HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
By Jenny Fujita and Joy K. Miura, Fujita & Miura Public Relations,
LLC. Lately
we've witnessed a rash of anniversaries being publicized in the media: NBC's 75th,
Paramount's 90th, Ms. Magazine's 30th, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno's 10th,
and our very own, The Garden Island's 100th. This is an excellent publicity tool,
even if your business hasn't been in existence for a century. When
it comes to anniversaries, the key is to remember and honor our histories, what's
gone before us, and who paved the way for our current successes. If your business
isn't commemorating a landmark anniversary any time soon, consider the products
or services you offer. For example, if you sell light bulbs, find out when the
light bulb was invented. If that leads nowhere, think about your past and present
business leaders: look up the birthday of your organization's founder or manager.
Or, perhaps your industry as a whole is approaching a special milestone, or underwent
a major transformation in the last decade. There's always a good excuse to celebrate.
Once
you've established the anniversary decide on an appropriate way to mark it. Have
a sale, host a party, or a plan a press conference. To make a really big deal,
create a special logo for the anniversary year, just as Hawaiian Airlines did
on its 75th anniversary and The Garden Island is doing now with its new masthead.
If you want to downplay the event, observe the occasion in-house: hold a seminar
for your employees, or purchase small, meaningful gifts for your staff. And remember
your retirees, those folks whose achievements gave shape to your organization.
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