Explore tips and ideas for creating the best custom gift for interns.
Tips for Finding the Right Professional Gifts for Interns
Do your intern appreciation ideas stack up? For the best impact, we explore ways your company can create memorable company swag that reinforces your brand while delighting recipients.
Whether you’re looking to combine several items together as an intern gift basket or want to give a larger personalized gift for National Intern day (which is July 27th) check out these valuable tips for creating custom merchandise your recipient will remember.
Personalize gifts to your industry
Choosing custom products that relate to your company is always the best idea since it reinforces your branding and is practical for your recipient. For example, if you are in the technology industry, you might choose custom merch like custom power banks, chargers, office supplies with smart technology or upgraded features, and the like.
If you’re not sure what the best items are for customizing for your particular industry, talk to your Gemnote Rep or browse our Look Book for major inspiration. From the best-branded merch for your hotel to professional gifts for lawyers and just about everything in between, they can help you take care of the details!
Choose sustainable intern swag
People learn more about a company by watching what they do over what they say. If your company’s ethos is focused on putting the environment first when making business decisions or reducing your carbon footprint, sustainable intern gifts will reinforce your intentions.
Drinkware remains a popular choice for companies looking for functional items their recipients will use and appreciate. Best of all, items like water bottles, coffee tumblers, and other travel-friendly drinkware are perfect for commutes and days spent on the go.
Another popular option for sustainable gifts is a reusable bag. Whether you choose to customize a fanny pack like shown below, branded duffel bags, or reusable totes, there are endless options of styles, colors, and design ideas to promote your company and show off your brand.
High-quality swag improves marketing
Who wouldn’t want their swag to further their marketing efforts? Choosing branded apparel makes great intern swag since it can be worn anywhere, not just in the office. To make tees, sweatshirts, hoodie swag, jackets, and other items go the distance, make sure you customize quality pieces that stand the test of time in style and quality.
Custom apparel isn’t the only option for getting noticed. Items like branded backpacks, logo reusable totes with your company logo, and custom hats all make the grade as well!
Gift Ideas for Summer Interns
Whether you are looking for a welcome gift to help them remember your company or end of internship thank you gifts to commemorate a great season of growth and hard work, these custom products deliver all the feel goods! From small budgets to grand gestures, get inspired with picks that can set your company apart from the competition.
Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas
The great thing about personal swag is that almost everything can be customized. From screen printing, embroidery, and even puff print (like in the Hoodie above) to glass etching and leather embossing, there's no shortage of amazing and practical items to personalize. And, thanks to the plethora of options available on the market, finding terrific swag in your price range is a breeze.
However, when it comes to finding budget-friendly intern gift ideas, remember to choose quality over quantity and think outside the box— because the best gifts, regardless of the cost, should never be boring.
Case in point, Games! Your intern has probably learned more than they could ever imagine on the job. From corporate policies to office politics, sometimes being an intern is drinking from the fire hydrant. So why not spoil your summer interns with a gift that reminds them that you can work hard and play hard?
Technology and Gadgets
Practical technology gifts are fun to give and receive for any occasion and industry. Whatever your intern’s age, background, job title, or future goals, items that offer a helping hand, like staying found or staying charged are always a hit!
Thinking of personalizing tech-friendly gadgets and accessories? You have an endless array of options at your fingertips. Items like compact MagSafe battery packs and personalized Air Tags and Holders are a fun and practical gift your recipients are sure to use!.
Not sure these are the best bet for your custom merch needs? Remember, this is just the beginning! From charging banks and power cords to headphones, earbuds, portable speakers, and high-end smart devices, including MagSafe options by brands like Native Union, discover more genius tech products for your company and all of your interns, employees, clients, and more!
Practical gifts for everyday use
Technology items aren't the only practical gift on the market. In today's world sustainability isn't just a luxury, but a necessity. When companies choose to support better methods of doing business—like reducing landfill waste and their carbon footprint, they're better able to set themselves apart from the competition.
If you’re looking to reinforce your company’s efforts toward less waste and more eco-friendly practices—or at the very least, you don’t want to invest in single-use items that end up in the trash, the sustainable swag favorites will meet your goals, and do your logo justice!
Personalized Gifts
Sometimes it's easy to forget all of the customizable options you have at your disposal. While magnets, stickers, pens, and notepads (like custom moleskine) are popular picks for office products, and tees, hoodies, and baseball hats are solid options for apparel and accessories, the options for customizable everyday essential items are plentiful and make terrific gifts for interns.
Looking to up your swag game? Some of the best company merch is both practical and unexpected. Items like the ones below that feature colorful branded socks, trendy bucket hats, and name-brand long-sleeve tees are perfect for adding to your swag portfolio. And for companies looking to save money by ordering in bulk, these items do double duty as intern gifts, onboarding swag, holiday gifts, gift basket additions, employee merch and more.
Gifts for Interns to Build Long-Lasting Relationships
Professional gifts for interns are out there if you know where to look. However, finding the best ones to make your recipient feel special while creating a long-lasting relationship, are a little more difficult. Luckily, the staff at Gemnote has scoured the globe for the best products that are not just useful, but also on-trend and in-demand.
Summer Essential: A Lightweight, Colorful Cap
Perfect for helping your favorite interns stay cool, talk to your Gemnote rep for swag-worthy hat options they’ll remember.
Year-Round Apparel: The Classic Long-Sleeve Tee
Sure, it’s summer and the temps may be on their way to triple digits, but those conference rooms, cafeterias, events, and meeting rooms tend to be a bit chilly. Thankfully, having a quality custom long-sleeve tee ready for branding is just what we all need. Plus, think of all the ample room for bringing your brand to life!
Modern Office Accents: Bookends
Whether they’re keeping notebooks and training materials upfront and center or used to prop up their favorite business books, a striking pair of bookends make for a practical gift they’ll love but most likely don’t already own.
Sleek Solutions: Leather Essentials
Keyless entry brings major convenience until you forget where you left them. Luckily, a sleek keyholder like this waterproof style from Rains offers a way to keep them close thanks to the built-in carabiner attachment. Designed with Rain's signature waterproof fabric, your intern will also love that they offer jingle-free, bulk-free styling, while you’ll love how leather embossing keeps your logo front and center.
Multi-Purpose Custom Accessories
From travel essentials like dopp kits and cosmetic bags to catch-alls and coin pouches, pocketed lanyards, coin pouches, and more, multi-tasking, professional-looking accessories make fabulous intern gifts for recipients who are still learning the ropes!
When it comes to custom intern gift ideas, Gemnote is your one-stop shop for achieving your swag and custom merch goals! They can even create a custom collection of ideas that’s in your budget and best reflects your brand. Ready to get started? Talk to your Gemnote rep today about intern gift ideas.
Or, for more inspo, browse Gemnote’s most popular branded merch for gifts for interns—and all of your other corporate gifting needs. From design + development and sourcing + production to packaging + sustainability and kitting + warehousing they can manage your entire project from beginning to end! Best of all, you can manage everything in one place for seamless corporate gifting anytime!
