Monthly Clubs: Gifts That Keep On Giving

Gift-giving doesn't have to happen just once a year—it can be a monthly event. At least that's what the Premium Cigars Every Month Club would like. Designed by the North Miami-based company Beers to You, the Cigars Every Month Club offers club memberships for a specified number of months. Vendors can thank their valued customers by ordering memberships for them. The new member then receives five different cigars each month, with a copy of the newsletter Dear Ms. Puffin, which contains information about each type of cigar and answers readers' questions. At $30 per month, the cost for two months of the club is comparable to the price of more traditional gift baskets. Beers to You also offers memberships to wine and beer clubs.

Robert Mittleman, president of Beers To You, says that a recurring gift of wine, beer, or cigars is effective for two reasons: The gifts themselves are unique. And, more important, the gifts keep on coming, so a customer is reminded of a company well after the holidays have passed. "The clients really start looking forward to it each month," Mittleman says.

The cost of sending a long-term gift does add up, however, if the gift is continued for several months. As with any business gift, the sender must make sure it fits the recipient's tastes and values. Sending alcohol or tobacco products can be risky if a company is unfamiliar with its clients' preferences. Jeff Berlowitz, an attorney in Miami, received plenty of thanks for his Cigar Club membership gifts. But he only sent them to the clients he had worked with extensively. "I knew from dealing with them in the past that they would like it," Berlowitz says.

For more conventional gifts on a monthly basis, many businesses that supply corporate gifts have of-the-month options. Godiva can tailor a selection of chocolates to arrive monthly, and Omaha Steaks has a gift plan for the carnivores among your clientele. Calyx and Corolla, a flower company in San Francisco, offers A Year of Flowers, which sends a bouquet every month for a year, six months, or three months. Ann Lee, chief operating officer and senior vice president of Calyx and Corolla, says that Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the owner of the San Francisco 49ers, sends A Year of Flowers to all the players. "Well, really it's for all the wives," Lee adds. "He's done it for six years."

Whatever the actual gift, the logic behind continuity programs is clear: What's better than making a favorable impression on a customer? Making a favorable impression twice, three times, or more.