MarketingThink about this for a minute: What makes a gift truly worth keeping?
Is it functionality? Design? Or the story it tells when it sits on your desk a year later?
Would you choose a notepad over a glitter globe? Which would you keep for a year?
Our curiosity got the best of us at Tech Cabal’s Moonshot 2025, and we decided to find out.
In between keynote sessions and coffee breaks, we asked seven Moonshot 2025 attendees one simple question: If you had to choose between a Meta4 souvenir and a notepad, which one would you keep and why?
The question was quite straightforward, but the answers revealed something bigger – a shift in how people interact with brand gifts, the clutter that generic merch contributes to, and how unconventional brand gifts are the sweet spot between merchandise and memory.
The Lagos Glitter Globe vs A Notepad: Which Wins More Hearts at Moonshot?
Corporate gifts have always been at the center of brand-customer relationships. From branded pens and t-shirts to customized notepads and wristbands. Although useful, these items are often forgettable.
What we discovered from our quick Moonshot vox pop is that customers are well aware of the clutter that generic merch eventually becomes. While most respondents agree that a notepad serves a purpose, they also agree that unconventional gifts stand a higher chance of being kept.
Here’s what attendees told us:
“I take a lot of notes… but I’d still keep the Glitter Globe because it feels like art”
This respondent takes a lot of notes and would appreciate a jotter, but also appreciates art and would keep the Meta4 souvenir for more than one year.
What we think
Function has its place, but emotional connection is what helps a souvenir earn its place.
“I already have too many jotters. The globe brings back memories”
Another laughed as she said, “I have so many notebooks at home. The globe, though, I’d actually keep. It fits in my office and brings back memories of the event.”
That’s the power of nostalgia. When a gift carries the emotion of an event, it becomes a physical reminder of experience, something worth displaying, not storing away.
What we think
People remember and keep the gifts that reconnect them to a special moment or memory.
“You can buy a notepad anywhere. You can’t get this.”
A third respondent said, “I’d pick the globe. I can easily get a notepad, but not something like this. If I were gifting clients, I’d go with this instead of generic merch, because people will keep it.”
He was talking about exclusivity, the feeling that something was made with intention.
What we think
Scarcity and craftsmanship make an object feel special and that drives attachment.
“It would spice up my space.”
One participant told us she’d keep the glitter globe simply because it would make her workspace more beautiful.
That might sound simple, but in a world where aesthetics and productivity are intertwined, it is valid. People want to surround themselves with things that say something about their taste and values.
What we think
Gifts that combine functionality and aesthetics have a higher chance of securing a spot in people’s spaces.
“It’s more durable.”
Another response was practical: “The globe would last longer than a notepad.”
Durability might not sound emotional, but it is. The longer something stays in your space, the more memory space it gains.
What we think
The quality of a gift often determines if it gets used or tossed.
“You can’t get it easily.”
The final respondent’s answer was short but powerful: “You can’t just find it anywhere.”
That single line summed up what every brand strategist already knows — availability reduces desire.
What we think
A gift that feels unique, custom, and exclusive carries more emotional weight than one that is obviously mass-produced.
Why Do People Keep and Use a Gift?
Across all seven responses, one truth stood out: People keep gifts that feel personal, aesthetic, and story-driven, not just useful.
None of the attendees mentioned price, packaging, or even brand visibility. Instead, their answers revolved around how the gift made them feel.
A notepad is useful, but beyond the straight-up use, what else is there? A Lagos Glitter Globe, on the other hand, fills a space and triggers an emotional connection.
Every object has the potential to tell a story:
- A lamp inspired by a brand’s logo.
- A desk sculpture shaped around a company’s niche.
- A personalized collectible that sparks conversation.
This realization is changing the face of corporate gifting. What used to be about visibility is now about connection.
Brands are moving from “let’s slap our logo on shirts and notepads” to “let’s create a custom object that depicts what we do” because corporate gifts aren’t just souvenirs; they are physical extensions of what a brand believes in.
Read More: Premium Branded Gift Ideas for Modern Nigerian Brands
Our Perspective to Designing Corporate Gifts that Get Used
Every corporate gift we create is backed by an intentional effort to connect with recipients whether through functionality, aesthetics, or sentimental value. From the Lagos Glitter Globe to 3D-printed tech accessories and collectible desk pieces, each design is built around three simple principles:
- Brand Alignment: Each piece quietly echoes an individual or brand’s story, values, or cultural roots.
- Functionality: We believe beautiful objects should also serve a purpose, even if it’s as subtle as sparking a conversation.
- Memorability: The best gifts outlive the moment. They don’t get tossed, they actually get used.
That’s why every Meta4 piece starts with a story, not a product brief.
Final Thought: What Would Your Brand’s Version of a ‘Kept Gift’ Look Like?
The takeaway from Moonshot was clear: people don’t remember the logo on a mug, they remember how a gift made them feel.
And as more brands begin to rethink their approach to gifting, the question isn’t what to give, but what it should represent.
So, before your next event or campaign, ask yourself:
Would this end up in a drawer… or on someone’s desk a year from now?
Because the real power of a gift is not in being given, it’s in being used and cherished. That’s what we design for.
So, what would your brand’s version of a “kept gift” look like?
Ready to bring it to life? Start a conversation with us via enquiries@createyourmeta-iv.com.
Marketing
