As your company grows, make an effort to celebrate milestones with a brief but meaningful celebration. Sharing company progress with the local community and perhaps even online customers can strengthen professional relationships and potentially grow your client base.
Refreshments
On the anniversary of your company’s founding, serve cookies and punch or a commemorative cake to customers and visitors. Fresh-brewed coffee, plain bottles of water, or cans of pop are a simple way to draw attention to this special milestone. You can order specialty chocolates wrapped in paper labels that promote your company’s milestone celebration, and give them to customers on the specific day. You can also order tins of popcorn or chips, or packs of cookies that are wrapped in labeling that promotes your company event. People love snacks, and if they are free your customers won’t be able to resist. These promotional products can be imprinted with your company’s logo and contact details so every time they are used by current and potential customers, you gain marketing exposure.
Mementos
Distribute or mail mementos of the date to regular customers, or all customers, if possible. Depending on the nature of your business, a spoon rest, paper weight, or desktop figurine imprinted with the company name and anniversary date will make a fun souvenir to help customers keep your company in mind year-round. The idea is to have customers thinking about you whenever they need your product or service. Something that will stay in plain sight is always ideal.
Gifts
Give away special items to long-term customers or special company supporters. Deluxe items like custom wall calendars, custom pen-and-pencil sets, or promotional iPad covers are often appreciated and kept around for a long time. Promotional products like these act as walking billboards, ensuring that you gain repeated marketing exposure every time they are used by recipients. You can also offer a set number of gift items to the first 100 customers to visit your business on its special day.
Party
Designate a special anniversary day with a festive celebration. Have face-painting and games for the kids, contests for adults, and door prizes. Hand out colorful signs and custom balloons with the company’s name and anniversary information imprinted on them. Offer light refreshments like hot dogs and chips or sandwiches and punch served in custom cups with the company’s name imprinted on them, which can be kept as souvenirs.
Sales Event
Many companies host a special sales event to promote a certain anniversary, new wing, or store renovation. Distribute decorative coupons for 10-percent off on the commemorative day. Open the business beyond regular hours to give favored customers a unique shopping experience with limited, temporary discounts. Have a photographer on hand to take pictures of customers and give them a free photo as a memento.
For a minor investment of time and money, you can celebrate your company’s milestones with the local community and faithful or new customers. Everyone loves a celebration, especially one with mementos, so plan a festive occasion for all to enjoy.
