The gifting thing

It’s hard to talk about receiving press gifts without feeling like a total brat, but here we are. ‘Tis the season and it feels relevant.

Firstly, please know that I see it as a privilege and a perk – I am eternally grateful. Promise.

Of course, it’s also a part of the PR-journo relationship that’s loaded with questions of ethics. I’m not going to unpick the complexities of that, rather share what might be useful if your goal for gifting press is to offer an experience of your product.

There’s value in an open conversation around the subject; asking a journo if they’d like to receive a gift and, where possible, letting them choose something from a brand for an experience that’s more involved. By navigating the company’s website and browsing their selections they get to know the brand better and can adopt a consumer’s perspective.

This minimises waste, too: an item that will be genuinely enjoyed avoids that awks and sometimes uncomfortable ‘what to do with something of no use’ situation. (We’ve all heard the toe-curling regifting stories that backfire. Like my beauty buddy trying to impress her new boyfriend’s mum with hair straighteners as a birthday present, then later realising they were engraved with her own name…)

As it’s December, your intention might be a straightforward relationship builder, with a festive gift unrelated to the brand behind the gesture. Funnily enough, some of my most memorable Christmas gifts from business contacts have been ones intended to be shared with friends and family. Choosing something to be sent to a loved one on my behalf – though obviously from the brand – spreads the cheer far and wide. It’s one way to do novelty gifting that ticks the right boxes.