What Is the Right Sentiment for Customer Gifts in 2020?

At 4:00pm on September 7, 1940, German planes darkened the skies over London. For the next two hours, 1,000 Luftwaffe aircraft dropped bombs that destroyed homes and ignited fires that burned throughout the city. These aerial raids would be repeated for the next 56 nights — and continued almost daily through May 1941.

Families sheltered in-place, social activity stopped. Theatres, dance halls and cinemas closed. Football stadiums enforced limited attendance policies in case an air raid mid-match would cause a stampede. Discretionary travel halted and social gatherings were limited to hastily arranged gatherings of only the closest friends.

But the city of London, under siege from above and changing daily life below, responded in admirable ways — none more so than how it celebrated the holidays of 1940.

The most popular gift that Christmas was “soap” — made by one household and given to another so a friend could enjoy isolation amidst cleaner quarters. With turkeys, hams and goose in particularly short supply, the most cherished gift from a business associate was a Christmas rabbit or chicken “to enjoy with the people that matter most to you.”

For business in 2020, gift baskets, cases of wines or boxes of chocolates seem less relevant than ever as corporate gifts.

Here are three ideas for thoughtful gifts to give your customers this season:

• Wine Tasting in the Spirit of ‘Appreciation’
  Your customer picks a one-hour window and shares emails of their team. Teamraderie sends each person two bottles of wine — a white “Appreciation” blend and a red pinot noir. During the designated one-hour window, a wine educator joins your customer and their team and leads a “different” wine tasting. Instead of talking about root stocks or oaky French barrels, your customers’s team is led through an exercise where each team member shares something they have come to “appreciate” during the pandemic. Helps your customer connect meaningfully with their team.

• ‘Winning as a Team’ Virtual Experience
  Your customer picks a one-hour window and shares emails of their team.
  Teamraderie hosts a virtual meeting for your customer, led by four-time Olympic medalist and NBC commentator Summer Sanders. In lieu of a regular sports event, your customer and their team have an intimate conversation with one of the most intelligent sports legends.
  Helps your customer discuss ‘new norms for 2021’ with their team.

• ‘Balancing Comfort and Adventure in 2021’ Virtual Experience
  Your customer picks a one-hour window and shares emails of their team.
  2020 has been a year when many of us found our lives required a new sense of balance. Teamraderie will host a virtual event where each of your customer’s team members are shipped burnt avocado with chèvre, pistachio, and sudachi. An eighth-time restaurant entrepreneur and chef joins and discusses the importance of ‘comfort’ and ‘adventure’ in creating a menu that customers crave — and helps draw parallels with the balance many of your customer’s teams may be seeking.
  Helps your customer discuss how to strive for better balance in 2021.