Every week some organization, both private sector and non-profit, is celebrating an anniversary. They do that because years in business or serving the needs of the homeless is a platform for marketing, fundraising, getting media attention, attracting partners, and hosting special events. More importantly, you have the opportunity to reach out to your current constituencies and thank them for being there all those years.
So, yes, if this is your second or 34th year in buiness or being a helping hand in the commmunity, consider positioning and packaging that for reinforcing your branding, increasing sales, gaining access to new funding, and staging an activity which the media can’t miss.
Here are 3 tips from Image Marketing Consultants:
Highlight theme of gratitude, show it. You wouldn’t have made it to yet another year without the customers/clients, employees, vendors, contributors, public services, elected officials, and the media. Show how grateful you are through a special event such as a complimentary ice cream social, a steep discount, or free training in your expertise such as decorating cakes.
Tell the world. Few will know that it is your anniversary unless you spread the good news. That in itself can be leveraged as a brand enhancer if you create a special symbol and/or graphics for the announcement. That can be communicated through all your digital sites such as Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and Google+ as well as your newsletters, store/office windows, and tags employees wear. If the community permits, members of your organization can dress up in thematic costumers and distribute flyers and maybe some goodies in target areas.
Introduce New Whatevers. Attention gets attention. Since you have that attention, use it to feature new products, services, funding objectives, kinds of community outreach, expansion of territory, and celebrity support.
In addition, participating in other organizations’ anniversaries provides you with what could be a productive networking activity. From it could come partnerships, incremental sales, and a fresh source of funding.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, provides complimentary consultations for Marketing, Partnerships, Advertising, Public Relations, Social Media and Special Events Kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.