Your organization is approaching a significant milestone anniversary—a galvanizing event destined to produce positive outcomes and summon purpose during your celebration year and beyond. Whether you’re planning a university milestone celebration or a corporate anniversary planning initiative, this effort is a rare privilege and responsibility—a once-in-a-career opportunity that your peers say is unmatched.
Whether your organization is celebrating a 25th anniversary, 75th anniversary, 100th anniversary, or beyond, this milestone honors the principles and innovations that have made your organization what it is today. Your past shapes your legacy, and your anniversary is the perfect moment to ignite new energy and focus for the future. An anniversary can be a powerful catalyst for transformation, encouraging you to engage your entire organization, customers, and partners in a bold plan for the future.
In my work, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing hundreds of executives who have navigated the unique challenges and opportunities that come with leading an anniversary campaign. Below are 21 key insights and guiding principles that can help ensure your anniversary year is a resounding success.
Top 21 Must-Dos for a Successful Anniversary Campaign
1. Start Early
Ideally start planning at least 2-3 years prior, if possible. Anything less can be problematic. Your peers resoundingly agree this is crucial and if you wait, regretful.
2. Develop a Corporate Anniversary Planning Strategy
Define your anniversary campaign strategies upfront. Stay true to these goals as they will guide all activities, programs, and events.
3. C-suite Support
Before you begin planning, gain support from the CEO or President and C-suite.
4. Enlist a Broad Team
Your anniversary planning team should represent the broadest cross-section of your organization as possible in terms of function, skills, demographics, tenure, hierarchy, etc. Make sure you have a dedicated project manager to help ensure everyone stays on task, and things will be completed on time and within budget. Remember everything will take longer than you think.
5. Gather Customer Stories
Ask long-tenured customers and partners why they’ve been around so long. Not only will they share stories you may not have heard before, but you will also learn what they most value and appreciate.
6. Engage Employees in Your Anniversary Campaign
Ask employees what they think is most important about your anniversary and include them throughout the campaign. The more they are included, the greater their involvement will be. Remember retirees as well; they have great stories and will be very appreciative of the outreach.
7. Create Deep Content
Content marketing is one of the most powerful forms of digital marketing. Deep content typically focuses on a narrow topic, in this case, your anniversary. Digging into the nitty-gritty details will appeal to your key audiences by uncovering interesting, thoroughly researched information backed by plenty of hard data.
8. Engage Others
People want to be heard, seen, and included. Frame your story, define your activities, and invite others to co-create with you.
9. Be Flexible
Not everything will go as planned. But how you pivot to deal with challenges will be remembered.
10. Leverage Third-Party Advocacy
Create opportunities for others to talk about you. Show and tell others why you’ve been successful as, say, a disruptive solutions provider. Ask a question only you can answer. For example, for its 200th Anniversary, Citi asked, “What does the future of banking look like to you?
11. Make It Human
Storytelling creates an emotional connection. Make your anniversary an emotional, human-centered experience to leave a lasting impact.
12. Don’t Do Too Much
Focus on a few signature anniversary events and execute them flawlessly. Avoid overwhelming your schedule with too many activities.
13. Create Extraordinary Experiences
Create experiences that are special, befitting the milestone you are celebrating. Think of each element as a gift.
14. Build a Legacy through University Milestone Celebrations
Use your milestone anniversary to celebrate humanity and contribute to your community and the greater good. For more insights on university campaign strategies read our in-depth article.
15. Think Outside-In
The success of your anniversary will be determined by how others experience it. Have an outside-in perspective when planning.
16. Be BOLD
It takes bold moves to make an impact. Use your anniversary to test new ideas, craft big messages, and set bold goals—like when the San Diego Zoo aimed to end animal extinction.
17. Future-Focused Corporate Anniversary Planning
Your anniversary is largely about your future and where you are headed. Honor the past, but don’t focus on it. “You can look back, but don’t stare.”
18. Measure Results
We pay attention to what we measure. Set measurable goals for your anniversary to track success.
19. Maximize the Year
Look for opportunities to incorporate the number of years you are celebrating into your activities. For example, if you are turning 100, donate to 100 charities. State Farm 100th Anniversary had a campaign pillar “100 Acts for Good.”
20. Over-Communicate
Use every available communication channel—emails, intranet, newsletters, town halls—to keep everyone informed and involved throughout the year.
21. HAVE FUN!
Above all, remember to enjoy the process. Anniversary celebrations should be as fun and inspiring as they are strategic. Learn more about anniversary campaign strategies.
Hear from executives who have benefited from the anniversary planning resources curated by Anniversary University.Watch 3-minute video.
Lisa Alonge, Founder of Anniversary University® and author of Milestone Anniversary Planning, has pioneered the field of milestone anniversary planning. She equips senior communications, marketing, and brand executives with a proven blueprint for planning a milestone anniversary with great success. Lisa’s expertise helps organizations like Southwest Airlines, College of Charleston, Opry Entertainment, Shriners Hospitals, World Vision, and Duke University turn milestone moments into strategic growth opportunities.
Lisa Alonge, Founder of Anniversary University® and author of Milestone Anniversary Planning, has pioneered the field of milestone anniversary planning. She equips senior communications, marketing, and brand executives with a proven blueprint for planning a milestone anniversary with great success. Lisa’s expertise helps organizations like Southwest Airlines, College of Charleston, Opry Entertainment, Shriners Hospitals, World Vision, and Duke University turn milestone moments into strategic growth opportunities.