About two decades ago, a dynamic a husband & wife team of Mr. Prashant and Mrs. Bijal Kalbag launched a vivacious venture, namely Creative Awards & Rewards. What forms the crux of their business process and philosophy? Let us try to find out…

The company strives up to provide complete personalized solutions to meet the creative demands of its corporate customers. With emphasis on constant innovation and experimentation coupled with a ‘Never Say No’ attitude, the duo has steadily established the company into a domain leader, steadily growing its offerings by adding diverse materials into their existing range. Here are some of the highlights of its extensive product range and its exquisite features:

•    Just to elaborate, Creative Awards & Rewards provides a bouquet of perfectly crafted products made of Metal, Steel, Crystal/Glass, Wood, Acrylic, Fiberglass, Soft PVC, Leather and Ceramic to suit every budget.

•    Besides, Trophies, Presentation Plaques and Cups, the Company also offers a range of Corporate and Promotional Gift items like Crystal Candle Holders/Paperweights/Min. Clocks/Ganeshas/Vases/ Glasses/ Bowls, Time Pieces – Wrist Watches/ Wall & Desktop Clocks.

•    Creative Awards & Rewards provides outstanding stationery Items in Wood and Metal like Photo frames /Pens and Pen holders, Calendars, Pen/Mobile & Visiting card holders.

•    Also there are magnificent items like Coasters, Ceramic Mugs and Plates, Bar Sets…… and promotional and gift items made of  Stainless Steel, Leather, Soft PVC, as well as Lenticular Products made precisely as per your design and specifications.

•    The whole gamut of operations- right from computerized designing, crystal, metal casting, wooden, acrylic, painting and packaging department- are all available under one roof to ensure quality and timely deliveries.

The idea is to help a client achieve the desired impact through highly rewarding and fulfilling corporate appreciation programs. That’s exactly why it has come up with a new range of products in the above mentioned categories. You just need to get in touch with the company’s sales representative by giving them a call and they will respond. Alternatively, you may send an online enquiry through the official website, http://www.creativeawardsnrewards.com/.

Giftex heartily supports the exciting business idea of Mr. Prashant and Mrs. Bijal Kalbag. Our best wishes to the enterprising couple…

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With stock market in a tailspin, people are looking to build a more diversified portfolio of investments that will cushion them against such random and rapid falls in equities. Indeed, stock markets world over have turned topsy-turvy in recent times as the indices have become hyper-sensitive to inflation, recession and any negative macro or micro-economic clues. Experts are advising investors to stay away from the stock markets, and rightly so!

On the other hand, Indian art and artists have truly gone global with a string of shows – solo as well as group – involving both established and emerging artists. Global art auction houses and event directors are giving a place of pride to practitioners from the country, leaving an indelible mark on the international art scene. Indeed, contemporary Indian art and artists have gone global with a string of shows. We take a quick look at some of the internationally acclaimed artists who will continue to find favor with collectors and/ or investors…

Atul Dodiya: His diverse and dynamic art practice, socially and politically responsible in nature, has evolved to become increasingly complex, with the subjects of his address, and his references more specific. His striking imagery has invariably been packed with a stirring swirl of motifs: Bollywood, film stars, political icons, Hindu mythology characters, and so on.

Subodh Gupta: Though he often dwells on domestic themes, he has become an internationally renowned artist. A sculptor, installation-maker, video artist and painter -all rolled in one, this multi-faceted practitioner incorporates in his works everyday objects like bicycles, thali pans, and milk pails, as well as the mass-produced steel boxes used to carry lunch.

Bose Krishnamachari: As a creator, curator and practitioner of art in various forms and domains, he likes to challenge and defy conventional concepts of visual art practices to set his own norms. He has further broadened and deepened his curatorial vision with the Mumbai-based Gallery BMB.

Jitish Kallat: Counted among the most exciting and talented contemporary artists not just in India, but also internationally, he has received recognition for his dynamic work that reflects an involvement with Mumbai.

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Giftex is here again! The 2012 edition is set to underline why the event is without doubt among the most keenly awaited and highly valued shows in its domain. It’s truly one of its kind event not only in Mumbai but across India.

Indeed no other exhibit revolving around the theme of gifting manages to generate so much buzz and excitement as this annual show. What are its features that make Giftex so special and unique?

•    Giftex acts as a one stop shopping event for bulk purchases by corporate entities and Traders, giving buyers access to India’s top sourcing hub. It will have on offer among the most dynamic and contemporary gifting themes ever seen. All the innovative gifts can be sourced under one roof.

•    Despite the looming recession world over, India continues to do well as a nation. The country’s industry and corporate houses are doing reasonably well. Giftex 2012, to be hosted at Nehru Centre, worli, Mumbai will sure reflect the vibrancy of India’s resilient corporate scene! It is going to be the Season’s biggest ever buying opportunity professionals and marketers cannot afford to miss…

•    There are going to be several new gifting ideas on offer at Giftex 2012 for those looking for creative options. With hundreds of stalls and thousands of gifting items, you can get a catchy corporate gift portfolio – in retail and in bulk.

•    Considered India’s biggest and the most ambitious corporate gifting exhibition, the event is sure to live up to the hype, which it has generated over the years, providing the perfect opportunity to build an exclusive gift folio.

The truly overwhelming response to the previous Giftex edition was because of extremely enthusiastic participation. This is another exciting aspect of the event. Top business professionals cutting across a diverse spectrum of business industries, domains, brands and domains is a testimony to the rising popularity of this hugely successful event.

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A successful organization thrives on high-performance, dynamic culture. The key is to build a base of people, at all levels that will critically scrutinize their own practices and voluntarily ask themselves if they are doing all they can to their full potential. The mindset needs to be changed, though! But how to make this happen, you must be wondering! This is where gift certificates come into play.

If you want to encourage loyal and hard working employees and are keen to hold onto them, you need to increase their motivation levels and learn to recognize performance with timely presents like gift certificates.

You may consider the following types of incentives and rewards for your employees:

• Create an attractive incentive structure. For example, give an opportunity to your employees to win a gift certificate equaling a certain percentage of their total sales achieved.

• Set up a ‘points’ ladder, which allows them to win certificates of higher value for increased levels of sales.

• Offer gift cards as part of yearly bonus rewards plans so all team members will encourage each other to improve their productivity. For instance, announce that the team that records the most sales, manages to get the highest customer satisfaction index rating, and completes the most projects on time will get large denominations of gift certificates to the store of their choice.

• Give gift certificates to those employees who exhibit effective leadership skills, brainstorm outstanding solutions on key projects, go an extra mile to help a co-worker or come up with a money saving strategy for the company.

Let the employees select what gift certificate they want to keep from a variety of gift cards options from bookstores, music stores, shopping malls or restaurants. The customized and personalized format of the giveaways will sure motivate the staff to contribute valuable inputs to its growth.

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‘It is not the size of the gift that matters but the size of the heart, which gives it!’ - Quotation in ‘The Angels’ Little Instruction Book’ by Eileen Elias Freeman

‘Tis blessed to bestow, and yet,
Could we bestow the gifts we get,
And keep the ones we give away,
How happy were our Christmas day!’
- Carolyn Wells

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Specific rules and norms are set by respective advertising standards authorities in different countries. The same are monitored by committees that keep a tab over advertising practices that can often be misleading. These bodies are independently administered and serve like a watchdog.

For example, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) functions as a self regulatory voluntary organization. The role and functioning of ASCI encompasses addressing complaints received from consumers and industry against advertisements and claims that are considered as false or misleading. It is important in this context that we consider the difference, albeit subtle, between a prize (awarded to a lucky few winners) and a gift (available to all or a majority of entrants to a promotion irrespective of the fact whether they win or lose).

This distinction should always be made amply clear to consumers who are being targeted or approached through promotional offers. If all or almost all participants are entitled to an award in a promotion, it should not be termed a prize. In such a case, it may preferably be denoted as a ‘gift’, ‘reward’, ‘award’ or a similar such term as long as the context does not get misleading to consumers.
For example, promoters should not make a claim that respondents will get to ‘win’ a ‘gift’ because the terminology is improper, confusing and inconsistent. Rather state they would get to ‘win a ‘prize’ or will be ‘given a ‘gift’. Let’s take a practical case. A few years ago, the UK based Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) mulled over a peculiar promotion that involved the promoter offering several prizes and gifts.

The promoter considered that since recipients got one of two or three gifts on offer with no single gift going to ‘all or most’ of them, each gift could well be described as a prize. However, the authorities stipulated that since the vast majority of respondents would get one of two or three low-value items, they should be termed as gifts. The promoter thus had to withdraw the claim that these were rather prizes and not gifts.

So make sure that you promote the program in a proper context so that it is not perceived to be misleading consumers. In other words, drawing a fine line between a gift and a prize is vital.

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The occasion is celebrated across the world in the memory of Saint Valentine. But who exactly is this mysterious man? We are sure you would be curious to know as why we celebrate this day. We take this opportunity to dig into the history of Valentine’s Day and throw light on the patron saint who is associated with the day. Read the rest of this entry »

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Adding a natural touch to one’s home or office settings will make a perfect gesture and a great gift! To make your task easier, many nurseries are now innovating. As a result, there is ample choice to add to the green quotient of your friend’s or colleague’s office or home environ. Here are some Gorgeous ‘green’ gift ideas:

1. If you’re looking for wonderful ways to add a tinge of green to your friends’ or coveted client’s living or working space, we recommend you some gorgeous ways of helping your corporate friends to go green.
2. You can get beautiful Bonsais, succulents and cacti based on your budget and also the person whom you are gifting it. Potted plants such as adenium or desert rose and lavender are worth a buy.
3. If you are looking at bright, colorful varieties, bird of paradise, orchids and are recommended. Benjamina or starlight are preferred options in smaller garden plants.
4. If you want to pick exotic varieties, landscaping will help in accentuating the plants. Seeking help of a landscape consultant is a good idea to understand how to do it. The choice of plant depends on the kind of space available.
5. If it is for the interior surroundings, the decor of the space matters. You need to take into account the size of the plant. For instance, if you are getting bonsai, suggest that they be placed in front of the bigger, taller greens.
6. For home garden gifting, there are a wide range of ornamental, aromatic and medicinal plants available. You may consider creepers for wide spaces, though they may not be exotic. Of course, everything exotic need not be expensive!
7. A wide variety of them are generally seeded in October. Sunflowers and Zinnia elegans are among the available options; they bloom well in this season.
8. You can go for the willowy, tall lupins in purple that are easily available in pots as well as seeds at most nurseries. Other more exotic varieties are anthuriums or orchids. Mody Exotica, a cultivation facility, redecorates open spaces if you can afford it.

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Specific rules and norms are set by respective advertising standards authorities in different countries. The same are monitored by committees that keep a tab over advertising practices that can often be misleading. These bodies are independently administered and serve like a watchdog.

For example, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) functions as a self regulatory voluntary organization. The role and functioning of ASCI encompasses addressing complaints received from consumers and industry against advertisements and claims that are considered as false or misleading. It is important in this context that we consider the difference, albeit subtle, between a prize (awarded to a lucky few winners) and a gift (available to all or a majority of entrants to a promotion irrespective of the fact whether they win or lose).

This distinction should always be made amply clear to consumers who are being targeted or approached through the promotions offer in form of prizes or gifts. If all or almost all participants are entitled to an award in a promotion, it should not be termed a prize. In such a case, it may be denoted as a ‘gift’, ‘reward’, ‘award’ or a similar term as long as the context does not get misleading to consumers. 

For example, promoters should not make a claim that respondents can get to ‘win’ a ‘reward’ because the terminology is improper, confusing and inconsistent. In other words, respondents get to ‘win’ a ‘prize’ but are ‘awarded’, ‘allocated’ or ‘given’ a ‘gift’. Let’s take a practical case. A few years ago, the UK based Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) mulled over a rather complicated promotion that involved the promoter offering several prizes and gifts.

The promoter considered that since recipients got one of two or three gifts on offer with no single gift going to ‘all or most’ of them, each gift could well be described as a prize. However, the authorities stipulated that since the vast majority of respondents would get one of two or three low-value items, they should be termed as gifts. The promoter thus had to withdraw the claim that these were rather prizes, and not gifts.

So make sure that you promote the program in a proper context so that it is not perceived to be misleading consumers.

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The festival of Makar Sankranti and kites go hand in hand. It’s a perfect opportunity to spread cheer and generate some goodwill.
The festival of kites, til-gul laddoos (sesame and jiggery) and gacchak gives a good chance to align with the popular motifs. People of all ages, cutting across the cross-section of the society, pick up their favorite kite designs.

Bollywood star Amrita Rao quips in an interview: “The sport mirrors our aspirations and inspirations. Just like our dreams and ambitions, the kite soars higher and even after it’s cut, it will glide down gracefully.” So there’s a lesson to be learnt for all of us, as to always keep flying high, never give up, and accept failure graciously.

In a way, kites provide a good opportunity for branding. But instead of simply printing a ubiquitous logo of your company, why not keep in mind the popular trend, and accordingly design or gift kinds that are popular? Last year Bollywood symbols were in demand, whereas kites that flaunt tinselville stars seem to be grabbing for attention along with those bearing Anna Hazare and the World Cup winning Team India this year. Actor Vidya Balan in her ‘Silk’ avatar of The Dirty Picture also surfaces on the kites.

Kites bearing the social activist, cricketers, and those of the Bollywood beauties are very much demand. The kites made of PVC plastic in the range of Rs 10- Rs 250 are also popular because they are more durable. Why not organize a kite-flying competition for your staff, and give an award to the winner to create a sense of unity and build team spirit.

Festivals like Makar Sankranti provide a perfect opportunity to bring your employees, colleagues, business associates, clients and partners together, keeping aside professional relations and bonding in a more informal manner. This helps build a rapport with the people who matter to your business. Even popular celebrities can be invited to add a tinge of glamor to the event. This will be a good promotional activity and an apt, occasion based branding exercise.

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