Brand Anniversary Campaigns: Making the Most of It

Whether you're celebrating your first or 100th anniversary, it's always a huge milestone when a brand surpasses another year in the business. Considering how volatile the market is, where 90% of startups fail less than a year into business, an anniversary presents an opportunity to recognize a brand's wins, losses, and possibilities.

But how can brands celebrate anniversaries in a way that truly resonates with their audience?

If your anniversary is just around the corner, we have your back! Find out why brand anniversaries are vital and how to celebrate them. Look out for iconic real-world examples, too!

Company anniversaries are not only about holding fun parties for your team and customers. An avenue to engage with your customers, build trust, and highlight brand success through strategic and immersive campaigns.

Let’s explore 3 ways brands can benefit from company anniversaries.

To Increase Customer Loyalty

A powerful way to express your gratitude and strengthen your bond with your customers is through company anniversaries. It makes customers feel special when you dedicate a period within the year to honor their contributions and reward them for their loyalty.

A study conducted in the US shows that 59 percent of loyal customers stay committed to their brand choice for life. So, go on and earn that loyalty. Think about launching loyalty reward programs, limited edition merchandise, and special prizes on your brand anniversary, to name a few.

To Enhance Brand Image

Aside from sending a message that your brand is here to stay, a business anniversary is a great way to reinforce your brand values and enhance your brand image.

Celebrate this important milestone by introducing a new logo that depicts your values, like trustworthiness, diversity, and innovation. Or excite your audience with partnerships with other brands and influencers!

To Prompt Changes Within the Company

What better way to announce changes than during a brand anniversary? Whether your company is due for a rebrand, expanding reach, etc., a brand anniversary is perfect to generate excitement. It can be a memorable event that showcases your progress and sets the stage for future initiatives.

So now that you know what anniversary campaigns can do for you, how can you celebrate it? Check out our top picks for the best anniversary marketing ideas you can implement.

Host Events

There’s no one way to a perfect brand anniversary event. It can be an intimate bash with a select few, like your VIP members. Or a series of grand anniversary celebrations complete with confetti in a stadium or a mall for everyone to see!

Whatever your choice of event is, your goal is to make it as memorable as possible. A brand anniversary celebration can be virtual, too, allowing you to reach your audience across the globe.

Weave nostalgia by highlighting key moments of your brand journey, immerse your customers through activities, and showcase future innovations they can expect in your branding. Whichever route you choose, don’t forget to create an event that reflects your brand values and identity.

Give Gifts

Just like birthdays, gifts are always welcome for brand anniversaries, too.

Why not reward your employees with gift baskets, customized mugs, notebooks, and pens? Or perhaps a ticket to a spa or a destination hotel? You can also recognize your top performers by holding an employee awards night.

For your customers, think of giving away freebies, free service or product upgrades, and other branded gifts. You can also make donations to charities as a way of giving back to the community.

Offer Discounts

Generate some buzz and sweeten the pot with company anniversary discounts!

You can run an anniversary sale in-store or a limited discount promo for exclusive online customers. You can also offer discounts for the first 100 purchases or purchases above $100. You get the gist!

Take advantage of discounts and reinforce your branding by providing promotional codes. You can even ask your customers to participate in a special online competition by posting about your brand as part of your discount policy. That’s an instant source for your social media content, too.

Launch Anniversary Content

Speaking of content, keep your customers engaged on all platforms by creating anniversary content. Doing so provides a chance to optimize your social media and other digital marketing touchpoints.

Get personal with your audience by sharing behind-the-scene photos, videos, and stories about your brand’s history and people. Highlight testimonials from customers or clients. And partner up with some influencers for anniversary events and promotions for a wider impact.

Introduce a Unique Product

Are you about to introduce a product but unsure of when to do it? Well, brand anniversaries are great for such a purpose. It’s often easier for customers to remember your product when tied to an important event.

With the excitement for the anniversary, optimize it by aligning it with your product launch. In effect, you create more engagement and increase brand visibility. And having a unique product in the market is also a great way to prove your growth!

There are many more marketing tips you can explore depending on the goal of your brand. But we hope these could get your creative juice running to produce the best business anniversary marketing campaign for you.

Now that you know the basics of company anniversaries, here are examples of how iconic brands create memorable anniversary marketing campaigns.

Guinness: Arthur’s Day

Celebrating its 250th anniversary in the business, Guinness decided to hold an annual music event called Arthur’s Day. Beer and music is always a good idea!

The special event is an ode to the legacy of the brand’s founder, Arthur Guinness. They’ve even created a tradition where participants raise their glass to Arthur once the clock strikes 17:59 (5:59 PM), signifying the year Guinness was founded. It’s also a symbolic thank you to the close-knit community of dark lager lovers.

Arthur’s Day was held in several cities like Dublin, New York, Kuala Lumpur, and Lagos. The event also attracted top musicians from different generations, like Ronan Keating, Tom Jones, The Black Eyed Peas, and Sean Paul.

Due to its popularity, it was celebrated for four years in a row.

McDonald’s: 50 Years of Big Mac

When it comes to fast-food burgers, McDonald’s Big Mac reigns superior. This humble two-all-beef-patties burger with special sauce still brings comfort and nostalgia in every bite after so many years in business.

The product grew a huge following and McDonald’s dedicated a brand mascot to it—Officer Big Mac. In fact, The Economist has used the term “Big Mac Index” to track the price fluctuation of Big Mac worldwide. It’s also been a measure of foreign currency health.

And so, for its 50th anniversary, McDonald’s introduced the MacCoin.

The MacCoin is a limited edition global currency that customers can use to get a free BigMac. Customers who have purchased a BigMac are entitled to one MacCoin they can trade in any participating McDonald’s branch in the US and other countries.

According to the brand, over six million coins were in circulation during the campaign. MacCoin sold over 400,000 Big Macs on the first day and reported a six percent increase in overall sales.

Marvel Studios: More than a Hero

Marvel superheroes have been an inspiration to many kids and adults. In its 10th anniversary, the brand released the 'More than a Hero' campaign, where followers can access the official collector’s edition.

Through a dedicated landing page, Marvel gives an inside scoop into their favorite superheroes, the creative process for the movies, and exclusive interviews with talents like Rober Downey Jr. and Chris Pratt.

In addition, the campaign consists of released posters championing several Marvel favorites, turning limiting flaws into positive motivation. Special edition collectibles were on sale, including graphic shirts, hoodies, and statues.

NBA: 75th Anniversary Season

Brand anniversaries can be held in a day, a week, or even longer. And that’s what the NBA did, allocating one season for its 75th anniversary.

Leading their social efforts with the hashtag #NBA75, the NBA featured its greatest players of all time and showcased remarkable moments in the last 75 years. It also paid tribute to fans worldwide and continued to give back to the community by sponsoring causes.

The most anticipated part of the anniversary season was the NBA 75 Classic Matchups, where members of the 75th Anniversary Team participate in the special games. It featured Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Lebron James, and Stephen Curry.

NBA also launched its commemorative logo design, which is present on all its merchandise. The fresh take includes a diamond shape, symbolizing the big brand's long history and powerful presence. Suffice it to say, the celebration was definitely one for the books for lifelong NBA fans!

Coca-Cola: 125 Years of Happiness

Despite being in the game for so long, Coca-Cola ensures customers always have something to look forward to. The company shares on its website, “The world’s best brand plans to get better with age.”

The brand took its customers down memory lane through retro-inspired experiential marketing. Fans of the brand get to insert their faces on Coca-Cola’s iconic retro ads and Piccadilly sign. It also made a huge statement with an impressive building projection of the brand’s milestones.

Several initiatives rolled worldwide to express their gratitude to its customers and reiterate its brand purpose. In London, they gave away free bottles of Coke. Coca-Cola also funded local community projects in Dublin through its Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.

A brand anniversary is more than just a marketing ploy to get people talking. An anniversary is a strategic opportunity to connect, share your brand story, and recognize your employees. It's also a chance to step closer to your goals and envision your future.

Hence, it's crucial to make the most of it. If you need more guidance on company anniversaries and anything branding, you can always depend on the expert hands of a brand strategy company.