Team-building exercises are designed to build connections between employees. The next time you plan a company outing or event, think about how to form a stronger emotional bond not only among employees, but also between your people and the organization itself by offering branded merchandise as incentives and rewards.
Of course, company employees may not always appreciate the efforts of Marketing to turn everyone into a walking billboard outside of work by wearing logo-festooned t-shirts pushing the corporate message. But savvy integrated marketers understand that promotional products don’t have to be that obvious or heavy-handed to be effective.
Consider how to offer employees a truly relevant item that they will value long after the event has ended.
Build Emotional Connections With Your Brand
Relevant, branded merchandise helps to capture the emotion and lifestyle of your brand. Simply associating your company with a positive experience can be a powerful way to create a stronger connection with staff. The right branded products serve as employee incentives and help spread company awareness beyond the office.
Recognize Service and Loyalty
Develop a corporate culture that recognizes outstanding service and loyalty to the organization. Awards allow you to reward outstanding employees while encouraging similar behavior from the rest of the workforce.
The number of incentive opportunities is practically endless. Offer monetary and/or branded incentives in recognition of performance, sales, safety, wellness, attendance, ideas, Employee of the Month, or retirement. Whatever the occasion, the most effective branded merchandise ties in with the event somehow.
Offer Relevant Rewards
There are any number of incentives you could offer as prizes or gifts, beyond the old standbys of coffee mugs, pens and notepads. Say your company is holding a team-building event at a beach, pool, or park. With that setting in mind, brainstorm the possibilities for your event: branded beach towels, picnic coolers on wheels, logo-embroidered blankets, wine bottle holders, bottle openers, even branded food packaging, such as printed labels or candy wrappers.
Get creative! Almost anything that can be printed on can serve as branded promotional item.
