Distinctive
holiday gifts come in all kinds of wrapping.
By Laurie Burstein
It’s time to thank your business associates and clients with
a holiday gift and you don’t want to send the same old fruit
basket. Here’s how a few companies solved the dilemma, along
with some ideas to make your gift a bit more memorable.
Kevin Kohler, president of Kohler and Sons Printing, has given
the same gift to his customers for the last 20 years, because
it is always in high demand. “Around Thanksgiving, people start
asking for our custom-designed holiday wrapping paper and call
back wanting more. Customers say it’s their favorite gift because
of the original designs, plus it’s something they can really
use.”
This year Kohler will be reprinting three designs that are old
favorites. One of the designs “Gift Train” is an original creation
by AKA Design, Inc. and features an illustration of a train
made out of wrapped gifts.
Also back by popular demand is the “alien” wrapping paper, another
AKA Design paper. This paper depicts an alien and Santa Claus
pointing at one another and proclaiming “I Believe.”
All Kohler wrapping paper features a grid on the back to help
make cutting straight edges and wrapping much easier.
Kohler will print 5,000 rolls for customers and also sells the
paper on the Internet at www.kohlerandsons.com. Each set of
gift wrap costs $6.95, and can be delivered for a shipping charge.
Paradowski Graphic Design also gives clients wrapping paper
for the holidays and even won an award from PRINT Magazine for
their designs. “Our philosophy when designing the gift wrap
was that the best gifts are those you make yourself,” says Creative
Director Alex Paradowski. The gift wrap uses heavy stock paper,
non-traditional colors, and contemporary graphic adaptations
of holiday symbols. The result is a collection of gift wrap
for the holidays as well for other occasions throughout the
year.
Don Kohm of the Printing Source also found a gift his special
customers appreciate. He purchased a private label wine with
his company logo etched on the bottle. He then had AKA Design
create a special, velvet-lined box with a label of his logo
and a card thanking his clients for their support throughout
the year. “This gift gave us great name recognition and really
set us apart. We had many comments from customers saying how
the wine and packaging made our gift stand out,” Kohm says.
For true wine connoisseurs, a membership to The Wine Room at
the Ritz-Carlton is the ultimate gift. This one-of-a-kind wine
collection features 8,000 select labels and vintages and has
the largest hotel wine inventory in Missouri. For $500 per person
($42 per month), your gift entitles the recipient to monthly
tastings and educational seminars, an annual subscription to
Wine Spectator, admission to the Annual Wine Event ($250 value),
opportunity to dine monthly in The Wine Room, complimentary
valet parking, and use of the facility for private events.
Fine
wine. A gift membership to the
Wine Room at the Ritz-Carlton is a
great way to "wine and dine" a key client.
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If an evening of intellectually stimulating entertainment would
appeal to your clients, then the St. Louis Speakers Series is
another out-of-the-ordinary gift. Although the series began
in October, five outstanding speakers remain, including Opera
diva Beverly Sills on December 7, Frank McCourt (author of Angela’s
Ashes) on February 8, Mike Wallace (60 Minutes) on March 8,
former New York Governor Mario Coumo on March 29, and Dr. Beck
Weathers (Mount Everest survivor) on April 22.
Tickets must be purchased as a package for all remaining speakers.
A pro-rated price of approximately $31 per speaker for open
seating and $45 per speaker for reserved seating is offered.
For ticket information call Powell Hall at 314/286-4470 or check
out www.speakerseries.com.
Of course, you can always keep your clients up-to-date on the
region’s business news with a subscription to St. Louis Commerce
Magazine. A special holiday offer of $25 buys 11 issues of the
monthly magazine, plus the RCGA Roster and Membership Services
Directory. Call 314/444-1181 for information.
From wrapping paper to wine and speakers to subscriptions,
there are many options for holiday gift giving that will make
lasting impressions.
