Thoughtful gifts

Personal or corporate, a gift should be thoughtful. Not expensive, not fancy, not glamorous, but thoughtful. There is no better feeling than receiving something that shows the giver cares about you. Oh yes actually, a better feeling is when you give something that people really appreciate and you can see that in their eyes.

One of the most thoughtful gifts I ever thought of, was actually for my boss (I know SCORE, right? 🙂 ). It is the most difficult to think of a gift for someone who already has the most beautiful of everything, so we had a team brainstorming and decided that a vintage personal shopper in London will actually be a hit, since our boss is so crazy about vintage fashion.

Did she appreciate it? That’s what I would say from this Facebook post: “Am I lucky or what! Amazing & most original birthday ever 🙂 so touched.”

The next example is a very recent one. Active PR hosted the EMEA Regional PROI meeting, and we had to think of gifts, of course. Considering that the participants were all PR professionals, CEOs, directors or owners of PR Agencies from Europe, US or Canada, and for most of them was their first time in the Middle East, we had to think of something that will have a good impact, will be relevant and useful, touching, something they will appreciate and take with them back home.

Spices! Once decided on the spices, we had to put them in a nice packaging, conscious about costs, so we had to find something creative, beautiful, that will involve as many senses as possible. A trip to Satwa, 12 meters of organza, warm colors and ribbons will do it. And few hours of intensive work

And to give it a personal and informative touch, my colleagues Amy and Zoya helped me to create a message that we attached  to the spices-organza pack:

“From the coast of Morocco to the mountains of Oman, spices have been traded in the Middle East throughout the centuries and personify the diversity of the region. Spices like cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, turmeric, and aniseed were once transported by camel, horse, and boat, passing from trader to trader until they reached markets in Europe and the rest of the world.

Feel free to cook up a new Middle-Eastern inspired recipe with these traditional spices, or simply use them as a holiday decoration.  We invite you to carry these home with you, as a festive reminder of your journey to Arabia – no camel travel required.”

And this is the result, a hand-made pack of aromatic Middle Eastern spices, that was actually a BIG HIT with our guests.