Background
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shopify was one of the first and most prominent companies to embrace remote work in a big way. In May of 2020, Shopify announced that moving forward it would be a “digital by default” company, meaning that the vast majority of employees would work remotely.
With over 7000 employees spread across 15 timezones, it’s crucial that Shopify goes above and beyond to ensure that their teams feel connected to both the company’s mission and each other. In order to do this, frequent virtual events are held that help bring alignment and connection among coworkers.
Problem
Zoom fatigue is no secret, so event leaders at Shopify take their task of elevating virtual experiences very seriously. Leadership Development Facilitator Brianna Gibson was tasked with making an upcoming virtual event engaging and exciting for attendees, and wanted to give a gift to commemorate the big day. However, she didn't want to spend too much time sourcing gifts and organizing distribution because if her busy schedule.
Solution
Brianna handed over the gifting project to Gift Better Co. We curated a beautiful custom gift that spoke to her desired theme, packaged them all, and distributed them to event attendees prior to the event so that they could all be opened during the meeting. Brianna barely lifted a finger and was able to stay focused on her many other tasks!
Process
CONNECT
We were brought to Brianna’s attention by a colleague who had worked with us on past gifting projects. After receiving a beautifully curated gift in a past meeting, she got in contact with us to see if we could help her with an upcoming event that she was in charge of. During a quick call with our gifting experts, Brianna shared details about her upcoming event and discussed her inspiration behind the gift. Our gifting experts also learned about who would be in attendance in order to curate something that spoke to the recipients.
CUSTOMIZE
Brianna came to us with the idea of curating the gift around the theme of the 5 senses. With the theme in mind we set out to find items that represented the 5 senses in some capacity. We sourced three different gift options that spoke to that theme, each at a different price point. Each option included a custom card with the Shopify logo and a special message as well. The catalog was presented to Brianna just a couple of days after the discovery call.
CONFIRM
After a few small tweaks, the Shopify team finalized their choice, sent us a list of recipients and got back to their many other tasks! The gifts were packed in our warehouse and sent all around Canada prior to the big day. Each gift box had a "Do not open until" sticker on them with the date of the event so that recipients knew not to peek beforehand.
Outcome
Three weeks after reaching out to us, the virtual event went off without a hitch and event attendees raved about the gift, which they all unboxed together during the first session.
In addition to making each recipient feel appreciated and committed to the event, Shopify also made an impact on the community through this gifting project. Each gift donated one meal to someone in need through the Ottawa Food Bank!
To get started on your own custom employee engagement gifts reach out to hello@giftbetter.co.
