According to an article on SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence), when it comes to choosing gifts for your employees, one size does not fit all. While the landscape of planning a reward and recognition programme may have changed, the idea of providing memorable gifts has not. It can be quite easy to overlook the type of gifts one reward employees, as it is only one factor of the overall incentive program.

But choosing the right gift can be the difference between an average incentive program and a memorable one. According to research, one high-quality gift can go much further in engaging and motivating people than a choice of multiple less-valuable options.

Maui Jim, and experiential gifting business who have been in the industry for 20 years, shares the 3 lessons you can apply in making your programme/event as successful as possible.

Lesson 1: Give a gift they’ll value as much as you value them

Spending time and effort selecting a gift your recipients will value, both now and in the long run, will further contribute to building relationships and will encourage people to take action on behalf of the company. One must take into consideration how they’d like to be rewarded in a similar situation. Probably not with an inexpensive trinket.

To ensure that you’re choosing a quality gift with high perceived value, be sure to look for products from recognized and respected brands.

Lesson 2: Offer an element of choice without making it overwhelming

The quality of a gift matter, but offering your diverse group of recipients a choice of various high-value gifts based on demographics such as age, gender and location – may result in an experience called “Choice Overload”.

Research has shown that this phenomenon could trigger frustration, mental fatigue. The amount of effort spent on choosing one’s gift could potentially diminish the value of the reward.

To avoid this problem, it’s a good idea to seek out a gift that provides an element of choice within one high-value category. Sunglasses for example, not only appeals across demographics — age, gender and location, but they also come in a variety of styles that appeals to different lifestyles.

Lesson 3: Make the experience as memorable as the gift itself

The Incentive Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds research studies and develops education serving all segments of the global incentive and recognition industry, stresses the importance of experiential gifting. “For rewards to matter in a world where all things are varied, abundant and accessible,” a recent IRF report declares, “the reward must, more than ever, have a personal meaning and a personalized delivery associated with it.”

“The way a gift is delivered matters, so does what someone experiences when they receive it. Numerous studies into gift-giving support suggest that an authentic experience over a simple gift helps create vivid memories, lasting connections and ensures engagement.”

So when it’s time to choose gifts for your participants, it’s important to keep these three lessons in mind. No matter how diverse your group, you’re more likely to capture their interest by creating memories that will last a lifetime — with a single high-value gift delivered in a memorable and engaging way.