With our current gift giving culture and status quo, we can’t be 100% certain our gift is going to land and leave the lasting positive impact we hope for. There are, however, some things we can count on making a gift completely flop. Next time you go to give a gift, make sure to avoid the following five common mistakes.
1. Ignoring the unofficial but important, “Standard Gift Etiquette” -
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There are unspoken rules when it comes to gift giving that aid in the tradition and overall experience. Not being mindful of these rules could ruin your gift without you even knowing. Some of these unspoken rules include:
- Don't forget to wrap your gift! Even the best gift may disappoint if it is unwrapped. By contrast, wrapping a gift shows thought, care, and effort, which recipients will surely appreciate!
- Adhere to any agreed upon gift budget - Not going excessively over, and definitely not going under. This might make others feel guilty, inferior, cheated, unworthy or small.
- Give a new, unused gift that is not a regift - The pros of regifting a gift will very rarely outweigh the cons. Plus, if a gift did not satisfy you, there is little chance it will satisfy someone else.
- Don’t give with ulterior motives - A gift that is ultimately trying to change someone is not going to make them feel loved and appreciated, i.e., gym membership, self-help book, nicotine patches, etc.
- Give memory based gifts that include the gift recipient - Save some money and ditch gifting souvenirs from events and trips that a recipient was not a part of.
2. Giving a gift you want -
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If a gift is perfectly fit for yourself, you’re most likely not taking the recipient’s perspective, wants, needs, likes, and dislikes into account. The most classic example of this is in the tv show “The Simpsons”, where Homer gives Marge a bowling ball on her birthday. When Homer asks “beauty isn’t she?” and Marge exclaims, “well it’s hard for me to judge, SINCE I’VE NEVER BOWLED IN MY LIFE.” Homer responds, “well if you don’t want it, I know someone that does…”
If you find a gift you would love, put it on your Hugsi wishlist! While you’re on the app, check out the recipient’s profile to see what they are interested in. 3. “Wegifting” -
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A “wegift” is a gift that actually benefits both the giver and the receiver. Some examples of a wegifts for partners or roommates could be a shared blender or coffee machine. Both parties get to use said coffee machine therefore it’s not just a gift for the receiver but also the giver. Wegifts show that the giver also has their interests in mind and is not focused on the recipient.
4. Giving a meaningless and/or useless gift -
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If your gift lacks deeper meaning, doesn’t convey a greater message or is useless just after opening, there is a much greater chance it will be donated or thrown away. A valuable gift retains meaning or usefulness long after unwrapping.
5. Strings attached -
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Make sure your gift doesn’t inconvenience someone, such as having to spend even more money to make an experiential gift happen, having to go and pick a gift up themselves, or creating an obligation to do something on a specific day or time out of their control.
Don’t forget to connect with your gift circle on Hugsi so you have all the insider information to make your next gift count!
Happy Gifting!
- The Hugsi Team 🎁
Resources:
Caplow, T. (1984). Rule enforcement without visible means: Christmas gift giving in Middletown. American Journal of Sociology, 89(6), 1306-1323.
Givi, J., & Galak, J. (2017). Sentimental value and gift giving: Givers' fears of getting it wrong prevents them from getting it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(4), 473-479.
Howard, D. J. (1992). Gift‐wrapping effects on product attitudes: A mood‐biasing explanation. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1(3), 197-223.
Williams, E., & Rosenzweig, E. (2017). Sometimes it’s okay to give a blender: giver and recipient preferences for hedonic and utilitarian gifts. ACR North American Advances.
Wooten, D. B. (2000). Qualitative steps toward an expanded model of anxiety in gift-giving. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(1), 84-95.