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Updated: September 6, 2024

How to leverage an anniversary as a branding opportunity

By Marnie Grumbach, Fluent IMC

If you’re approaching 10, 25, or 50 years in business, your board, leadership team and employees might have high expectations for recognizing a significant milestone — both internally and externally.

From a marketing perspective, anniversaries offer an opportunity for brand visibility. To fully leverage the milestone, plan ahead and build an anniversary campaign that shines a light on your brand. 

Start by thinking high-level

head shot of woman with dark hair
Courtesy / Fluent IMC
Marnie Grumbach is the founder of Fluent IMC.

Depending on your brand, could you get more creative with the date you’re celebrating? Is there a number in your brand name (such as WD-40 or 23andMe) or otherwise associated with your brand that is widely known?

Think of the fun that might have been had celebrating the corresponding anniversaries for Chanel No. 5 or Heinz 57 — or that Mainers might indulge in for the state’s upcoming 207th anniversary.

For big milestones, it’s not uncommon to celebrate the anniversary all year long. This gives you plenty of time to leverage the celebrations, highlight the great work you’ve done over the years (and continue to do), and tap into marketing or fundraising opportunities to increase brand visibility.

Work with a creative partner to design a logo

If you have a skilled in-house designer, you might be planning to create an anniversary logo in-house, but be mindful of ability when it comes to designing the logo you’ll be promoting throughout your anniversary celebration.

Even skilled content creators are not necessarily branding experts, making it often wise to partner with a creative professional for a sophisticated look that works with your existing brand. If executed right, your brand will get a big boost in visibility. 

You might also use the anniversary as the catalyst for rebranding and introducing an entirely new look and feel. Keep in mind that rebranding is an in-depth process, so if you’re seriously considering a rebrand or brand refresh, start by reaching out to a branding professional and leave plenty of time to go through the process properly.

Use owned channels for anniversary communications

There’s a lot to be proud of after years, or decades, in business, and your team will understandably want to celebrate. A lot of these memories are best shared on your owned channels (i.e. website, blog, emails, collateral).

Depending on your plans for the year ahead, consider a landing page to serve as an online resource that tells the story of how far you’ve come, publicizes upcoming events, or offers promotions during your anniversary celebration. Setting this page up with a custom URL can also make it easier to track traffic that stems from any marketing efforts over the course of the year.

Keep messaging consistent — and stay active — across channels

Once you have your visuals in place, be sure that you’re using them consistently. Your loyal audience may see any initial messaging about your anniversary, but marketers have long followed the Rule of 7, the basic premise of which states that a person needs to see brand messaging an average of seven times before they begin to take notice and are able to recall the message.

Be sure that you’re changing out your logo wherever it appears, staying consistent with branding over the course of the year, and tying any events or brand visibility back to the anniversary when appropriate to reinforce your longstanding history in your industry.

Your anniversary is a great time to up your marketing efforts in general. Consider the following, all of which will help further drive awareness of your brand, and ideally traffic back to your own channels that deliver stories about the great work you’ve done over the years:

  • Secure speaking opportunities for your leadership team in front of key audiences.
  • Consider how to leverage your anniversary as a fundraising hook — either for your own organization or by raising money for a nonprofit whose goals align with your business.
  • Pitch the media on any noteworthy happenings your organization is involved in.
  • Invest in brand visibility ads in targeted media outlets.

By planning ahead, thinking creatively and making the most of owned, shared, paid and earned media, you can make your milestone a bigger branding opportunity. 

About the author

Marnie Grumbach is founder of the Westbrook-based marketing firm Fluent IMC. She can be reached at marnie@fluentimc.com.

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