Gifts for agents?

I generally don't give holiday gifts to agents and managers. That's not a steadfast rule; I've sent my manager flowers for a special occasion, and I've brought coffee to my agent. I've even sent Starbucks cards to agents I was freelancing with, just to be nice (and kiss a little ass.)

But about 2 years ago I stopped. It was actually after visiting the office of a friend of mine who is an agent around December 15th. It was JAM-PACKED with presents. Mostly food. They were so "mad" about the food! They complained about all the delicious temptations around them. I kind of believed them. I also thought, "Wow, all of these actors spent tons of money, and the agents can't possibly notice every gift!"

I think I've been wrong about this the whole time. I think they love presents. And though food might not be the most thoughtful gift, the thought really counts.
I came to this conclusion after talking to a few friends in the industry about the genuine feeling of gratitude they got from these presents. I guess agents feel like like employees of actors sometimes, rather than partners in the process.

One agent said that certain clients send her a gift after every booking. Wow. That sounded really excessive to me, but she like it. She thought it was nice.

Then, when I had my annual meeting with my manager, she assumed I sent holiday presents out - because I'm so strong with my marketing. Imagine her surprise when I told her I didn't.

Okay. So, the question remains, how do you make a gift count? How can you really express your gratitude, and have the present not get lost in the shuffle?

I've had a few ideas:
•Send a gift at a different time than the holidays. Thanksgiving seems like a smart choice. Maybe their birthdays.
•Sends distinctive gift. Maybe you have some expertise you can share with them? A knowledge of wine. A knowledge of gourmet herbs. VIP passes to something special?
•Try to give the gifts in person. Face time is very, very important. And every conversation you have with your agent/manager will help them understand you better.

I'm going to rethink my approach this year. What do you think?

There is no right answer when it comes to marketing, just best guesses. I'm not going to beat myself up, but I'm going to reconsider all of this for 2012.