Giving is better than receiving...no not like that you dirty scoundrels!

The act of giving a gift to someone is an important one for young men in particular to learn. Get them the right present and it's sexy time all round...get the wrong present and you better hope that floor is a lot more comfortable than it looks.

As a man, we tend to be perceived as useless at giving gifts and terrible at picking presents...I resent that and my track record would prove otherwise...cuddly gollywog for valentines day? Genius!

In all seriousness the act of giving a gift is one that can (and has) been examined further. Who the gift is for plays a large part in the level of involvement that goes into the decision making process of the person buying the gift. For example, if the gift is for someone I'm not that bothered about, generally I'll get it lastminute.com and it will be pathetically cheap. If the gift is for someone that I actually want to sustain some sort of relationship with in the future then I better spend a few bob on it! Laurent & Kapferer (1985) suggest that there are four different components of the decision making process to consider with reference to purchasing gifts;

Importance and Risk
Or more specifically "FTPEPS" - Finance (can we afford it), Time (how long have we got to decide? How long will the gift last?), Performance (will the gift do what it is supposed to?), Ego (will the gift make us look good to others for buying it), Physical (does the gift look attractive?) and Social (will it increase ours/the person receiving's social standing? Will others be impressed?).

The probability of making a bad purchase
Will the product work properly? Will it be what the person receiving it wanted?

Pleasure value of product category
Will we actually get pleasure out of buying and presenting the product? Is it a product that will massage our ego when we go to the till to pay?

Sign value of product category
What will other people think of the gift? Will it reflect badly on us if we give this as a gift to someone else? Will we look "cheap" or "thoughtless"?

Kotler's Buyer Decision Process suggests that everyday items (such as groceries, newspapers and toiletries) require little or no involvement at all. This is because we buy them all the time so we are aware what brands are the best value for money and there are little alternatives. However, gift giving is not an everyday occurrence, and therefore there is high involvement as we want to get it right!

So in summation; Gents, Think before you buy. Engage brain before opening wallet...it might bring about a better outcome than you thought it would. And ladies, if you would like a list gifts I would appreciate please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience...I'll be more than happy to jot a few ideas down for you.