Your company might be one year old or a long-established corporation in the industry. Celebrating a business anniversary is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to increase sales, strengthen relations with clients and enhance the corporate brand. Simply put: it can be very valuable for your company’s health.
The following article discusses the competitive advantages, gives ideas for your party and shows best- but also bad-practices.
Throw a Party
Anniversary events can range from casual employee-only parties or celebrations for special customers to general galas open to the public. The specific type of event you choose depends on your corporate culture and the goals you want to achieve. Is it a “family event” or do you want to generate media coverage? It is a one-location event or a travelling road show around the country? Does the event take place at a special venue like a beach bar during summertime or is it at the company headquarters? Business anniversary events are a special occasion and can be designed to be much more than just sharing cake and coffee.
New and Repeat Business
Celebrating your business anniversary demonstrates to customers and prospects that, while others have come and gone, your company is still alive and maybe has even flourished. You’ll win recognition for your accomplishments and spread awareness for your products or services.
Competitive Advantage
Your company will gain an advantage over competitors as you’ll bring attention to your company, stay in the minds of clients which can help for current or future projects. You have to recognize an anniversary’s marketing potential and then build on it.
Robert Scoble at the Fast Company Party, (CC) Brian Solis, www.briansolis.com, bub.blicio.us
Show off your stuff
Show and talk about your company’s projects, achievements, or demonstrate your knowledge about the changes you’ve seen in the industry during that time. Present new developments in your company and introduce a new product or service.
Stronger Relationships
Keep in mind that customers, employees, vendors and the community have made your success possible, so an anniversary is the perfect occasion to acknowledge those contributions. Tell them you are proud of what they have helped you with and reinforce their important roles for your company.
Introduce people
Some attendees at your party might currently have a specific problem or need that you cannot help them with directly. But introducing them to people you know might give your clients the support they sought and also a good impression of your company. In the long-run people will remember you as problem-solver not just a sales person. The same applies if an attendee is bored at the party and doesn’t have someone to talk to. Connect people.
Engage your employees
Don’t forget your in-house resources when it comes to honoring your company’s anniversary. Engaging employees in your anniversary celebration can pay off for years to come in employee retention, innovation and satisfaction.
Give Out Presents
Depending on your means you should provide all food, beverages for free and at best give out small presents to attendees. Make sure though your gifts don’t look like your company has too much money, ie. give the impression you are charging customers too much.
Alcohol Abuse
There is sure much to be proud of so you will probably drink a couple of beers or champagne but be careful not to exaggerate. Your mind should be as clear as possible so you can still engage in conversations with your employees, business partners and clients.
Have fun at your business anniversary celebration!
Feel free to post a comment should you have any more thoughts on the subject.
John Stewart / August 31, 2009, 10:03 PM
A corporate milestone is a valuable opportunity to reinforce corporate culture and support business objectives. Major anniversaries do not come every year, and, therefore, they should be fully leveraged when they do arrive. Everyone will be looking at you, so you should take advantage of this while you can.
Determine your goals first. Once you know your goals, determine audiences and the best mechanisms to reach these audiences. For example, one audience should be your employees. Are you going to have a massive celebration? Perhaps, but you also might want to give them something like a book, t-shirt, or a documentary. You should always do something to communicate important messages to appropriate audiences.
There will be a focus on your company’s history, so you should do something to showcase your past. Moreover, it’s always good to tell your story on your own terms. This helps prevent critics from telling your story for you. Be careful not to white wash anything from your history. It kills authenticity.
Company anniversaries can be pretty elaborate occasions. This means that planning is important. Depending on how big your company is, planning can start as early as 3-4 years before the anniversary takes place. That being said planning late is better than no planning at all.