An insight into the minds of our employees and how you can further strengthen company bonds
November 2025 | PerfectGift Experts | 5 minute read
The times of corporate swag (Stuff. We. All. Get.) is slowly trickling out as more and more people in the workforce express their opinions on what makes them happy and fulfilled in their jobs. You may have personally seen examples back when you were starting out in your first corporate job during the holidays via the higher-ups hanging out keychains, T-shirts, or mugs to their employees as gifts. Sure they can be useful, but are they really gifts?
Well, according to a 2023 Tremendous Holiday Employee Gifting Study, “less than 3% of people want company swag,”
Polling employees gives managers and bosses a good insight into what builds rapport amongst the workplace. Image courtesy of: Tremendous
And if you do the classic, “step into someone else’s shoes,” then you too will know how much a company swag-bag would actually be appreciated- (spoiler alert: it’s not). That’s why digital rewards are replacing traditional corporate gifts, because that’s what the people want, and from the Tremendous study, it’s by a very wide margin.
Let’s go over some key points on the why of it all and give you a solution to your work-holiday gift problems this year.
In this article you’ll read about:
- Corporate Swag and Why it’s Just Not it
- Why Digital Rewards are Beneficial
- How You Can Use PerfectGift for Digital Rewards
- Conclusion: Why Digital Rewards Are Replacing Corporate Gifts
Corporate Swag and Why It’s Just Not It
When it’s not everyday items, they are more likely to fall to the wayside. Image courtesy of: Cultivate.
Most of the time when the words “corporate swag” or “traditional corporate gifts” hit the ears of employees, they all let out an internal groan because they picture the same thing in their heads. Useless things that will maybe be used once or twice before it gets thrown away or left to dust rotting away in a cabinet somewhere.
Corporate swag isn’t necessarily the worst gift you can get people, it’s just the bad swag that overshadows any potential good swag. Mass produced promotional products are often seen as thoughtless and uninspired, leaving the employees that do receive these gifts feeling the same way: forgotten.
We don’t need keyrings, pens, mugs, or tees, we have those things in the style we want, and we don’t want to be reminded of work all the time while using those things either. Those are all impersonal gifts as well, if you take away the brand name and company logos and hand someone those things as a gift- it wouldn’t be the most thoughtful would it?
Now that’s not to say there aren’t smart corporate swag gifts, polling your employees on items they would like or products that would make their work-life better is a very good start to still getting those swag bags started.
What is a Traditional Corporate Gift?
Besides branded apparel and accessories, traditional corporate gifts can often be watered down to things like:
- Food Gifts like Gift Baskets, Pizza Parties, Candy, and Liquor/Wine
- Personalized Items for your Office Setup and Home, i.e. office supplies and other such trinkets
- Gift Baskets
- Wellness Boxes
Statistics show corporate gifts vary. Image courtesy of: giftsenda.
Traditional corporate gifts are often looked as the “go-to” for many businesses as it’s quick and easy to achieve but maybe not the most beneficial in the long run.
Giftsenda reported that “an estimated 78% of employees report job satisfaction subsequent to receiving a meaningful gift from their employer – highlighting their view of the role of gifting-giving in cultivating professional relationships.” And we know that the word meaningful really matters in these moments as Snappy in 2023 revealed that “nearly 70% of respondents saying they have received gifts they didn’t want and never used.”
The best way to avoid these awkward and unbeneficial gift exchanges?
Communication.
It may be slow going but there are a lot of companies out there that are actively looking for ways to truly show their appreciation for their employees instead of just saying they are. Through communication and looking at these studies we can see an improvement for company-wide retention.
Don’t be afraid to ask your employees and fellow team members what they would most appreciate during the holidays or throughout the year. Just asking is one way to build rapport because they will see this as a start to building appreciation, all you have to do is follow through and keep true to your word. That can arguably be the most important part.
Why Digital Rewards are Beneficial
Digital rewards are more accessible to our team members who will be away from the office on a holiday break and more importantly for those who work from home on a regular basis. From the United States Census Bureau: “In 2019, around 9 million people worked from home in the United States. By 2023, that number had soared to more than 22 million.” This means there’s a pretty good chance you have some employees who fit this quota and delivering digitally means you’ve put thought into their work and their appreciation just like you would for those who are at the office.
There’s flexibility in sending gifts through the digital space, you’re typically able to do it no matter the time of day, which means you can guarantee regularly scheduled gifts specifically with digital rewards as the return is instant.
Plus when you look at the ROI, you’ll find that those who are consistently receiving support and rewards through their employers will oftentimes stay on call, put more effort into their work, and produce results that not only strengthen the company’s standings but their own as well.
There is no one-size-fits-all “perfect” gift for everyone in a work environment. Some may have needs for x, while others have needs for y. What comes close though is digital rewards like versatile gift card options.
Take for example the digital Visa gift card:
Just like we mentioned, getting a gift card to only one store or brand can be limiting to those who might not like x or y, because those gift cards can only be accepted at the store it’s made for. But with a Visa gift card you can go to any store, restaurant, or online shop that accepts Visa as a form of payment. This means that your employees will be able to shop where they want with virtually no restriction as most, if not all, places accept Visa.
Looking for more options outside the digital space?
We pride ourselves on our Visa gift card experience as you can add a photo to create a custom Visa gift card and get it to you fast. PerfectGift prints and ships our own Visa gift cards, so we can guarantee same day printing & shipping (if ordered by 4:00pm ET Monday through Saturday). Since we are all in-house, no one else can beat our turnaround time because a lot of other spaces use third-parties to get their stuff ready.
And if those presented with the option of a digital gift card as a reward want something already tailored to their specific tastes rather than choosing a Visa card, PerfectGift+ is a gift card that’s not tied to any specific merchant. Instead the recipient, aka your employees, get to choose any merchant they want from our vast catalog. This way they get access to hundreds of major merchant gift cards with everyday discounts.
Digital = Accessible
There’s no need to prepare a swag box or plan a party only for the holidays, with digital rewards you can make it so your employees are taken care of all year round. You too can see How Incentivizing Performance with Gift Cards Increases Productivity through such places like PerfectGift.
How You Can Use PerfectGift for Digital Rewards
Combining the efforts and knowledge of our sister sites, GiftYa, GiftCardGranny, and GiftCards.com, we've made our site the perfect place for you to find the exact right gift for your employees. With robust branding with logos on physical & digital cards and packaging, you’ll be able to make your gift cards stand out from others. By utilizing this tool, it’s taking a page out of the typical corporate swag handbook and putting it towards a reward that will actually be received well amongst its recipients.
For small businesses you’ll be able to pick between ordering 1 to 50 cards with a $10,000 limit; and for corporations you’ll be able to buy 50+, emphasis on the plus as we are the only on-demand fulfillment center in the country that can print & ship up to 50,000 cards with your logo - same- day, cards at a time.
Corporations will have to create a business account with PerfectGift to get started on an order of substantial size. Here you can hit your business goals and create incentives to further improve employee retention amongst both those who work at location and remotely. Plus, it makes for a great delivery system when people are away from their desks during the holidays. How exciting would it be to receive a gift from your employer on your off-time instead of those annoying, “we’re sorry to bother you, but-” emails that you can sometimes get when you’re out of the office. You’re able to control the narrative here and it includes looking ahead to what works in the digital reward space and that’s through utilizing services such as PerfectGift.
Conclusion: Why Digital Rewards Are Replacing Traditional Corporate Gifts
When so much of work relies heavily in digital spaces, it only makes sense that digital rewards are being replaced by traditional corporate gifts. We look to these solutions to build a stronger company culture not just within the office building itself, but all throughout our remote workers and beyond.
There are many benefits to choosing rewards that are looked upon with delight rather than disdain. We’ve found that company morale boosts productivity, reduces turnover, and creates loyalty amongst team members. When treating your employees with respect and listening to what they want, you can look forward to guaranteed ROI amongst many other interests.
