Here is some insight into what gifts we promotional marketers really want for the holidays. While these ideas may not resonate with everyone, these are the tried and true, most buzz-worthy items that we have fought over in our office. Take note as you plan out your holiday gift list to your colleagues and friends in the marketing profession (or more specifically, to your friends here at Marden-Kane!). These are the things we REALLY want:

1. A 2016 Wall Calendar: Every year around June (sometimes April or May) marketers, like our favorite long-term planners Peggy Seeloff and Josephine Angiuli, start needing a wall calendar for the following year. Wouldn’t it be nifty to get a 2016 wall calendar for them right now so we could start planning even further in advance?
2. A Flash drive: For those presentations on the go…. We can always use more of these. Especially our new business gurus Rosemary Stein and Marc Wortsman.
3. An antique Rolodex: While digital contact lists are great, it’s still nice to have a place to put all of those business cards you collect at trade shows and conferences. I won’t tell you who needs this since they may think I am calling them antiques.  (But this antique would love one.)
4. Coffee: No explanation needed. We like coffee. Especially our coffee crew – Eric Grimm, Cheryl Thornton and Marty Glovin.
5. Food: We will admit it. We love food. All of us. Especially when it comes in shiny tins and boxes around the holidays. Nothing makes us more loyal to our clients and has our CFO, Alan Richter, running for the break room, like a giant box of chocolate or two.
6. Something warm to wear: Our office runs cold. Especially the conference rooms where we take conference calls. At our gift exchange every year the item in highest demand is the space heater, followed in close second by the fuzzy blanket. Custom Snuggies with your corporate log would be a big hit with the cold crew (especially Katie Blaney, Jennifer Delorme and Maryann Murphy!)
7. Universal phone chargers: At a recent tech conference, Tricia Zorn and I had no charge left in our phones, no iPhone 6 chargers in sight and work to do…. Imagine our joy at discovering a booth that was giving out free universal chargers! Mine now stays cleverly hidden in my pocketbook ready for any phone battery emergency for any and all coworkers and friends. All of us need these (especially Tricia)!
8. Plants: I have a tree in my office that our COO calls Audrey from the Little Shop of Horrors. She started small but has basically taken over. And this is a welcome thing because we spend a lot of time at work and need someone to talk to when we are here late nights! Plants are good listeners, and mine don’t even require natural light. Our resident plant caregivers, VP Fae Savignano, Barbara Chien and Beth Herman will make sure they are well cared for!
9. Headphones: Because everyone needs a way to tune out the office noise and get creative while jamming out to some tunes. Like our resident music masters Paul Costello and Adam Kramer.

Still don’t know what to get us? Contact us and get to know us a little better. We can help with all your promotional marketing needs, and do such a great job you will want to shower us with gifts, too!

To read more posts by Marden-Kane, please visit our main blog page or subscribe to our email list.