sorts of gifts your customers will like and use on a regular basis. Remember when you put a logo on something to eat, it disappears. Put you information on something that lasts – surprisingly a garbage can be elegant and your logo on it will last for a long time. When was the last time you threw out a garbage can?

Don’t ForgetEngage Customers with Gifting – Not Just Once A Year, but oftenBuild Loyalty with Unique, Custom-made GiftsLet Your Gifting Tell Your Story, Refer you and Grow Your BrandDon’t forget to ask for the referral.

Gifting & Know Like Trust

The reality is, your clients won’t come looking for you until you’ve mastered the “know, like, trust” factor. A high profile alone is not enough to convert prospects into customers. You must also build relationships to nurture your likeability, your trustworthiness, and your customers to know from whom they are purchasing.

While you’re delivering your truly valuable content, you’re not selling, but you are paving the road to eventually selling a product that’s related to your content down the line. When it comes to selling online, authority and likeability alone are rarely enough — you need to become truly trusted.

Get involved in your community

Network with the businesses in your area

Give away some stuff

Don’t disappoint

Be consistently good at engaging with your customers

Marketing with Personalized Ceramic Mugs

Personalized Ceramic Mugs for Your Business
If you’re trying to boost business, personalized coffee mugs can make a lasting impact on your customers. Retail stores, coffee shops, tech startups and everyone else can take advantage of the many uses of custom-made mugs.

Personalized Mugs – Benefits

Businesses recognize that a personalized mug an easy marketing system – it’s right in the face of the client. They can’t miss your logo or motto.

Whether it’s for marketing purposes or you’re trying to boost profits, ceramic mugs can have many benefits for local, regional and national business alike.

Spreading Your Message

A custom ceramic coffee mug is something that will stick around in your clients offices/homes for a long time.

Your logo and tagline branded on a mug an attractive and functional way to spread your message. Featuring uniquely-glazed finishes and eye-catching designs, customers won’t be able to resist the urge to pick it up and test it out for themselves.

A Personalized Mug Keepsake

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When a customer invests in a mug, your business gets the benefit brand exposure for years to come.
A Conversation Piece
Personalized coffee mugs – Customers may be more than happy to share your story with their friends over a mug of coffee. People love sharing their good experiences and they can become an extended part of your marketing plan. They will help spread what you’re all about.

Personalized Mugs to create interest in your company

1. Give Mugs Away to Clients
   Give personalized mugs to clients to show your appreciation.
2. Use Mugs in Your Office
   Place mugs in your office for staff to use. This keeps your brand front and center for your employees and customers..

Personalized Mugs in your office, auto dealership or restaurant

If you own a restaurant, mugs can be a great way to make customers feel welcome. You’ll have patrons exclaiming when they see your branded mugs.
If you have a brick and mortar, an auto dealership – offer coffee in one of your personalized mugs. This puts it front and center. Offer it for referrals, good suggestion, or just because.

BearTown Baskets, Moves To New Bern, NC

BearTown Baskets.com – New Bern, NC creates personalized and customized gifts and gift baskets. We work with marketing managers, realtors, insurance companies, hotels, small and large businesses owners to implement gift-giving programs for customers retention, new customers and referrals. No budget is too small – we work within your budget. Ask us about our popular client-touch, drop-by, and pop-by gifts, at minimal cost can lead to amazing results.
https://www.beartownbaskets.com/

New Bern, NC – Small Town USA

We’ve recently found the prettiest little town called New Bern in North Carolina where everyone knows our name (well, not quite but getting there). It’s that town that you mention and folks usually say “yep, it’s that place with all the bridges and lots of sailboats” but we’ve never stopped.

 

New Bern is approximately 35 miles from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is located where the Neuse and Trent rivers meet on the east coast of North Carolina. This area is referred to as The Crystal Coast – aptly named.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene
There are frequent festivals that bring many people the charming downtown area that has several interesting restaurants. Hope you have a car.

Recommendations:

1. The Aquarium at pine-Knoll: http://www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores (it’s small but lots of cool animals)
2. Fort Macon http://www.ncparks.gov/fort-macon-state-park. Also if you want to take a drive – Atlantic Beach is approximately 40 minutes away. https://www.crystalcoastnc.org/region/atlantic-beach.
3. Check out this site too: http://www.visitnewbern.com

View from our boat

 

Don’t forget to check out our store Beartown Baskets, recently relocated to New Bern, NC for your customized and personalized gifts and gift baskets – all occasion, corporate gifts and drop-by/pop-by gifts.

 

Bear Town Baskets

As a small business owner (Bear Town Baskets), I was on a quest to find a quaint little town to grow some roots. I wasn’t sure it was something I could find and not really sure my gift basket business would thrive outside of a large city, but it was worth a try.

New Bern, aka known as Bear Town,  and has over 50 bears scattered throughout the town. It’s a quirky reason visitors flock to New Bern. These hand-painted bear designs are on life-size bears. These bears, in historic downtown, are decorated with absolutely gorgeous colors, artistic designs, hats, flags, flowers, and each bear is uniquely designed. Check out the Visit New Bern website for details.

I was pleasantly surprised when to find the quaintest, hidden gem of a town,  New Bern, NC. Most people seem to have heard of it as a town on the way to the beaches, but for whatever the reason, it still appears to be a well-kept secret.  This small town appears to be growing in leaps and bounds. But, shhh don’t tell anyone our secret!