So it’s the third week of the holiday shopping season – and many of us (yes, I’m raising my hand also) have probably procrastinated shopping for our friends, loved ones and others. Well… we aim to please here at The Focus Group! Below is a list comprised of our staff’s wants, needs and most coveted items. So if you are looking for a gift idea for that special advertising/marketing/public relations/web design/graphic design professional in your world – you will not be disappointed (we hope)!

 

1. When we asked graphic design guru, Brenna Aplin, what she would gladly accept this season – she said “Ultimate cosmic power.” And since I’m not necessarily sure you can purchase that at a local store – she did follow up with a life supply of coffee and sculpting clay. Note for your coffee loving friends who have to brainstorm creative direction quite a bit- never underestimate the power of a gift card to a local coffee shop or moldable clay for those long meetings!
2. Ben Hunter, our go-to for sales and marketing, had a few simple requests… a Broncos Super Bowl victory and a house with many leather-bound books that smell of rich mahogany.  Tickets to a game, or perhaps a copy of Anchorman 1 or 2 (perhaps both?) would be the best gift of all time. OR if you can harness the ultimate cosmic power from Brenna’s list and make Ben’s dream come true – you may win Christmas!
3. In our day-to-day operations, we handle many online accounts and documents. So when we talked to Tyler Johnson, one of our web development superheroes, he said a credit card flash drive is one of his favorite gadgets! It fits easily in a wallet or purse, making it less likely to get lost!
4. Our resident traffic control officer, Brynn Joachim, was quick to share her favorite three items: a Pilot Frixion Ball ERASABLE pen, a 32-inch monitor and a virtual Siri assistant who can pull all of her reports and be her minion. Good news is that the pen comes in red, blue and black – which she declares is critical for her day to day job duties. Bad news? Siri has some issues understanding Southern accents, but we know her improvements are on the horizon! Until then, you may want to get the operations manager in your life an App Store or GooglePlay gift card for an app of choice!
5. Our master of digital innovation, Thomas Broadus, wishes he had an upgraded digital device this year! He says an iPhone 6 would be glorious. Why? He says it would be handy for when Mark Cuban, Shark Tank business extraordinaire, tweets him about his (Cuban’s) latest app development… That way he can actually run the app (send your thoughts, guys… he’s running an iPhone 4). Got a Thomas in your life? The latest smart phone is always a great idea!
   
6. The other half of our superhero web development team, Katie Mosteller, says the best gift for a web developer this Christmas is a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Can’t decide between a computer or a tablet? No need to fret – you can have both! Katie says she can run any program and take notes during client meetings. Incredibly intuitive!
7. If you ask our creative genius, Cece Shabazz, what she wants… she will quickly tell you a Portal 2 USB Sentry Turret Desk Defender! She says it’s a must-have for warding away unexpected creativity killers. Ask for bad typography or super-sized logos and you may land a surprise!

1. And for the public relations professional in your life – I say you can never go wrong with a good book to read or a notebook to write down notes/thoughts/brainstorm ideas. I prefer the LEUCHTTURM 1917 brand, but as long as it has paper – it will serve its purpose! And the book? While the PRo in your life may struggle with setting aside time to read for fun, getting him or her the latest bestseller will probably be a breath of fresh air!

So there ya go – a few extra items/ideas you may or may not have thought to purchase. And if you did think of them – spare our feelings and pretend like we helped you out! Have an item that didn’t make the list? Leave your Christmas list below. You never know… Santa may be checking out our blog!

Disclaimer: These gift items are mentioned purely out of want/desire… we were not paid for any of these endorsements.

Samantha McCain
PR & Content Manager