Making the case for last-minute Christmas gifts

Time is running out for those of us who haven't finished our Christmas shopping. Now me, I'm an experienced procrastinator when it comes to last-minute gifts. I'll be out there on Christmas Eve. But that's me and that's how I roll. It's not for everyone

If you aren't as comfortable as me roaming the streets on the night before Christmas, we've put together a handy guide to help if you are still wondering what to get that techie in your life who already has all the coolest gadgets. Or maybe you want to be thoughtful when buying for a boss, colleague or client, but you aren't looking to, well, spend a lot of money on him or her. We have a simple solution: How about a mobile phone case? You can never have too many (of course, as the father of two college-age daughters, my view may be skewed a bit).

[ Related: 9 great tablet deals for your holiday shopping list ]

In the shopping days that remain, you can hits the stores or go online and buy just any old phone case. But it turns out -- and thanks to the IDG Enterprise marketing team for unearthing these facts -- there are definitely trends and strategies to deploy when picking phone cases. A great marketing team like ours excels at how finding those trends and,  in this case, it developed a cool infographic that uses color psychology to help you find the perfect gift.

Black, white, clear or multi-colored — options abound for protecting mobile phones. As our infographic details, colors aren't just colors. They have definite meanings: For example, black denotes authority, power, strength and intelligence. Neutral colors such as gray, white, beige (or clear) connote timelessness and practicality. Cool colors (blue, purple, green) suggest serenity, focus, sophistication and adventure.. And warm colors such as red, orange and yellow equate to energy, intensity, optimism and happiness.

[ More gift guides ]

The infographic below (which you can also download as a PDF) helps you decide who falls into what category and even suggests companion gifts to pair with the phone cases. You wouldn't match the same gift for a black case (a nice pinot noir works) as you would for color case (ski lift tickets is a good choice), so read on for some helpful suggestions.

The clock is ticking, but the good the news is a phone case is great gift for any occasion.

Merry Christmas.