Promotional Items and Corporate Gifts for Year End

End-of-year dinner, a Christmas gathering or a New Year drinks reception: come December, companies, associations and clubs want to thank their customers, staff or members. A promotional item makes the strongest impression when it gets used day to day, at the office, out shopping or on the way to work. This guide helps you choose the right corporate gifts, the right finish for each item, and the right time to order.

Personalised mugs: the everyday gift

The personalised mug remains a corporate gift classic: it gets used every day, at the coffee machine and at home alike, and demand peaks in November. Depending on quantity and design, you have three options:

• Photo print from 1 piece: the photo print coffee mugs are printed across the whole surface, 19 x 8 cm, in photorealistic sublimation printing. Ideal for a small quantity or a personal design. Hand washing is recommended.
• Transfer print from 24 pieces: one to three-colour logos on many shapes, such as the convex mugs, the matt 450 ml mugs or the open-handle mugs, all dishwasher-safe.
• Direct screen printing for larger quantities: the classic promotional mugs from 100 pieces, plus the conical porcelain mugs and conical promotional mugs from 150 pieces, are suited to industrial dishwashers, ideal for a canteen, café or restaurant.

For a refined look, consider laser engraving, for example on mugs with a rubberised finish in five matt colours or on double-walled stainless steel camping mugs, available from 10 pieces. For a Christmas market, an advent gathering or your winter event, the mulled wine mugs in ceramic are stackable, finished in direct screen printing and available from 150 pieces. Good to know: on most mugs, only one design is possible per order, and bright or metallic colours can lose a little brightness during firing.

Promotional pens: from small giveaway to gift set

A personalised pen suits every industry and gets picked up every day. For a trade fair, reception desk or mailing, printed plastic models work well, such as the Standard ballpoint pen, printable in up to four colours on the barrel. For more impact, choose metal or aluminium with laser engraving, such as the Classic ballpoint pen, also available in recycled aluminium, or the Lumos Softtouch ballpoint pen from 10 pieces.

Sustainable materials are especially popular for corporate gifts. Choose from bamboo pens with laser engraving, recycled plastic pens with a wheat straw content, cork and wheat straw pens, or cardboard pens. The Paper Budget pen, with a cardboard barrel, is available from just 1 piece, printed or engraved.

For a personal gift to a business partner or client, a set makes an impression: the wooden writing set with a twist ballpoint pen, fountain pen and engraved wooden case from 50 pieces, the cork writing set with a ballpoint pen and rollerball in a cork case from 10 pieces, or the Mark Twain ballpoint pen in its acrylic box, engraved from just 1 piece. Minimum quantities vary by model, and the configurator shows them for every product.

Cotton bags: useful at markets, trade fairs and every day

A personalised tote bag carries your logo around town every time it is used. For a small quantity, the cotton bags in direct digital printing are ideal: available from 1 piece, 38 x 42 cm, with a print area of 24 x 31 cm on the front and back and a photorealistic finish. Choose between 140 g/m² cotton or organic cotton at 140 or 340 g/m², with short or long handles.

For larger quantities, there are the Basic cotton bags with up to four print colours from 25 pieces and the 100% organic cotton bag with OCS certification. Jute bags in screen printing, from 10 pieces, give a natural look, felt bags with a press stud are sturdy and also available from 10 pieces, and polyester canvas tote bags can be printed across the whole surface, handles included. Backpacks, laptop backpacks and cool bags also make good gifts for staff.

Embroidered beanies: the winter gift people wear

A personalised beanie gets worn all winter, on the way to work, at the stadium or on the slopes, keeping your logo clearly visible. Basic beanies carry your design as embroidery or as a patch, fit almost any head thanks to their one-size design, and are available from 1 piece. Long beanies offer a 10 x 5 cm embroidery area, and Thinsulate beanies keep especially warm and can be embroidered with up to 12 thread colours, also from 1 piece.

For clubs and fan merchandise, bobble hats embroidered on the fold-up are popular, available from 5 pieces. The Reflective beanie, woven with highly reflective fibres, improves visibility when cycling, and the beanie with an LED light is an original giveaway for evening joggers and walkers (from 100 pieces). For a natural material, choose the organic cotton beanie.

Frequently asked questions about promotional items

When should I order corporate gifts for Christmas?

As early as possible in autumn. Demand for mugs and beanies peaks in November, and design work and print file preparation also take time. The delivery time for your configuration is shown before you order, so plan backwards from the date of your end-of-year dinner or customer event.

Can I order promotional items in small quantities?

Yes. Photo print coffee mugs, cotton bags in direct digital printing, the Paper Budget pen, Basic beanies and long beanies are all available from 1 piece. This suits a small team, a club or a personal gift. Items with a higher minimum quantity, such as promotional mugs in direct screen printing, are meant for large-scale campaigns.

Are printed mugs dishwasher-safe?

Most mugs in transfer print are dishwasher-safe, and mugs in direct screen printing, such as the classic promotional mugs or the mulled wine mugs, even withstand industrial dishwashers. For photo print coffee mugs, matt coffee mugs and stainless steel mugs, hand washing is recommended, and rubberised mugs with laser engraving are not dishwasher-safe.

Which promotional items are sustainable?

Choose from pens in bamboo, cardboard, wheat straw or recycled aluminium, bags in OCS-certified organic cotton, jute or recycled PET, and beanies in organic cotton or recycled polyester, such as one version of the long beanies.

Planning your end-of-year campaign in five steps

• Set your audience: customers, staff, association members or guests at an event.
• Choose the item: a mug for the office, a pen or writing set for the desk, a bag for shopping and trade fairs, a beanie for the cold season.
• Choose the finish: print for a colourful logo, engraving for a refined look, embroidery for beanies and textiles.
• Check the quantity: minimums vary by item and method.
• Prepare the print file: logo as a vector file where possible, HKS or Pantone solid colours according to the spec sheet.

The price in CHF is shown instantly in the configurator, the delivery time before you order, and we deliver across Switzerland. Put your end-of-year gifts together now, for example with our personalised mugs, promotional pens or embroidered beanies.