Though it may seem like a small gesture, rewarding employees with a token of appreciation goes a long way to boost morale and increase loyalty to the company.

But what to get? Gift cards have no staying power—they’re gone once they’re spent. And who’s to say they’ll ever be used in the first place? Navigating allergies, diets and preferences is next to impossible with edible gifts, and flower arrangements are brown and wilted in a week or less. Transitory and forgettable, all of them. Not exactly the statement you want to make.

Whether it’s a bamboo plant for your office’s green thumb, or logo golf balls for the salesperson who closes deals on the golf course, useful, high-quality custom branded gifts are personal, meaningful and will continue to delight in the long-term. Not only will such thoughtful branded gifts create goodwill among the recipients, they’ll also serve as a reminder of the giver. Imagine putting the logo in the hands and in the eye of the people who work hardest for you—your associates. Every time they use their gift or glance at it in pride of place on their desk, they’ll be reminded that their management team notices their efforts, and put forth effort in return to choose a gift that truly suits their personality. Such positive feelings can’t be bought. They have to be created with the kind of upbeat work environment that such positive reinforcement fosters.

Show your associates how much you care, and give them a gift they’ll love. You’ll be rewarded in turn with loyal employees who truly love coming to work each day and putting forth their best effort. If they feel appreciated, they’ll want to return the favor by giving you the gift of 110 percent.

Incenting your employees throughout the year is a great way to encourage top performance. Consider hosting an operational efficiency campaign- which will motivate associates and improve your business. At the end of each month or quarter, evaluate your various business units. If goals were met (or even exceeded) you can incent each employee with a gift that includes a special logo to highlight their achievements.

A Proformance Logo customer recently implemented a similar strategy and the results were phenomenal. The CEO wanted to reduce or eliminate accidents in the workplace. He challenged his employees to work accident free for a certain amount of time in exchange for company branded gifts. Not only did the team meet their goal- the company’s insurance rates were reduced as a result. Customer satisfaction and employee morale increased. The insurance savings more than covered the cost of the branded jackets given to thank his associates!

What about your sales staff? Sales professionals are some of the most incentive-driven members of your staff. Treat them to a custom imprinted computer bag or a dozen logo golf balls for hitting their quotas, and cover the costs tenfold in your increased company sales.

The holidays are upon us. Maybe you don’t have the budget this year to host the usual elaborate steakhouse holiday event from past years. Why not host a pot luck in the office, offer a half day off, and give your associates something memorable and functional to take home? A watch with the company logo is a nice touch to thank your associates for a year of hard work.

Have fun with the idea and personalize your campaign. Whatever route you choose, employers cannot go wrong with employee motivation strategies.