DAWN GRACIE Give a lasting festive message

Suddenly we’re faced with sickly selection boxes of sweets and resplendent decorations ready to be bagged up and rolled out in a few weeks.

Why mention this in a business column? Because this is when my brain goes into overdrive as I start thinking about how to say a heartfelt happy Christmas to my clients, but in a way that makes me stand out from the crowd and not become yet another mediocre-card-on-the-mantelpiece of those I aim to impress the most.

Last year I pushed the boat out and commissioned branded soap sweets and lollies from Sussex-based company Sudzfun, and sent the beautifully-wrapped offerings in the post with a tag that read ‘Wishing you sweet success for 2012’.

I can report they were very well received and certainly provided the customer feel good factor, even long after the festive season was over.

Being known for my ‘out of the box’ thinking, the pressure really is on this year and I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to better last year’s soapy success.

So something totally different will have to be on the cards – well, anything but a card, obviously!

dawn@dawngracie.com