Is your company celebrating a 10 year, 25 year or even a 75 year anniversary? How are you marking and marketing your company’s celebration?
I think that as long as you’re spending the marketing budget to celebrate, why not consider some additional benefits of marketing the anniversary with some memorable, clever ideas to catch the attention of a prospective customer or client?
Here’s a few idea starters:
1) Flyer: Create a tip sheet with ideas for your target market to help them in whatever business you are in. If you’re a doctor, how about 25 tips for staying healthy? If you’re a realtor how about 10 tips for improving your curb appeal for potential home sellers? If your business is a greenhouse, how about 50 plants for shade and sun? Make the number of tips match the number of your anniversary.
2) Tell Everyone! Distribute the tip sheets to the local newspaper, post them on your web site, post them in the article banks, send it to your chamber of commerce, even your industry association.
3) Great Headline: Call it “25 Tips for (Target Market) to Improve Your (Product/Service).”
Something like this: “25 Tips for Home Sellers to Improve Their Curb Appeal.” for a realtor. Of course it would vary by your business.
In the first blank, list your best target market. Maybe seniors, teenagers, or homeowners. Fill in the second blank with your product or service.
In the above examples, it might be health (if you’re a personal trainer), driving record (if you teach drivers training), or yard (if you’re in the landscaping business.)
If it’s your 100th anniversary, it might be tough to come up with 100 tips, but maybe not as hard as you think. (Did you try it?! Ask other people in the office for their ideas!!)
4) News Service: Take advantage of the regional news services of PRNewsWire, BusinessWire, PRWeb or E-Mediawire. It’s not very expensive if you just pay for distribution in your region rather than national.
5) Make a Book: Create a corporate history book to honor the founders of your company. Give one to each employee. Provide some to the local libraries, historians, universities and your industry association. If it seems like a daunting task, contact one of the companies who create company histories. I know one: The Writing Toolbox in Akron. It is run by two friends of mine, who do a wonderful job of gathering photos, interviewing, writing, and making it all come together for a real keepsake of corporate histories.
6) Brand with a Logo: Have a graphic designer create a special logo for your company that plays off the 25 years in business. Use it all year long on things that are “temporary”… stationery, Website home page, etc. Reinforce your branding and positioning with a statement in the new logo too. “On Time Delivery for 25 Years” “Keeping Homes Safe for Over 25 Years.”
7) Use Advertising Specialities: Get golf shirts with the anniversary logo. Padfolios. Pens. Custom label wine bottles. Give them to each client, potential client and employee.
8) Open House: Invite key vendors, customers, and business friends to celebrate with the employees at an open house at your office, factory or store. Bring in snack food. Run a PowerPoint slide show of photos at every stage on each computer.
Updated 3/16/10: Check out how Red Fish BRANDING takes advantage of an Open House for their 6th anniversary with advertising specialties. They sent out an invitation to all their email contacts.
9) Quiz: Create a Trivia quiz with questions from the year the business was founded. Give out prizes (maybe customers only?!) for the people who get them right.
10) Golf Outing: Organize a golf outing and give all the money to a charity that fits with your company’s mission.
What other ideas do people have? I know that there are other companies who have had some great ideas for celebrating an anniversary. Please, share your ideas for commemorating a company’s anniversary if it’s 10 years, 20 years or 50 years or 100… What worked? What didn’t?
Anyone know the colors and traditional gifts for each year? I think I’ve heard of that before but I don’t know it by heart.
ADDED July 10, 2008:
My company, Marketing Resources & Results, celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year. Check out how we handled the press release.
Thanks, Eric!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I really enjoyed this – I’ve got a client with a 30-year anniversary coming up. Very timely. My only problem is the client “doesn’t want to make a big deal of it” – WHAT????? WHY NOT???? Auuugggh!
Randy:
It can be very frustrating if it seems the company or client doesn’t care. It’s been my experience that we all do well when we celebrate things, especially when the economy may be in a slump (understatement!!).
Maybe there are a few very low cost things you can try so that it doesn’t pass un noticed.
Chris
By definition, a corporate anniversary comes at least every 5 years, and, therefore, is a powerful opportunity that should be strategically leveraged. It’s best if you can align the company’s anniversary celebrations and aspects from the company’s history with current business drivers. You should also start with future and desired outcomes and work back with tactics to drive these.
Audiences are also important. An integrated corporate anniversary campaign should identify all important audiences, and tactical solutions should be created to carry the desired messages to the appropriate audience.
In terms of tactical solutions to support a corporate anniversary, everyone thinks they need a book. While this is often an excellent tactic, this is by no means the most effective, but, depending on goals, can certainly be worth doing. Other good tactics include: documentaries, websites, archival creation programs, oral histories and knowledge preservation programs, exhibits, displays, museums, and let’s not the celebration itself. An anniversary logo is a must. It does not have to be impressive, but you should always have one to tie the celebration together. Also, think about spreading the celebration over two years (one year to hype it up; the other, to celebrate). You can also build off your celebration’s success by giving away a gift, like a book at the end of the celebration.
Great ideas, Chris! (As usual.) Making a tip sheet into a flyer would be very effective, and not really expensive. Plus it would be fun for you and your staff to do.
A Commemorative Custom Coin. Not only your employees would love it but so would your clients. Since 1984, Northwest Territorial Mint has minted limited edition coins and medallions for governmental and private entities around the world. Our designs have commemorated events, honored champions and saluted achievements large and small. Our medallions have been bestowed as merit awards, years of service, retirement gifts, etc. If you would like more information please contact me at ray@militarycoins.com or call 1-800-504-0811 or my direct line (703) 922-5794. Thank you for your time and consideration.
We’re celebrating 10 years! Thank you for the great information. I am definitely going to incorporate some of your tips.
This is right on time!
At The Anniversary Company (www.theanniversarycompany.com), our mission is to help organizations make the most of their anniversary opportuntiies. We view these milestones as strategic opportunities to move a business forward. It’s more than just an excuse for a party; you should celebrate the past & also launch the future. If anyone is looking for ideas or assistance in this area, please contact us at 248.336.8612.
Carol:
I really liked your logos and displays that I saw in the portfolio section of your website. Also saw that you too are nationally certified by WBENC. Looks like a good company. Thanks for connecting here.
Chris
Thanks for the link to my blog! Would you mind putting a link to my website at the paragraph about ad specialities?
greg
Hi Greg: Would love to, but you know, that’s the difference between PR and advertising. With PR you get what the editor needs, with advertising you pay to get what you want.
We can talk later about a “sponsored link” if that interests you.
Chris