Case study · Manchester accountancy
Manchester accountancy recognition: 80 SME clients + 12 senior partner sets
Anonymised Manchester-based accountancy firm with 80 SME clients receiving a standard year-end gift set and 12 senior partners receiving premium foil-stamped gift boxes. 4-week production window; named courier delivery to named recipient addresses across the North West before the December close. Independent external supplier — no partnership or sponsor claims.
Engagement summary
Anonymised Manchester-based accountancy firm with 80 SME clients plus 12 senior partners receiving the year-end round. Per-tier budget: standard tier £80 per recipient (80 sets including the 12 senior partners at the same standard tier), premium tier £260 per recipient (12 sets), bringing the standard tier to £7,360 and the premium tier to £3,120 — programme total £10,480 exclusive of VAT.
Programme calendar: brief submitted in early November for late November / early December despatch; artwork and physical proof approved mid-November; foil die production starts mid-November and completes late November; series production from late November to early December; QC early December; despatch second week of December. 4-week production window from approved proof to despatch.
Programme structure
The programme was structured as a year-end recognition round with two tiers. The standard tier covered the 80 SME clients and the 12 senior partners' standard gift sets: insulated bottle, branded notebook, branded pen and a printed mailer. The premium tier covered the 12 senior partners' premium gift boxes: foil-stamped notebook, branded multi-tool, gourmet treats and foil-stamped packaging. The named recipient list was drawn from the firm's CRM with the per-tier segmentation confirmed by the managing partner.
Each premium-tier pack carried a foil-stamped card with the senior partner's name. The cards were foil-stamped in a single run at the start of the production window and matched to the named packing list by the production team. Each pack was cross-checked against the named matching matrix before final packing. The named senior partners received their packs via named courier delivery to named home addresses; the SME clients received their packs via named courier delivery to named office addresses.
Production and delivery
The production flow ran as follows. Foil-stamp dies cut and tested over the first week (mid-November). Stock blanks sourced from UK suppliers in Manchester and the East Midlands over the same window. Production run for the 92 packs ran from late November to early December, with a sample run at the start of the run signed off by the brief owner. QC run in the final days before despatch against the named packing list.
Despatch ran over 5 working days in early December against named courier slots allocated per recipient. UK recipients shipped via DHL UK, DPD UK and Parcelforce. Mobile contact confirmation was used for all 92 named recipients. Of the 92 parcels, 90 confirmed delivered within the despatch window; 2 required re-despatch to a corrected named address; 0 lost in transit.
Documented outcome
The named receiver in the firm's accounts team (Manchester office, M2) confirmed hand-over against the named packing list on the day after despatch. The named itemised despatch note was filed in the firm's business-entertaining documentation file, with one row per recipient covering date, recipient, business purpose, value and despatch reference — meeting HMRC entertainment-deductibility criteria.
Post-programme reconciliation showed: 92 cartons packed, 92 parcels despatched, 90 confirmed delivered in the despatch window, 2 re-despatched, 0 lost, total spend £10,480 exclusive of VAT, total invoice value £12,576 inclusive of 20% VAT. The managing partner reported that the named SME clients replied in larger numbers than the prior year, with 12 senior partner sets leading to a named December board meeting with named relationship-strengthening outcomes.
Compliance and documentation
The programme was run with full UK GDPR alignment, ICO-registered data flow, and Modern Slavery Act 2015 Section 54 evidence supplied at the firm's onboarding. UK VAT 20% standard applied to the merchandise; printed matter (the foil-stamped cards and notebooks) was zero-rated under HMRC criteria. The named senior partner set was treated under the firm's existing hospitality register with documented business purpose per recipient.
Four named written records were maintained: the brief (with audience tiers, per-tier budget ceiling and named recipient segmentation), the proof approval (signed off by the managing partner), the despatch note (with date, recipient, business purpose, value per recipient), and the receipt (with named payment confirmation against the named PO). All four records were filed in the firm's procurement compliance file.
What made the programme run cleanly
The strongest inputs were: (1) a tight 4-week brief window with the named per-tier budget ceiling set in writing; (2) named CRM segmentation confirmed by the managing partner in the week of the brief; (3) a physical foil-stamp proof signed off before production; (4) a sample run at the start of the run signed off; (5) named courier slots allocated per recipient with mobile contact confirmation.
The strongest outputs were: 90 of 92 parcels delivered in the despatch window, zero lost in transit, named itemised despatch notes meeting HMRC criteria, and 12 senior partner sets leading to a named December board meeting with named relationship-strengthening outcomes. The learnings were: 2 address corrections during despatch cost a half-day of packing rework, and the named CRM segmentation could have been confirmed 1 week earlier to avoid a same-week scramble.
Programme parameters at a glance
Audience: 92 named recipients across UK. Programme total: £10,480 exclusive of VAT / £12,576 inclusive of 20% VAT. Production window: 4 weeks from approved proof to despatch. Per-tier budget: standard £80, premium £260. Compliance: UK GDPR, ICO, Modern Slavery Act 2015 Section 54, HMRC entertainment-deductibility documentation. Despatch success: 90 of 92 delivered in window, 2 re-despatched, 0 lost. Outcome: 12 senior partner sets leading to a named December board meeting with named relationship-strengthening outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
Can the programme run in 3 weeks instead of 4?
Yes, but only on repeat blanks and repeat decoration. First-time programmes with foil-stamping need the 4-week window for die production.
Can the despatch land in named UK home addresses?
Yes. We despatch to named UK home and named office addresses as separate consignments with named courier tracking references and named mobile contact confirmation.
Are gifts to UK clients tax-deductible?
Gifts to UK clients are generally deductible as business entertaining with HMRC documentation (date, recipient, business purpose, value). We provide itemised despatch notes.
Can the firm hold stock for next year?
Yes. Bonded warehouse storage at our Midlands hub is available for apparel, drinkware and print blanks in the named standard range, against a named 12-month forecast with a £500–£1,500 holding fee per programme.
What payment methods do you accept?
BACS, Faster Payments, CHAPS, Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Apple Pay and Google Pay, all settled in GBP. Invoices carry 20% standard VAT.