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The Beauty of Business Anniversaries.

The celebration of a business anniversary can be a powerful marketing tool: it provides an additional avenue for promotion, it boosts the perception of your company to prospective clients and partners, it strengthens company morale and, ultimately, it recharges sales.

So Why Celebrate?

• The Edge. This may be the one time you have a definitive edge over your closest competitors. People like to do business with successful companies – companies that will be around to back their products and service for years to come. When you feature an anniversary announcement in your ads, the advantage is in your court. You could very well even have an advantage over a company that's been around longer if they're not actively promoting their ‘years in business’ milestones.

• Increased Confidence. Referencing your anniversary in your advertising material reminds everyone that your company is successful. It gives the appearance that because you’ve proved yourself over time, you’ll also be around in the years to come.

• The Long Run. For organizations that have the benefit of history, anniversaries are usually a year-long campaign. Few other business milestones can justify a 12 month spotlight. Use the time to reinforce your company to your target market, increase your brand recognition, showcase your company, highlight your accomplishments and share your future plans. For smaller organizations, a one-month celebration may do the trick.

• Opportunity. Marketing your business anniversary is the perfect opportunity to:

• Attract positive press and attention;
• Launch new initiatives;
• Reach out to your stakeholders;
• Inspire loyalty from customers and employees;
• Reinforce your longevity;
• Highlight your company’s contributions to the industry
  and community; and
• Boost employee morale.

Keep in mind a well-promoted company anniversary can generate invaluable free publicity and it’s easy to send a press release announcing your achievement. If local newspapers are not initially interested in your company anniversary, get them interested by being creative. For example, you could:

• Sponsor a contest in honour of your anniversary with big grand prizes;

• Call a local radio station and donate prizes in return for free advertising;

• Sponsor a free educational class that relates to your product or service; like a gourmet cooking class or a car maintenance seminar; or

• Team up with a local charity or non-profit and donate products or services they can use.

Use your business anniversary to magnify your company image in the eyes of employees, customers, shareholders, media and the community. If you don't have the budget for an entirely new ad campaign, at least make mention of your anniversary in your existing ads. Give your existing marketing programs a boost by redesigning them to highlight your anniversary. A special logo or tagline can also go a long way.

To execute a year-long anniversary properly, the planning stage is essential. Although the process itself is common sense and the return on investment can be considerable, the time commitment can be substantial. Your organization must determine whether to outsource or to could commit staff members to manage as a team. No matter what level of commitment you choose to put into your anniversary, the key is to strive for the opportunities that business anniversaries can provide. And once you attain them, remember to congratulate yourself and your colleagues for a job well done.

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