How to Celebrate a Business Anniversary
Milestones Create Opportunity to Increase Sales, Enhance Brand
Jul 8, 2009
Every organizational anniversary is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to increase sales, strengthen relations with stakeholders and enhance the corporate brand. This article refers to companies, but the ideas can also be applied to agencies, associations and communities.
There is no one way to celebrate anniversaries. Each organization is unique and each year is different, never to be repeated.
The most successful anniversaries focus on and involve customers, stockholders, employees, communities and other groups that influence the organization. Anniversary themes and events should be chosen only after those priorities and objectives have been established for all key stakeholders.
Identify Key Stakeholders
Here, from a variety of sources, are ideas for a successful celebration, one remembered by the organization’s key publics.
First, identify the key stakeholders, approve an overall budget and establish criteria for measuring the success of the observance.
Next, vow to avoid the biggest pitfall in anniversary celebrations-being boringly self centered. Find room for humor and a look into the future.
Start researching company history, and pictures, very early. The celebration should run over an extended period, but should begin or culminate on the company's founding date.
Central Campaign Theme
Commit advertising, public relations, employee relations and Internet resources to a central campaign theme for all materials and events. The materials might include:
- An organization history, in book, brochure, magazine or newspaper format. At least one firm specializes in producing corporate histories, some as coffee table picture books.
- A theme poster that might become a collector’s item.
- Unique souvenirs, such as product miniatures.
- News releases about the anniversary and specific anniversary events.
- Billboards featuring the anniversary theme.
- An anniversary video, perhaps aimed at YouTube. Videos are less expensive to produce these days, but the content challenge is greater. Company history must be woven subtly into entertaining and fun content. Ditto audio.
- An anniversary-themed annual report.
Feature Founding of the Company
One financial institution recalled its founding by producing a faded looking newspaper styled in the year of its birth. This can be limited to a front page or perhaps four pages. Feature a story about the founding of the company as well as other community and world events which occurred that same day.
Use regular mail for letters, cards and invitations. Use email for followup reminders. Resist spam.
In addition to the news releases, suggest feature angles to individual media people and encourage them to develop the stories.
Feature anniversary material in the organization website or launch a separate anniversary site as an online brochure and anniversary calendar.
Sponsor Employee Teams
Make employees part of the celebration. Sponsor employee teams in charity walks or marathons. Provide T-shirts. Organize an employee singing group to entertain the elderly. Plant a tree or trees in honor of a community or company leader
Sponsor a charity gala or banquet with a speaker who will attract media coverage. Offer a company speaker to local or industry associations.
Conduct a fun contest and or an anniversary sale.
Launch Community Service Project
Launch a community service project. Relate the project to the company business if possible, but make sure it is viewed as a generous contribution to the community. Samples, subject to budget limitations:
- Sponsor kids or elderly residents at a community event such as a picnic, a cultural event or sports event
- Purchase AEDs for schools or homes for the elderly
- Erect a monument or plaque to a community group or cause
- Participate in a Habitat for Humanity project.
- Establish a scholarship or fellowship
References:
- "Corporate Anniversaries in the Spotlight," by Chris Jones
- "Business Anniversary Ideas," by Pauline Bartel
- Hadley, Massachusetts 350th Anniversary
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