After making their dazzling debut on television during the Indian Premier League (IPL) second edition concluded earlier this year, the highly adorable and popular egg-headed Zoozoos have found their way onto birthday cakes, T-shirts, shoes, comic strips, newspaper mastheads, wedding cards, key chains and now even rakhis. Smart local and Chinese marketers are fast cashing in on their rapport with fans.

E-commerce site Indiangiftsportal.com stocks products that feature the Zoozoos. In a span of fortnight, the website sold over 100 Zoozoo rakhis, according to its MD Manan Sharma. The Zoozoo rakhi costs Rs300 and includes a handmade box, a card, along with credit card and courier charges. The cute Zoozoo characters are made and sourced from China, whereas the attractive rakhi ribbons and threads have been added here.

Meanwhile, their original creator Vodafone Essar will soon come up with official Zoozoo merchandise in collaboration with retail chain Shopper’s Stop. A senior official from the shopping chain was quoted as saying in The Mint publication that they are already in discussions and are very close to finalizing the deal.

The development was confirmed by a sr. advertising executive, according to whom Shopper’s Stop was scouting for reliable suppliers to make quality Zoozoo merchandise. Shoppers Stop is most likely to manufacture as well as market zestful Zoozoo T-shirts, clocks, dolls, bags, mugs etc. These are sure to be among the most popular gift items once they are released in the market, depending on their price range.

The merchandise should be possibly within a couple of months, the report mentioned executive creative director (South Asia), O & M, Rajiv Rao, as saying. Incidentally, Rajiv Rao created the much fancied Zoozoo campaign.

Shoppers Stop has already produced branded accessories and apparel for films like Om Shanti Om and the Saif Ali starrer Love Aaj Kal. They are giving branded character merchandise a try.

The Zoozoo rakhi and other merchandise – branded or otherwise - should make memorable collectibles.

Bookmark to:

Travel firms are wooing sky watchers on eve of the 21st century’s longest solar eclipse. It takes place on July 22. You can opt to watch it with your friends and family from a Boeing above the clouds in Gaya. You may grasp more about the natural phenomenon from experts on the Benares ghats or may even fly to China, attend a workshop and get down to business in Anqing.

Cox & Kings has on offer a special tour package to watch the spectacular event from up close. You can take up a window seat based on your budget on a Boeing 737-700 to watch the solar eclipse. The package costs between Rs 29,000 and Rs 79,000. Cox & Kings has tried this idea for the first time.

The eclipse journey will last for about three hours. The flight will take off from Delhi and hold over Gaya during the eclipse period. The aircraft at a height of 41,000 feet will be intercepting the middle of the eclipse shadow for an unforgettable experience you can gift your family. Those taking the right side seats will get to watch the ‘sun side’, whereas those on the left can witness the shadow on the earth.

Vibgyor Travels is offering a package to inbound tourists for an eclipse holiday to the holy city of Benares. A 9 nights-10 days package comprises eclipse observation with help of experts from the river Ganges. Guides will assist visitors to understand the eclipse better.

If one wishes to enjoy a glimpse from abroad, Space Technology & Education is hosting an ‘eclipse trip’ to the Chinese city of Anqing. According to Amit Verma, several photographic experiments have been outlined on this trip to the eclipse site.

The China tour includes a ride on the Maglev train at a speed of 431 kmph. It comprises visits to Beijing, Shanghai and, of course, the Great Wall. A multimedia enabled workshop will be held for tourists.

Bookmark to:

The number of chief executives who are planning to make their presence felt at the Beijing Olympic Games is likely to rival the number at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland that often attracts over 1,000 business leaders.

Lured by the increasing importance of the Chinese market and the opportunity to help Beijing in celebrating its biggest international event yet, the corporate honchos are heading to Beijing. No surprise, tickets for the Olympics opening ceremony are going for $50,000 in the gray market.

Indicating the interesting trend, a report in the Wall Street Journal mentions that in addition to thousands of athletes, over 80 heads of state and close to 30,000 members of the media, another group that is expected to invade Beijing in full force for the Olympics is corporate executives! The report quotes chief executive of advertising conglomerate WPP Group PLC Sir Martin Sorrell as saying: “You could call it a sporting Davos. It goes beyond just a wonderful sporting occasion. There are political and economic implications.”

In fact, many executives perceive the Olympics as a must event for firms that do business in China, or hope to. Bill Gates is set to attend, for example, as is Rick Wagoner, General Motors Corp. CEO. Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, India’s largest business house is also said to be heading for Beijing. Few other leading industrialists are likely to follow suit.

Among prominent global CEOs expected to attend the Games are Blackstone Group LP’s Stephen Schwarzman; BP PLC’s Tony Hayward Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s H. Lee Scott Jr. and Terry Leahy, of Tesco PLC; Motorola Inc.’s Greg Brown; News Corp.’s Rupert Murdoch, and. Yahoo Inc. CEO Jerry Yang may also be there. Randall Stephenson, the AT&T Inc. CEO, plans meetings with customers, partners and employees in Beijing.

The top executives of dozens of Olympics sponsor firms, including Volkswagen AG’s Martin Winterkorn and McDonald’s Corp.’s Jim Skinner are also going to be there. Many of these firms will hold board meetings in Beijing. The Olympics is looking more like a corporate meet than a sporting spectacle!

Tags: low cost gifts, , Best corporate gifts, Best business gifts, Business etiquette, gifting to clients, corporate gifting for employees, Gifting occasions, corporate gifts companies, promotional gifts

Bookmark to:

February 21 is Chinese Lantern Day and we suggest you take full advantage of the occasion to get some unusual gifts for your friends and colleagues at the office. Everybody loves Chinese lanterns – they’re quirky, fun and add a party element to a room.

You can get Chinese lanterns anywhere. The shops are easy to spot – they have large lanterns in various shapes, sizes and colours hanging outside. These paper lanterns have long been considered works of art and there is so much to choose from a decision can be quite mind-boggling!

For the office it is always advisable to get one of the less flamboyant ones. Opt for a smaller size and possibly a more straitlaced shape. If an office party is coming up, you can always go for a large dragon for the entrance or stars to hang from the ceiling. Where the office is concerned always have a pre-determined spot where the lantern will be set up and buy accordingly. It is important that you do not step out of bounds in the work arena and give a frivolous impression. When opting to personally gift a lantern to a colleague, choose a relatively small one as setting it up will end up being quite a task if the person does not live in a big house. Gifting a business partner or your own boss? A large dragon for his or her office foyer is a great idea – it symbolizes strength, power and productivity. Bold colours are more suitable in this last case, but for your own office choose something that is not quite so startling and distracting. Muted, ‘pretty’ colours do the trick when it comes to the office.

A Chinese lantern can brighten up anyone’s day with its unusual shape and the warm light that it throws upon the room. Much better than the usual staid lampshades, don’t you think!

Tags: gifting india, corporate gifting for employees, corporate gifts companies, business gift baskets, Gifting occasions, Popular corporate gifts, Best corporate gifts, promotional products, low cost gifts, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting

Bookmark to:

As is the case with most Chinese festivals, there’s an intriguing legend behind the famous Lantern Festival. It’s the Legend of Yuanxiao. Yuanxiao was said to be a beautiful maid in an emperor’s palace. Despite her opulent way of living, Yuanxiao yearned for her family and wanted to be home during Chinese New Year. The legend goes that the maid lied to the emperor about the God of Fire secretly having forewarned her that he planned to burn down the city. She asked the emperor to make the city appear like it was already burning so the God wouldn’t then bother them. The worried emperor took her warning seriously and ordered that the entire court and city be decorated with colored lanterns.

He also ordered firecrackers to be burnt for giving feel of a big fire. The palace was so engrossed in the preparations that Yuanxiao managed to sneak home!

New Year’s Eve and the Lantern Festival especially, taking a cue from the above incident, signify family bonding. This is the time when all family members gather for eating, dancing and shou sui (staying up all night), to mark the occasion. According to a curious custom, rice dumplings are had at midnight. Hence the Lantern Festival is popularly called ‘Round Dumpling Festival’ Tens of thousands of local people and even foreigners visit the annual exhibition of lanterns of uncountable shapes, sizes and pretty colors to welcome the traditional Lantern Festival.

The Lantern festival marks the 15th day of the 1st month of the Chinese lunar calendar. This year (2008) the festival takes place on February 21. It marks the culmination of the fortnight-long Chinese New Year holidays and celebrations. According to the lunar calendar, the New Year of the Rat started on February 7, 2008.

As is the norm, all major festivals in any part of the world set the stage for exchange of gifts. These festivals also act as a perfect means for building and enhancing the brand association for most business houses, allowing them to build a rapport with their clients. Of course, one needs to give a deep thought to the kind of gifts to be offered. The gift should be meaningful enough so that the recipient feels like using or preserving it.

Tags: Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, Worst gifts, corporate gifting for employees, promotional products, business gift baskets, Best business gifts, promotional gifts, gifting etiquette, Gifting occasions, corporate gifts companies

Bookmark to:

There are so many similarities between a popular festival in India, Diwali, and the Lantern Festival in China, which is being celebrated on February 21 this year.

The way sparkle and glitter of Diwali fascinates us all, there is light and joy all around in China on eve of the Lantern Festival. It’s akin to our magnificent festival of lights. Homes are lit up brightly. The skyline is resplendent with the magnificent spectacle of the fireworks.

The Lantern Festival in China, which falls on the fifteenth or last day of Chinese New Year celebrations, is a much-awaited occasion for families to come together and share their joy. As in Diwali, it’s all fun and enjoyment, more so for children in that country. As a tradition, they make lovely lanterns of paper. These are illuminated and it’s a spectacle to witness as these lanterns march up in the sky under the full moon. Often competitions are held and those who come up with innovative and beautiful lanterns receive special prizes. Sometimes a theme is designated by the village or city for participants.

The spirit of any festival is all about reaching out, bonding and spreading the light of goodwill, cheer and happiness, breaking all community barriers. Such festivals bring to the fore a wonderful and warm feeling of community spirit. The festive occasions not only light up the atmosphere but light up hearts too. People invariably give lovely gifts to each other to celebrate the spirit of the festive occasion. The  New Year celebration in China is no exception.

Tags: Business etiquette, Popular corporate gifts, low cost gifts, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, Corporate gifting India, business gift baskets, Best corporate gifts, promotional gifts, gifting to clients, Gifting occasions

Bookmark to:

Before understanding gift giving etiquette or the act of gifting in China, it is important that we understand how Chinese people approach visitors or guests. Let’s get some basic albeit vital information about way of greetings and introductions in the country.

Also, let’s get some understanding of Chinese culture & Protocol. Confucius, considered China’s greatest sage, is known to have formed a meticulous system of morals, ethics, hierarchy and behavior, setting the framework of rules for all people to deal with each other. Following are the key concepts in following Chinese culture:

Guanxi: The fundamental glue which holds the Chinese society together. The concept of guanxi is about relationships.

Mianxi: It’s about losing or saving face. It’s very important and needs to be considered at all times.

Li: It popularly denotes the art of being courteous and polite.

Keqi: Ke means guest; qi means behavior. It represents modesty and humbleness.

The Chinese generally do not appreciate doing business with strangers. If possible, try to bring in play established relationships, or an intermediary known by both sides, to establish the first contact.

Gifts are an important way of building and creating guanxi in China. Chinese etiquette demands that a person declines an invitation, gift and other offerings three times before accepting it. It’s expected that the giver of a gift will persist, gently, until the same is accepted.

We shall also see how Chinese behave or react when formally introduced to a guest. Understanding these aspects are as important as learning the gift giving etiquettes.

The Chinese people may appear rather unfriendly when being introduced.
They do not like to display excessive emotion.
Make it a point to stand up when being introduced
Remain standing till the introduction is over.
During introduction, the accepted form of greeting is the handshake. They may also nod or slightly bow.

Never present a gift which would make it difficult for the Chinese person to reciprocate in kind. This would put them in a very awkward position and cause a loss of face. Another important gifting etiquette is to be sensitive to genuine refusals.

Tags: corporate gifting for employees, Popular corporate gifts, promotional products, Best business gifts, Best corporate gifts, Corporate gifting, Gifting occasions, gifting to clients, Corporate gifting India, business gifting

Bookmark to: