How to Choose the Perfect Advent Calendar Box

Gifting your corporate clients an advent calendar ensures you are on their minds during the holiday season and long after. However, advent calendars are not only festive countdowns, but a powerful tool for brand engagement. 

Just imagine 24 or 25 days of free promotion! In this article, we discuss how to choose the perfect advent calendar box for your corporate clients. 

Different Uses of Advent Calendars

Advent calendar boxes were primarily for gifting family and friends for several decades. However, modern businesses have taken a step higher and introduced advent calendars as a way to gift their corporate clients. 

There are several ways to use Advent calendar boxes creatively. 

• Educate: Businesses use advent calendar boxes to inform their clients about their various products and services. 

• Client gifting: Businesses seeking ways to appreciate their clients can send them advent calendar boxes. It helps to build an emotional connection, creating a positive and lasting impression that enhances brand loyalty. 

• Brand visibility: By including a brand logo and message, you increase brand visibility. An advent calendar on your client’s office desk becomes a conversation starter with their visitors. 

• Event invitations: Advent calendars are a creative way to invite clients to a product launch or end-of-the-year party. Build anticipation by revealing a teaser or event details.

Know Your Audience

But with so many companies gifting advent calendar boxes, how do you stand out? 

By first understanding the interests and the culture of your corporate client's business. You should also consider their preferences. 

Company Structure

Tailor the advent calendar depending on the size or structure of your client's business. Personalized items and messages are more valuable to small businesses as they reflect a close working relationship. 

Neutral and scalable gifts are ideal for larger businesses with multiple departments. Include shareable items such as pens, snacks, or coffee and tea sachets.  

Industry

Consider the client industry with which you are doing business. For example, a company that deals with tech would prefer innovative and minimalist gifts. 

Wellness teas and supplements will do well in health-focused industries. Creative agencies would appreciate a fun-filled and playful advent calendar. 

Practicality/Use

Consider how the client will use the advent calendar box. Will they keep them at the office, take them home, or use them on the go? To make an advent calendar more memorable, it must be both functional and visually appealing. 

For example, an Advent calendar box to place on the desk should not take up much space. Including daily business tips or a link to case studies is something your client will appreciate. 

Choose the Right Material

Now that you understand your audience, what material is ideal for creating an empty advent calendar? First impressions matter, and you want a material that communicates professionalism and quality. 

Cardboard:

A high-quality cardboard advent box protects content during transit and storage. The boxes are strong, durable, and eco-friendly. Due to their excellent structural strength, cardboard boxes are ideal for packaging fragile items such as chocolate, electronics, and wine bottles. 

A good example is the “Beer52 Craft Beer Advent Calendar.” The company does a selection of 24 exceptional beers from the world’s renowned microbreweries. Packed into a corrugated cardboard box with vibrant, eye-catching colors. Apart from driving sales, the brand stands out from its competitors and receives numerous referrals. 

Wood: 

If you want to impress with durability, advent calendars made from wood can last for several years. They are also reusable, and recipients can use them as desk organizers or keepsake holders. 

Dior uses solid wood wrapped in luxury fabric to make advent calendar boxes for their clients. The calendar box features 24 miniature drawers filled with various products and fragrances. The durability of wood ensures that the calendar is not only a festive countdown but a luxury statement, giving the brand long-term visibility. 

Select the Ideal Size and Compartment Layout

When creating an unforgettable advent calendar, the size and compartment layout are just as important as what is inside. The size will often depend on the items you want to put inside. Similarly, the number and size of compartments will also depend on the contents. 

Smaller compartments: 

The most attractive feature of smaller compartments is that they offer value while keeping costs manageable. When you maintain a consistent size, they provide a clean, modern look. 

However, ensure the compartments open easily and have clear labels of dates for an effortless unboxing experience. Small boxes are ideal for treats, notes, jewelry pieces, motivational quotes, or small toys.

Larger Compartments: 

If you need more space to accommodate items of various sizes, consider advent boxes with larger compartments. You can use a combination of compartment sizes to keep recipients guessing. 

Larger compartments are ideal for premium products such as wellness tools, tech gadgets, mugs, cocktail kits, or branded items. 

Picking Design & Theme

The design and theme of the advent calendar box sets the tone for your user’s experience. Choosing the right design can create a lasting impression for your corporate clients. 

Classic holiday motifs:

Holiday-themed designs appeal to a broad audience across age groups and regions. Apart from being universally heartwarming, classic holiday motifs are easily recognizable. 

Consider foil stamping to add a modern twist to traditional designs. If your target is a Christmas advent calendar, you can add holiday symbols such as sleighs, snowflakes, stockings, and ornaments. 

Classic holiday motifs are ideal for chocolates, food, or beverage gifts from family-friendly brands. 

Minimalist or luxury look: 

Don't underestimate the power of a simple style with a clean look. A minimalist design is ideal if you’re seeking a premium, elegant, and modern look. The design looks even better when paired with high-quality materials and finishes. 

Magnetic closures and drawer-style compartments complement the minimalist look very well. A luxury or minimalist look is ideal for tech gifts, fine beverages, or beauty and skincare products.

Custom & themed: 

As a brand that wants to make an impression, consider a custom-themed advent calendar. Consider adding your brand name, color, and a marketing message to enhance your brand's identity. 

Select a design and theme from your industry to more effectively attract your clients. Custom and themed advent calendar boxes are ideal for influencer kits or retail promotions. 

Personalization & Custom Options

But what can make your corporate advent calendar box stand out? A personalized advent calendar turns a simple countdown into an exciting and meaningful experience for your recipient. Personalization allows your advent calendar box to stand out in a sea of other packages. 

Not only will the clients have a deeper connection, but they will also appreciate that they did not receive a generic gift. Adding the client’s name, your logo, and a personal message leaves a lasting impression. Imagine the excitement that a client has as they open a new gift every day. 

The right customization options not only show appreciation but also promote your brand. The joy of receiving the gifts can quickly transform into word-of-mouth marketing for your brand. The client will proudly display the Advent calendar, which will boost engagement and repeat business. 

Budgeting Wisely

The cost of advent calendar boxes should not hinder your goals. However, that does not mean overspending. Have a flexible budget that allows you to spend wisely without compromising quality.

Economy: 

An economy budget is a practical, low-cost spending plan that primarily caters to basic needs. It helps you deliver value without overspending, with no unnecessary extras. However, to corporate clients, your advent calendar gifts might appear impersonal and promotional. 

Ultimately, your corporate clients will have little emotional value and will likely discard the boxes. While you can work with this budget if you want to give informal gifts, it may not be suitable for premium brands. 

Mid-range: 

A mid-range budget allows you to go above a basic layout without spending on ultra-luxury features. Fortunately, a mid-range budget will enable you to upgrade the material, add compartments, and flip-lid or magnetic closures. 

Choose a good custom design and pick a simple finish (a foil stamp or matte lamination). You can add one or two premium products and include mid-value items for the other compartments. 

Doing this will demonstrate to your corporate clients that you have put great thought into creating the advent calendars for them. Clients will engage more and even reuse the boxes 

Premium: 

If you're looking to impress high-end clients or executives, you’ll need a higher budget for the advent calendar box. To provide an exceptional experience, consider using premium materials. 

Include luxury elements such as gold foil stamping, magnetic closures, ribbon pulls, and embossing on logos. Premium packaging typically features high-value items, including designer cosmetics, rare teas, luxury chocolates, and branded tech accessories.  

Not only will the boxes become a lasting keepsake, but they will also offer long-term visibility. The “surprise and delight” will drive high emotional engagement. Clients will only be too happy to share. 

Practical Tips

If you want your brand to stand out, the advent boxes you send to your audience should be memorable. To achieve this, follow the practical tips below. 

• Attractive color schemes: Use vibrant colors to leave a memorable experience for your clients. 

• Exclusive goodies: An advent calendar box has 24 sections. Ensure that each section has a unique item to make the box more memorable. 

Fill Ideas by Type

You can fill an advent calendar with various fill items. Here are a few filler items for an empty advent calendar box. 

Candy and chocolates: 

Candy and chocolates are universally loved, making them suitable for a wider audience. Customize the fillers by putting them in branded boxes, adding personalized messages, and pairing them with other complementary gifts. 

Consider treats such as chocolate coins or truffles. Alternatively, candy canes, bonbons, fudge bites, and caramels are ideal filler snacks. Mixing local and international flavors add a unique touch. 

Beauty & wellness: 

Bath bombs, face masks, perfumes, and essential oils make nice fillers for luxury gifting or self-care lovers. Consider including a special self-care challenge for each day. 

Toys/Collectibles for kids: 

Toys are an ideal way to make the advent calendar boxes exciting for kids. Scene toys, such as train boxes, puzzles, stickers, or small crafts, add extra excitement as kids guess what they will find the next day. 

Gourmet & beverages: 

Adults find gourmet food or beverages an exciting surprise. Fine wine, small jars of honey or cocktail mixers are some of the ideal fillers. 

DIY & Upcycling Alternatives

Most people prefer an eco-friendly advent calendar box to promote sustainability. Win the hearts of your audience by creating advent calendar boxes made from biodegradable materials such as kraft and cardboard. 

Consider offering special DIY kits for those who prefer to assemble the box individually. Include a list with steps on how to assemble the box. 

Conclusion

Gifting your corporate clients custom advent calendar boxes is a great idea for a holiday marketing campaign. Encourage clients to share their experience of opening the calendar on their social media, creating positive brand engagement.  

At Brothersbox, we offer different types of advent calendar boxes. We can help create a memorable Advent calendar box for high visibility and long-term brand engagement.