| So your company is getting ready to celebrate its | | | | collaborating with our clients to deliver great ideas - |
| anniversary or the anniversary of one of your | | | | both theirs and ours." |
| prominent brands. | | | | Your plans for celebrating your anniversary should |
| What can you do to take full advantage of your | | | | include ideas about how you will collaborate with your |
| milestone? Here are six thoughts: | | | | customers to help them grow and develop, because |
| 1. "You can't build your reputation on what you're going | | | | this is key to your own growth and development. |
| to do." Henry Ford | | | | 5. "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." |
| Ford was right. Your reputation is based on your | | | | Mark Twain |
| accomplishments. And your anniversary coming up | | | | Mark Twain's wisdom applies - get started now to |
| provides an exceptional opportunity to focus attention | | | | successfully and profitably celebrate your company or |
| on these accomplishments. | | | | brand anniversary. Only by significant advance planning |
| In today's marketplace, with so much uncertainty and | | | | can you take full advantage of your yearlong |
| distrust, your past can be the strongest criterion that | | | | marketing opportunity. |
| any stakeholder has to judge your future performance. | | | | And these opportunities can't be matched by your |
| Use your milestone to reach your key audiences to | | | | competitors. |
| solidify and improve your company's or your brand's | | | | You may want to form a steering committee, or |
| reputation and awareness ... and drive sales at the | | | | develop an anniversary-specific theme and logo |
| same time. Your past can speak volumes about your | | | | treatment. Business-to-business and/or consumer |
| quality, service, culture, innovation and pricing, thus | | | | advertising, direct mail, web development and public |
| positioning you for success in the future. | | | | relations campaigns need to be planned, as well as |
| 2. "The best people want to work for the best brands." | | | | executed. |
| David F. D'Alessandro | | | | Your employee communications vehicles will also want |
| Use your corporate anniversary to fan the flames of | | | | to cover the anniversary. You'll probably want to |
| brand passion among your first line of offense, your | | | | develop a historical book or CD along with |
| own employees. In fact, a Gallup survey says, "If your | | | | commemorative mementos. And, is there a better time |
| employees were 'fully engaged', your customers would | | | | for a sales contest? |
| be 70 percent more loyal, your turnover would drop by | | | | Perhaps your products lend themselves to the creation |
| 70 percent, and your profits would jump 40 percent." | | | | of an anniversary-related model. If so, there are |
| Just as you can use your milestone to reach out to | | | | development and production issues to consider. |
| potential customers, you can use this occasion to | | | | And, a community initiative can provide you with |
| create and strengthen the partnership between your | | | | increased credibility in your hometown or, if your |
| company and your employees. | | | | operations are far flung, tie them together with a |
| They are your most important resource. In their hands, | | | | national or global event. |
| is the key to your company's future success. Use this | | | | But, get started. Without proper planning, it can be a |
| opportunity to build employee pride and passion, and to | | | | troublesome and unrewarding journey. |
| make them true brand advocates. | | | | 6. "I hear a lot of thunder, but I don't feel any rain." Dolly |
| 3. "If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, | | | | Parton |
| nobody's gonna stop them." | | | | Getting started is one thing, but with whom? Your |
| Yogi Berra | | | | Marketing Communications Department probably is |
| Yogi's got a point. Find a way to get your constituents | | | | swamped already, and may not be adequately staffed |
| to your ballpark, so you can win their hearts as well as | | | | to handle the variety of plans and programs you need |
| their minds. Events and sponsorships allow you to | | | | to consider to efficiently deliver a profitable milestone |
| make personal contacts with the people who count. | | | | program. |
| Events and sponsorships create bonds, both emotional | | | | And going to an advertising agency, design studio, |
| and practical. They create customer loyalty and | | | | packaging specialist, public relations agency, event |
| employee involvement and dedication, with an | | | | planner and web developer suggests a host of |
| unparalleled opportunity to form a relevant connection | | | | integration problems, much less turf fights and spending |
| with your audiences, both internally and externally. | | | | conflicts. |
| The opportunities are endless. For a major impact, think | | | | Rather, look to an established, media neutral, marketing |
| about connecting your organization to a major cause. | | | | communications consultancy, with senior level talent |
| According to a study commissioned by Cone, Inc., 84 | | | | who can assist you with not only planning and strategy |
| percent of people surveyed said that "a company's | | | | but also with implementation. Invariably, they won't have |
| commitment to social issues is important when I decide | | | | a vested interest in selling one discipline over another, |
| which companies I want to do business with." | | | | and candor will flourish. |
| 4. "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." Sir | | | | With "growing the top line" the number one challenge |
| Winston Churchill | | | | facing CEO's, according to a survey in Chief Executive |
| Your corporate or brand history is important to your | | | | Magazine, how fortunate you are to have an |
| customers and clients, both existing and potential, | | | | upcoming milestone to separate yourself from |
| because of what it might mean to their future. Think | | | | competition. |
| about how your history and the future promise of your | | | | Properly promoted, the significance of your company |
| company or brand will connect in a meaningful way to | | | | or brand milestone can't be matched for a minimum of |
| the history and future of your customers. | | | | twelve months. An important edge. |
| Joe W. Forehand, former Chairman and CEO of | | | | So, aggressively market your anniversary. It can be a |
| Accenture, in an article, said their business "is about | | | | powerful tool to project your future. |