In recent years gift baskets have become extremely popular, with an increasing number of options available, plus a number of speciality baskets, such as golf enthusiasts, new baby and gourmet baskets. Another type of basket in great demand is the corporate gift basket.

In choosing corporate gifts, a company has to decide what it is trying to achieve in giving the gift at all. Like any marketing decision (and let’s be honest, this is marketing), the choice needs to take into account costs, purpose and likely benefits, as well as any possible adverse reaction if a bad choice is made. So, your corporate gift basket, if that is the general choice you make, should be appropriate not just to the recipient but the level and importance of the business relationship you have with them.

I am stating the obvious in saying that the corporate gift basket you send needs to both please the recipient, and further your business relationship with them. But it should also be kept in economic proportions. If you are sending to a customer who spends $50m a year with you, and you send them an obviously cheap $15 gift basket, the gift is likely to do your business relationship more harm than good. Send a luxury gift basket worth $990 to a customer who spends $100 a year with you, is not a sensible decision, unless they happen to be a great friend of yours; in which case, it is not really a corporate gift anyway.

When making your