Why in the world would Google go out of the way to send a unique gift each year to certain customers? Because from a strategic standpoint it’s smart.

- Influencer Relations. Google’s high-volume customers also tend to be highly visible on the Web where — surprise — low-volume and potential customers can also be found. In marketing-speak, many of the high-volume customers are influencers. Through our ezines, blogs, RSS feeds, forums, clients, etc. we are in a position to spread the word — both good and bad — about a particular company. Make us happy (or mad) and we tell the world.

- Goodwill. By sending a gift we think is nifty and useful, Google builds “warm-fuzzy” points with us. I still regularly use the nifty kit from last year. (Except for the top to the flash drive, which the cats confiscated and lost!)

- Envy (I’m sure there’s a marketing term for this, but I can’t dig it up right now). People covet what they cannot/do not have. When would-be or lower-volume customers see what others get, it’s another reason to consider increasing the Google budget for 2007 (conveniently, many marketing and business plans are being written now).

Add this to all the other reasons client/customer gift-giving thrives and you know what Google’s thinking! (BTW Google, thanks! Very cool.)