Justin, I think you hit upon it when you said that your choice of routine takes into account who you are performing for. I think that is a highly significant factor, because even the most creative routine can fall flat if the demographic you are performing for can not relate to it.
When I am booked for a corporate event, I go online and study up on the company, researching who the upper management people are, looking at their photos and/or things they might have said, finding out what their corporate mission and philosophy is and what they emphasize (things like superior customer service, what sets their product(s) and/or services apart from their competition, etc.) I try to use the name of the company inside the routines and even quote little soundbites that I know the CEO or President has said as magic words or whatever.
Sometimes, I will really surprise them by walking up to an officer or manager of the company, pretending I am getting an ESP message, hold my hand to my forehead and close my eyes as if concentrating, and say, "You are the famous..... ______" saying the name.
The more you can incorporate (no pun intended) elements of the company, its products/services and people, the better - up to a tasteful point, of course. I have gotten excellent reviews from company officers, who specifically pointed out how impressed they were that I had obviously researched the company prior to the gig, and best of all, gotten rehired by clients due, in large measure, to that strategy.
