Christmas. The time of giving and gratuity. The time for love and joy. But how much joy do unnecessary material gifts really bring?
The average UK family will spend between £1,000 – £2,700 over the Christmas period, with most presents ending up in the back of a cupboard. However, we know that there has been a fundamental shift in consumer values towards experiences over things, so why not gift experiences like travel, leisure or food?
We’ve picked some great brands that bring long-term happiness as opposed to fleeting gratification:
National Trust Gift Membership
As an independent charity and membership organisation for environmental and heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the National Trust dedicates it’s time to preserving special places forever.
The charity’s focus on safeguarding the nation’s nature and wildlife provoked their multi-award-winning campaign 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ that encourages children and families to go outside and learn within nature.
Running since 2012, previous years’ campaigns have seen huge success including a partnership with Game of Thrones star and musician Raleigh Ritchie, who created a spoken word video piece championing a stick’s endless possibilities for imaginative outdoor play. Following this, downloads of the 50 Things app quadrupled, and views of the hub page increased by 52%. 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ has become the National Trust’s most successful behaviour change initiative to date.
Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, but what makes the publication so special is its humble beginnings, where co-founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler documented their own adventures in Asia.
Now, 40 years later and with 200 writers’ part of their roster, Lonely Planet stays true to its original purpose; providing trustful and high-quality content from personal experiences. In association with their flagship campaign, Best in Travel, Lonely Planet teamed with relevant and exciting brands including, GoPro, G Adventures and TourRadar – I think you’ll agree the perfect partners who put the traveller first.
Tinggly’s tagline ‘give stories, not stuff’ perfectly represents the brand’s ethos to change the culture of gifting and to encourage people to discover the world together.
Launching in 2015 and with over 1.6m people signing up to the Tinggly community, the team not only inspire discovery but are also committed to creating a cleaner and more sustainable future. Growing at a rate of at least 100% every year, in 2018 it doubled its turnover from €250k to €500k and the team expect to replicate that performance in 2019 and pass the €1 million mark.
The Vivat Bacchus restaurants were established in Farringdon and London Bridge. South African in origin, they are known for the range and quality of wines, memorably stocked cheese rooms and a menu using daily sourced quality seasonal ingredients.
Hosting a Wine Club where you can meet fellow wine lovers at events, Vivat Bacchus provides you with the opportunity to sample around 300 wines a year, take part in a monthly wine, cheese and general knowledge quiz, blind wine tasting championships and cheese and wine pairings.
English Tea Shop is an organic tea company with ethics at heart. When purchasing their products, you become part of their ‘shared value’ policy where they pay Sri Lankan farmers, who produce their tea, above Fairtrade minimum price.
Since its launch in 2010 the company has rapidly entered 50 markets worldwide and most recently, they have revitalised their brand identity and packaging, ensuring this reflects their commitment to celebrating communities from ‘farm to cup’. Selling over 350 million tea bags a year and with plans to double turnover in the UK in five years, the tea-selling business sees no sign of waning.
Southbank Centre Shop Membership
Southbank Centre Shops provide consumers with an array of inspiring products including music-led gifts, textiles, prints, homeware and jewellery, plus an extensive range of books for both adults and children.
What makes the shops special is that every purchase made helps to support the Southbank Centre. When buying a membership, you also gain exclusive access to world-class art and culture programme and site throughout the year, priority booking for blockbuster gigs, concerts, events and festivals, free entry to all exhibitions in the Hayward Gallery and an exclusive member’s area with stunning river views.
Interested in hearing about how we can help you promote and increase bookings for your product? Have a quick chat with our award-winning team to find out how we can support you.
