For the research of this paper, the focus lies exclusively on corporate gift giving to employees with special attention to wine as a corporate gift. The main objective is to go beyond the theory of corporate gift giving, and to explore the real practices carried out by Swiss companies, namely their gift giving process to employees. In addition, business opportunities are identified for a corporate gift provider and indications on how to be successful in the Swiss market are included.

The analysis of the Swiss corporate gifting industry is based on the qualitative research of articles, publications and information from websites and substantiated by the theory of Michael Porter’s Five-Force model in order to evaluate the secondary data. The primary research is limited to companies doing business in Switzerland. Empirical data is collected from quantitative and qualitative interviews providing key information from companies in various sizes and from various industries. Furthermore, significant industry insight is given from two corporate gifting providers interviewed.

The findings indicate that many companies practice gift giving activities to employees, also multiple times a year. In general, for corporate gifts the most important aspects to be considered are occasion, timing, choice and the purpose. For a corporate gift provider, budget, decision maker, purchasing platforms and the products are also key attributes. In Switzerland, the corporate gifting industry is limited in term of its profitability. Nevertheless, to overcome these limitations personalized gifts or partnerships with other corporate gifting providers represent an opportunity for growth and increase of market share. Furthermore, brands can influence consumer’s perception, promote recognition, generate referrals and provide business value. Entering a niche market and targeting specific segments provides further opportunities to stand apart from the competition.