So there’s an anniversary looming… what to do? We say, grab it by the horns and party!
A corporate anniversary offers a raft of opportunities ranging from employee engagement and branding, to customer and staff reward, middle and senior management motivation and a chance to raise your profile via PR, marketing and branding messages, no less.
Over the last two years, we’ve helped a national confectionary brand reach 15 years of age, a national supplier of fruit reach 50, a small local business celebrate 5 years and this year we’re celebrating with a financial services firm which has enjoyed 50 years of solid, loyal clients. The extent of their ‘celebrations’ have varied, with one opting to celebrate for the month, alerting customers with a discount code and a memorabilia product, another chose to focus on staff and produced a beautiful, bound ‘coffee table’ history of the company as a gift and another has decided to make the anniversary last a full 12 months with a party and a rebrand!
But the point is this: yes, it takes some thought to do it properly, but the glow of satisfaction that lingers over customers and staff when you do bother can last a long time. Satisfaction and pride for the customer, knowing that they’ve chosen wisely and are appreciated for their custom, satisfaction and pride for the staff who have worked so hard to help the company get to where it is and satisfaction and pride for the management that have sweated to get the company to where it is today.
An achievement should be marked as such and shouted about and with a fully integrated marketing plan in place, it shouldn’t be too tricky to identify where advantages can be taken of activity already in situ:
- Alert your media contacts – remind them who you are, what you do and what you’ve achieved and don’t forget the cheesy ‘birthday cake and balloons’ photo, which goes a long way to securing coverage!
- Tell your social media communities – they will celebrate with you and broaden the reach of your celebratory messages. Use images and staff perspectives to make it more interesting
- Tell your email subscribers – a good news story is always fun to read. Especially when they can relate to the people and photos
- Develop an anniversary logo for use on social media, email signatures and stationery, where possible – it makes a declaration that underpins the sense of achievement and pride
- Use testimonials and case studies from long-standing clients/ customers – help them feel part of the company’s success today and they will help with the success of the company in years to come
- If time, resource and budget permit, do consider an event and even a gift, to mark the occasion. Showcase the history of the company; the key drivers of the business; reward long-standing staff and clients and give everyone something to celebrate and be part of.
All companies need to ebb and flow with economic pressure, legal adaptations and political drama so when there’s a landmark occasion, mark it. Publicly, loudly and proudly. You all deserve it.
