I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with my friend, Terra (at Roaring Mouse Media), on the above animation. The client, a local gift company, had asked for a promotional video that tells their story and describes what they do. We met with them a couple of times and ultimately came up with the idea you see now. In the process we got to sample some delectable locally produced treats (chocolate, truffles, cookies, crackers, cheeses, and wines). They know how to find the best BC can offer, which is why I wanted to bring them to your attention. I asked my new friends at Saul Good Gift Company to talk a little about their business; here is what they had to say:
Gee…Thanks?
It’s no secret that the words “corporate gift basket business” don’t ordinarily connote well thought out or particularly meaningful gifts. You’re more likely to think of the ubiquitous collections of mystery condiments and flavoured popcorn that crop up all over the place around the holidays. Small stuff made to look grandiose with excessive packaging, and tufts of crinkly plastic shred exploding out onto desks and conference tables; it’s all part of the mental perception of everyday corporate gifts.
The standards and reputation for corporate gifts have been watered down by an industry-wide design and business model based around: (1) mass production, (2) uniform mediocrity, and (3) cheaply produced banal trinkets that mean little and communicate next to nothing.
Gifting is supposed to make people on both sides of the exchange feel good, so how on Earth did we get here?? This question was the impetus behind the founding of Saul Good Gift Co. in Vancouver and continues to be a key motivator in our gift basket business.
Know Your Neighbour, Give a Better Gift Basket
Our first step in resuscitating the meaningful corporate gift was to come up with a brand and packaging identity that communicated a certain kind of old-world value system. We wanted to bring personal service and expertise back into the gift basket game, rather than just be another retailer of pre-packaged tchotchkes. Our design aesthetic was meant to hearken back to an age when the milkman delivered milk and the grocer knew your name.
Dovetailing with this brand feeling, was our desire to create differentiation through novel, artisan, and locally sourced products that people actually want! So we set about sampling the gourmet products being produced by BC’s farmers, distillers, bakers, and confectioners. We wanted to bring the dedication to detail and careful thought that went into each of these products into the gifting experience and reinvigorate it with stories and values. So, yes, when we sell popcorn (because really, what better snack is there?) and we make sure it’s organic and produced right down the road in Burnaby.
So, is it Really Saul Good?
Our clients have responded to our brand and values in a big way. Each year we’re sitting down with more and more corporate clients who want customized and memorable gifting programs that communicate something about their values and leave a lasting—positive—impression rather than just seeming like an afterthought. We’re here to say that the DIY and local-first revolutions are slowly working their way into corporate culture, and we’re delivering these values everyday in our (100% recycled) gift boxes.
So in summation, the over-arching goal behind our brand, design, and business is that we want Saul Good gifts to be meaningful and build relationships between people. To be successful in that goal requires careful thought, time, and dedication. We see these as kinda old-fashioned values, and we’re proud of that. We hired Amer and Terra from Roaring Mouse Media to help communicate our story with a Saul Good character and an animated story of his vision. We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
