Let’s be honest. Most corporate gifts don’t stand a chance. They arrive, get opened, there is a polite “thank you”, and then they quietly disappear into a drawer, a cupboard, or that mysterious office corner where all the branded mugs go to retire. Not because people are ungrateful, but because nothing about the moment made them feel anything.
And that is the real problem.
Not just because the moment was missed, but because businesses are already investing significant budgets into these gestures. Every forgotten gift is not only a missed emotional connection, it is wasted spend, and in many cases, literal waste. Items that don’t land don’t linger, they get discarded, which means what was meant to build a relationship ends up in a landfill.
South African businesses have spent years optimising for efficiency, scale and output. We measure performance, track delivery, and refine processes. But somewhere along the way, we have stripped something out of how we work, lead and connect: the human experience. In many organisations, moments that should matter, recognition, milestones, client relationships, have become transactional. Tick the box. Send the item. Move on.
The result is what I have spoken about before: a kind of killjoy culture. Not because leaders don’t care, but because pressure and process have crowded out meaning. And this is not just cultural, it is neurological. Because joy is how the brain decides what matters.
The brain is constantly filtering information and emotion tells it what to keep. When something makes us feel appreciated, included or recognised, that memory strengthens. When something feels neutral, it fades. Which explains a lot about that branded mug.
In business, we focus on information, but what people remember are moments. Moments where they felt seen, where something felt genuine, where they felt like they mattered. Those moments shape behaviour over time, influencing trust, loyalty and how people choose to show up.
In a nutshell: No emotion, no memory. No memory, no impact.
Most corporate gestures fail because they are not designed as human moments, but as procurement exercises. A gift is sent because the calendar says so, a budget is allocated because it’s a special occasion, an item is selected because it’s quick and easy, and branding is applied because, well, it has to be branded, doesn’t it? But nowhere in that process is the question: how will this make someone feel?
These moments are not insignificant line items because companies are already spending meaningful budgets here. The issue is not whether the money is being spent, it is how it is being spent. When these moments are approached without thought, they don’t just become forgettable, they become wasteful – financially, creatively, and environmentally.
The result ? Something completely forgettable. The moment is empty. We could blame the gift itself, but really, it’s because it’s not the object that creates meaning; it is the way the moment is designed.
Emotion acts like a highlighter in the brain. It marks what is important. That is why a simple, thoughtful gesture can stay with someone for years, while a generic one is forgotten within days. We tend to overthink the item and underthink the feeling.
When something is clearly considered, people recognise the effort behind it. That builds trust, which is the foundation of every business relationship. When people feel valued, they invest in the relationship, advocate for it, and go the extra mile. That is emotional equity, and it is powerful.
Often, it is the smallest moments that matter most. A genuine message, an unexpected thank you, a nod to acknowledge those overtime hours or extra effort. These moments carry enormous meaning because they make people feel seen. Culture is built in small, repeated moments. Gifting is one of those moments. The question is whether those moments are treated as transactions or as opportunities for connection.
If there is one thing I believe more organisations should start doing, it is this: design for joy. Not superficial fun, but genuine moments of appreciation, recognition, belonging and human connection. Why? People may forget the meeting, the presentation, the email, but they never forget how you made them feel. That feeling is not just emotional; it is neurological. It shapes memory, which, in turn, shapes behaviour.
So, we can keep sending things, or we can start making moments. One gets opened and forgotten, the other sticks. And in business, what sticks, stays.
Written by Vicki Scheffel, Founder of GeSkenk