Gifting introduces your brand through trust. That gives you a rare window to convert a new customer at near zero acquisition cost. The work is not in the gift itself. It is in what happens after.
Why Recipients
Recipients behave like referrals. They arrive with context and a positive bias. If you treat them like cold traffic, you waste the advantage. If you meet them with a clear next step, they convert.
Capture
Checkout
When possible, collect recipient email or phone at checkout for e-gifts and delivery updates. That gives you the cleanest attribution link.
QR
If you do not have contact details, a QR-driven landing page is your best bridge. Keep it one tap away and context-specific. This is right-time marketing in practice. For strategy context, see Right-Time Marketing.
Video
If you use video messages, place the CTA after the message plays. It is a natural emotional peak, which makes opt-in more likely.
Segment
High
High intent signals include scans plus a video watch, a product click, or a form submit. Move these recipients into a faster conversion sequence with a clear offer.
Good next steps for high intent:
- A product-specific recommendation (not a generic collection page).
- A light incentive or bundle offer that fits the gifted product.
- An opt-in ask that feels like "unlocking the gift experience," not "join our newsletter."
Warm
Scans without a follow-on action indicate curiosity. Lead with helpful education and product context before discounting.
Good next steps for warm intent:
- Care tips, sizing, how-to content, or "what you received" context.
- Social proof and brand story after you have added value.
- A soft opt-in (save preferences, get reminders, get restock alerts).
Flows
Recipient
A simple, high-performing flow looks like:
- Day 0: "A gift for you" with care tips.
- Day 3: Small incentive or bundle offer.
- Day 7: Brand story and social proof.
- Day 14: Complete the set recommendation.
If you want this to work, the Day 0 destination matters. Send recipients to a landing page that:
- Confirms who it is from (without oversharing).
- Shows the product (and how to use it).
- Offers a single next step (scan to watch, save preferences, or shop the match).
Gifter
Thank the buyer, then make repeat gifting easy with reminders and one-click reorders.
Keep the reward simple and immediate. A short thank-you plus a relevant next-step offer usually outperforms a generic promotion.
Offers
Keep offers tight and contextual. A blanket discount can work, but a product-specific add-on often performs better. The goal is to reduce friction, not just lower price.
Compliance
Treat "you received a gift" messaging as transactional, focused on accessing the gift experience. Obtain consent for ongoing marketing, and honor existing preferences for recipients who are already in your CRM.
Start
If you want to tighten attribution and see what is working, use the playbook in Package Insert Attribution. For a broader lens on compounding acquisition, see Referral Program Success with Physical Touchpoints.
