And then this morning, I got a gift . A simple book. City of Djinns. With a small note in gilt ink that said- Welcome to your new city and your new life.
What was it about this that made me feel so special?
a) The person realised that the change to a new city and life has not been easy for me. And through the gift, expressed a small welcome to this change.
b) I am a bookworm and there can't be a more apt gift than a book
c) This book is very relevant to Delhi life and its nuances
f) Most importantly, the person took the trouble to get a nice pen and spent 2 minutes scrolling down a sweet note.
This is the art of "personalization". Suddenly the "massification" of gifting I was talking about pales against a touch of "personalization". Personalization is not about money. The only thing we need to invest is some thought. Thought into what the person likes, what will make him or her feel good, how we can add a small touch to make something off the shelf personal.
I think of all the "freebies" we conjure up with our clients on our brands. Sometimes the decision actually boils down to what the most cost effective vendor can turn around in the timelines. Then we create an ad or a jingle to talk about the special offer.
How often do we, myself included, spend sometime thinking what would be relevant when we give a gift or a "freebie"? How can we make it a little special? How can the brand get an emotional hug of thank you from the delighted consumer? Food for Thought this festive season.
And yes. All it takes is some thinking. And a little more work. To turn a "freebie" into a "present".
