KNOW YOUR GIFTING OPTIONS — AND KNOW THE DIFFERENCES

Bulk orders, pick-and-ship programs, shopping sprees, branded gifts — there are so many gifting options available these days, it can be hard to keep them all straight. Here’s a quick cheat sheet on what’s what, along with the pros and cons of each.

  • Bulk order. You choose one item for your entire group. Pros: Easy to execute. Cons: No element of choice, interaction or brand experience.
  • Pick-and-ship. Your guests choose from a list of options and the gift is shipped to them. Pros: Element of choice. Cons: No interaction, brand experience or instant gratification — plus too many options can be frustrating.
  • Shopping spree. A reseller offers your guests an onsite experience with multiple brands. Pros: Suits a wide demographic. Cons: Limited inventory, additional markups, high minimums, lack of brand knowledge and danger of “choice overload.”
  • One “branded” gift. A reseller offers your guests an onsite experience with a single brand. Pros: Element of choice. Cons: Limited inventory, additional markups, high minimums and lack of brand knowledge.
  • True brand experience — what we offer at Maui Jim. As the manufacturer, we have access to the full product line and latest styles, with low minimums and easy, upfront pricing. Your guests’ experience is our top priority, and we only staff our events with employees who have extensive brand, product and warranty knowledge.

Discover what makes Maui Jim the preferred choice of event planners and gift recipients alike — then get in touch to start planning your next event!

MYTH-BUSTER: WHY DIFFERENT ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER

Here’s a question we get a lot: “Shouldn’t I give a different gift every year? Won’t my guests expect something new?” If you haven’t landed on the ideal gift, it’s only natural to keep trying out new products to see what gets the best reaction. But if you’ve already given the gift of Maui Jim sunglasses, you know how unique and memorable one of our fitting experiences is. And it’s one we’re confident your guests will continue to enjoy. Here are four reasons to give Maui Jim year after year:

1. We add new styles to our product line every year, which means you can always offer your guests something new.

2. Most people aren’t satisfied with just one pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. Our typical customer owns 3-5 pairs!

3. With 130+ styles (aviator, wrap, cat eye, sport and more), there’s something different for every guest, every year.

4. No matter where they live, everyone needs to protect their eye health from damaging glare and sunlight.

Here’s another great reason to go with Maui Jim year after year — we make it easy for you to plan and host a great event. When you work with us, you’re working with a company that pioneered the art of experiential gifting. We’ve conducted more than 10,000 fitting experiences over the past two decades. Let us streamline the process for you!

MYTH-BUSTER: WHY MORE CHOICE ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER

Picture yourself at the grocery store. You need spaghetti sauce, and you’re staring at a shelf of 12 different brands and 47 different varieties. Once you finally make a decision, you’re on to cereal — where you encounter even more options. And so it goes throughout the supermarket. No wonder so many of us dread grocery shopping!

That experience is what scientists call “choice overload,” and research shows it triggers frustration, mental fatigue and sometimes even a sense of loss when people realize they can’t choose everything on offer. We know those aren’t the feelings you’re looking to generate at your next event, and that’s why we chuckle when we hear other gifting providers say, “But you can’t just offer sunglasses. You have to give your guests a choice of products!”

The beauty of a Maui Jim fitting experience is that you ARE offering a choice — the option to pick the perfect pair of sunglasses — without overwhelming your guests. “If you have to waste your time choosing between options that are marginally different then it takes too much energy,” says Axel Linder, a neurobiologist at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research. “It takes so much effort, and the effort discounts the value of what you eventually get.”

Go with the right choice, not multiple choice. Keep your guests happy and your value high — start planning your Maui Jim fitting experience today!