zendesk branded coffe bags in a coffee mini gift box
    Customer Story | Employee and Client Gifts

    Four Ways Zendesk Uses Custom Gifting

    As a company that builds software for improving customer relationships, it's no surprise that building relationships of all sorts is simply part of Zendesk’s culture. Over the past several years, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with several Zendesk teams to create corporate gift boxes that do just that: nurture relationships (and inspire a bit of fun, too!).


    Customer Gifts

    Seasonal Gifts - Using Gifting Portals, Our Gifting Platform

    Employee Gifts

    Virtual Gifts

    You’ve Bean a Pleasure to Work With!

    Customer Gifts



    We know from our own experience that quality relationships are the most important part of building a successful business. We understand that nurturing customer relationships in meaningful ways not only leads to happier customers but also repeat business and those ever-wonderful referrals!


    We also understand the power of a custom client gift in nurturing relationships. Did you know that 77% of business gift recipients said receiving a gift makes them feel appreciated?


    A direct mail campaign can be a great way to nurture customers through gifting and remind customers that they’re valuable to you. When Zendesk’s sales team wanted to launch a campaign to do just that, we helped brew up the details. 


    Since Zendesk’s goal was to connect with a diverse group of customers, landing on a kit design and contents that would be widely loved was critical. Enter (most) everyone’s favorite morning pick-me–up: coffee!

    gif of inside of coffee gift and outside with zendesk branded box

    This universally loved drink inspired the theme for the kits, which contained all the essentials for making and enjoying a cup of Joe, like a high-quality branded mug, along with thoughtfully branded keepsakes and punny messages to let customers know it had “bean a pleasure working with [them] from the ground up.”


    The outside for these custom client gifts was also important, we created custom branded packaging for a cohesive unboxing experience for Zendek’s customers. We started with a custom, Zendesk-green gift box stamped with the company’s logo and incorporated Zendesk’s branding into all other elements of the kits, from branded sleeves to custom shipping tape!


    Over the course of a year, we produced and shipped 1,500 of these coffee-themed corporate gift boxes to Zendesk’s customers (and prospects!) all over the country.

    Select Your Favorite Gift with Gifting Portals

    Seasonal Direct Mailers

    Not only is Zendesk the champion of customer service, it’s also the champion of pleasant surprises! When a Zendesk strategic accounts team approached us with the goal of surprising and delighting some of their accounts in a personalized and fun way, we worked together on the perfect solution: two seasonally themed custom client gifts. Better yet, we set up an engaging way for Zendesk’s customers to choose their favorite corporate gift box, using our Gifting Portals offering!

    large picnic and golf employee gifts

    With spring on the horizon, we started by designing spring corporate gifts that could be enjoyed outside: a picnic themed gift complete with all the fixings for a beautiful and delicious spread and a golf themed gift that appealed to amateurs and scratch golfers alike. Both gifts featured elevated custom branded elements, including a keepsake-quality logo cutting board and Titleist ProV1 golf balls.


    Zendesk’s spring direct mailers also provided a natural opportunity for the company to share its annual CX Trends report with key customers– we included a booklet in every gift along with a custom-designed insert with a QR code linking recipients to a digital copy of the report.

    Now the extra-fun part: building a custom Gifting Portal for Zendesk (complete with their logo, artwork and messaging!) and featuring their one-of-a-kind gifts! Once complete, Zendesk shared the gifting portal with its customers, so gift recipients could select their favorite gift and provide their shipping address all in one fell swoop. The custom gifting portal streamlined the logistics of a large gift send for Zendesk AND created a unique, personalized corporate gifting experience for its customers–a win-win!

    steps to use teak and twine gifting platform to send zendesk gifts

    💡Gifts in a Click: Our online Gifting Portals make it easy to send gifts and swag to your recipients! Want to see for yourself? Get a Demo

    Get Your Workout On!

    Employee Gifts

    Zendesk believes in making other people’s lives better—both through its products and in its everyday interactions. One way we’ve helped Zendesk live this out and ultimately strengthen relationships with its employees is through gifting: to celebrate birthdays, to say thank you for a job well done, and perhaps most fun of all, to add an element of surprise to team-building events. 


    Hey, simply showing employees appreciation through gifts goes a long way!


    Some of the most impactful projects we've worked on include premium gifts for occasions just like these, outside of the traditional holiday gifting season. When team members aren’t expecting to receive a gift, they’re more likely to be surprised and delighted by the gesture!

    workout snacks and workout band in box

    With that in mind, we especially loved putting our creative muscles to work when Zendesk came to us to create a fun kit for one of their teams that was planning a group workout event. The goal: create an experience employees would enjoy and that would stand out as a memorable team-building event.


    No sweat! We designed an employee gift box that this team could use during and after their heart-pumping activity. We didn’t receive photo evidence, but we heard our Zendesk friends had a blast working out together, staying hydrated with a branded water bottle, and then refueling with some protein-packed snacks!


    Thinking of creating your own wellness-themed gift box? Don't forget to include branded headphones and custom t-shirts so recipients can work out in style.

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    See You on the Screen!

    Virtual Event Gifts

    In today’s world, virtual events are likely here to stay. Although connecting virtually provides more flexibility than ever before, we understand virtual events come with their own set of challenges compared to their live counterparts. 


    While there may not be a replacement for the relationships built over a shared meal or the synergy that comes from being in the same room with colleagues, incorporating custom event gift baskets can help build a memorable, engaging and more valuable virtual experience. In fact, research shows people value something that they can see and touch 24% more than something they can only see. This helps explain why adding a tangible element, like a thoughtfully curated swag box, is a great way to amp up a virtual meeting or conference!

    office and snack gifts for zendesk event

    As Zendesk strategized ways to plan an annual virtual meetup, they came to us for the missing piece: gifts that would help attendees feel more connected and engaged with the on-screen event. 


    We designed custom event gift baskets that attendees would receive before the event to create excitement and serve as a physical element of an otherwise virtual affair. The gifts featured thoughtfully branded packaging elements and contents attendees could use during the event to enhance their experience, like a branded water bottle and notebook.

    Pro tip: No event is complete without tasty snacks! We always recommend including snacks to make a good corporate gift - something savory and something sweet to please all pallets. Items like gourmet pretzels and cookies are crowd-favorites!

    As a corporate gifting partner, we work with customers like Zendesk on a wide variety of gifting projects, from custom client gifts and employee gift boxes to virtual event gifts, corporate holiday gift ideas, and beyond. Our favorite part? Becoming an extension of our customers’ teams! This means we work alongside our customers to fully understand their unique goals and then develop one-of-a-kind gifting experiences that wow recipients AND achieve results. 


    We get it. Every customer is different and every gifting campaign is, too. Corporate gifting isn’t one-size-fits all– our team is here to help with every last strategic and creative detail!


    Written by Torrance Hart. Updated Aug. 2022.

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