If you’ve ever sent out a batch of corporate gifts and wondered if they actually arrived—or if anyone cared—you’re not alone. “Tracking engagement” sounds nice on a product brochure, but in the real world it’s easy to lose the thread. This guide is for anyone using Corporategift who wants a no-nonsense approach to actually knowing if your gifts are making it into the right hands, and whether your recipients are doing more than just tossing them in a drawer.
Let’s cut through the fluff and get into the nuts and bolts.
1. Get Your Data House in Order Before You Even Send
Let’s start with the basics: if your recipient info is messy, everything else falls apart. Before you send so much as a branded mug, double-check your contact lists.
What works:
- Scrub your recipient list for duplicate emails, outdated addresses, or missing fields.
- Use a single source of truth (CRM, spreadsheet, whatever) and sync it with Corporategift before launching a campaign.
- Add internal tags to recipients, like “VIP,” “Prospect,” or “Employee,” so you can filter later.
What doesn’t:
- Blindly uploading last year’s Excel file and hoping for the best.
- Relying solely on someone else’s exported list without checking for errors.
Pro tip:
It’s boring, but five minutes here saves hours of headaches later.
2. Use Campaigns and Groups—Don’t Just Send One-Off Gifts
Corporategift lets you organize gifts into campaigns or groups. This isn’t just for the marketing team—it’s the only way you’ll have a hope of tracking what’s working.
Why campaigns matter: - You can compare how different groups (e.g., clients vs. prospects) respond. - Reporting is clearer—no more “Which gifts went to who, again?” - Makes A/B testing possible, even if you’re just comparing snack baskets to headphones.
Avoid: - Sending out gifts piecemeal with no structure. You’ll never be able to tell what’s driving engagement.
3. Track Deliveries—But Know the Limitations
Corporategift provides delivery tracking, but it’s not magic. Here’s where it’s reliable, and where it falls short:
What you can trust: - Delivery status updates (shipped, delivered, failed) for physical items. - Digital gift links: whether the link was sent, opened, and redeemed.
What you can’t: - Whether the package actually ended up in the recipient’s hands (vs. a front desk or mailbox). - If a digital gift email went to spam or got ignored.
Best practices:
- For important gifts, use signature-required delivery if available.
- Always double-check tracking info before following up—“Your package is at reception” is better than “Did you get it?”
- For digital gifts, monitor for unopened links and set up reminders in Corporategift (or your own calendar) to nudge recipients.
4. Monitor Engagement—But Don’t Overthink the Metrics
It’s easy to get lost in the weeds with “engagement data.” Corporategift will show you some stats, but not everything matters equally.
The only metrics worth watching: - Open and click rates on e-gift emails/links. - Redemption rate (did they claim the gift?). - Thank-you notes or direct replies (manual, but the gold standard).
What doesn’t matter as much: - How quickly someone opens an email. People are busy—it doesn’t mean they hate your gift. - “Time spent” on a landing page. This is mostly noise.
How to use this data: - If you see a trend—like a certain segment never redeems—dig deeper. Maybe your offer isn’t hitting the mark. - Don’t chase 100% engagement. Aim for improvement, not perfection.
Pro tip:
If someone clicks but doesn’t redeem, that’s your “almost there.” A polite, personal nudge can work wonders.
5. Automate (Some) Follow-Ups—But Keep It Human
Corporategift lets you send reminders to recipients who haven’t opened or claimed a gift. Use it, but don’t go overboard.
Good automation: - One reminder email a week after the original send. - A second, final nudge for high-priority recipients.
What to avoid: - Spamming folks with daily reminders. It’s annoying and makes you look desperate. - Using totally generic language—personalize the subject line or opening sentence.
When to get personal: - For top clients, skip the automation and send a direct note. “Just checking in—did you get the gift we sent last week?” beats any canned follow-up.
6. Tag and Segment Recipients for Real-World Insights
Tags are your friend. If you’re sending different gifts to different groups, tag them accordingly in Corporategift.
How this helps: - Quick reporting: See which group engages most. - Better follow-up: Tailor your message to the group, not just the individual. - Long-term learning: Next quarter, you’ll know what actually resonated.
Skip:
- Over-tagging with a dozen micro-categories. Stick to a handful of useful segments.
7. Export Your Data—Don’t Rely Solely on the Platform
Corporategift’s reporting is good, but platforms change. Do yourself a favor and export the key data after each campaign.
What to export: - Recipient list with delivery and engagement status. - Notes, replies, and any “soft” feedback you gathered.
Why bother? - You can compare campaigns over time, even if you switch tools. - It’s easier to share results with your team (or boss) in a spreadsheet than in screenshots.
Pro tip:
Add your own notes. “VIP client called to say thanks” means more than a green checkmark.
8. Learn from What Didn’t Work
Not every gift lands the way you hope. That’s life.
What to pay attention to: - Low redemption rates from a certain group? Maybe that swag wasn’t a fit. - No responses from a particular company? Could be timing, or maybe it’s just not their thing. - High open rates, low redemptions? Your subject line worked, but the offer didn’t.
Don’t:
- Blame the tool for bad results. Sometimes it’s the gift, the timing, or just luck.
9. Ignore Vanity Metrics and Focus on Outcomes
It’s tempting to obsess over every stat—don’t. You’re sending gifts to build relationships, not win an analytics contest.
What matters: - Did the right people get the gift? - Did it spark a conversation, meeting, or thank-you? - Are you learning and tweaking as you go?
What doesn’t: - “Industry average” benchmarks. Every audience is different. - Hitting 100% open rates. It’s not realistic—and it’s not the goal.
Wrapping Up
Tracking gift deliveries and engagement in Corporategift isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little planning and a healthy dose of skepticism. Stick to the basics: clean data, good tagging, simple follow-ups, and real conversations. Don’t drown in dashboards or chase perfect stats. What matters is that your gifts actually reach people—and that you learn what works (and what flops) along the way.
Keep it simple, iterate, and remember: the best insights usually come from a quick phone call or an honest email, not a fancy report.