‘Tis the season to be shopping! A recent study by the National Retail Federation found that holiday spending is expected to rise 3.7% this year to $630 billion, with the average spending per person reaching $805.65. While you’re out picking up that perfect toy for little Timmy and the tie rack for dad, don’t forget to grab something for the favorite marketer in your life, too! Strapped for ideas on what to get them? No worries –we’ve got you covered with gift ideas for all of the nice marketers in your life!
Creative Team: A great gag gift would go nicely on the side of that last minute creative request you have. One of my personal favorites is the Spinning Executive Decision Maker. After all, laughter is the best medicine to alieve the headache you cause after revision #28 kicks in on that infographic you’ve been working on.
Social Media Manager: You can go ironic, or you can go practical. A new phone case can be a great practical gift to replace the wear and tear on the object that allows them to stay on top of whatever is trending that day and keep your social platforms up to date. On the ironic side, how about a Myspace-branded poster? Or better yet, anything – sunglasses, coffee mugs, throwback hoodies – that is labeled with a now-defunct or abandoned social network. #irony #trendsetter
Demand Generation Team: Coffee or tea-related gifts probably work across the board for your marketing team. But for the Demand Gen folks, we recommend being especially generous with the caffeine. They’re staying up late finding leads to fill the pipeline and those leads aren’t going to generate themselves!
PR Manager: This person is always on top of the latest developments, so he or she might like some fun reading to compliment all of the industry news they consume on a daily basis! We recommend Malcom Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Remember the 80/20 principle, which states that 80 percent of the work gets done by 20 percent of the participants? This is the work that popularized that line of thinking.
VP of Content: This person is always tasked with coming up with new creative ideas, so consider a daily inspiration calendar (if it’s funny). If inspiration strikes, you could customize a desk calendar based on any office inside jokes you may have.
Event Manager: One super useful gift option is an office emergency kit – this person is used to chaos and people asking them for a random assortment of items when at events (think band-aids, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, etc.). On the other hand, how about a Zen Garden? If your Events Manager travels often, they might appreciate a little aura of relaxation at their desk. Bonus points if they sit in a frequently-trafficked part of the office: your other marketing teammates will probably also contribute to the sand artwork!
Product Marketing Manager: Cup warmer, definitely. There’s no other way that they’re keeping their morning coffee hot with all that running back and forth between your product team AND your marketing team.
What else is on your marketing gift list this year? Don’t be a Grinch – share your gift list in the comments below!