Question

Topic: Strategy

Is Anniversary Marketing Too Cheesy?

Posted by Anonymous on 1/15/2010 at 1:05 PM ET 73 Points
I used to think that any announcement or celebration on the number of years of business was too much ado about nothing.

But we recently came across a competitive situation in which a competitor asserted to a client that they did what they did.

Whether or not that's true, the fact is that we've been offering this kind of service for over a decade, before it became a "buzzword" and our competitor's woke up to it.

This leads me to believe that there might be some value in this.

Am I correct in my assumption? Your thoughts?
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by mlang on 1/15/2010 at 1:25 PM Member
    I feel that reminding people of what you do and how long you have been doing it is a smart move as long as it can be a positive differentiator for you in your market.

    For example: My company just celebrated two significant anniversaries - our 75th year as a company and the 25th year of the product that launched us into the niche market we created. I believe very much that both milestones give us a competitve edge over our competitors and imitators.

    One reassures customers and prospects (especially in these recessionary times) that we are a smart company that has been in business since the great depression; evolved and adapted to the changing needs of our customers; and is not a fly by night operation.

    The second anniversary reveals us as innovators and market leaders with our finger on the pulse of changing technologies within our industry and a knack for recognizing and solving unspoken needs.

    While our 76th and 26th anniversarys won't be getting the same fanfare, the dates we were founded and the dates first of their kind products were introduced appear in most of my marketing communications
  • Posted on 1/15/2010 at 2:17 PM Author
    Thanks.

    So beyond the tagline of say, "Serving clients with pride since...", is there anything you would recommend in promoting it?

    Celebrations? Discounts? Events? Perhaps even something noteworthy that might get us some PR buzz?

    Thanks for your help!
  • Posted by michael on 1/15/2010 at 3:25 PM Member
    I wouldn't say cheesy, but not the primary focus. If you haven't been in the public eye for some time, go with the anniversary. Also good for companies that don't do regular advertising.

    "We were there when Windows 98 was hot". I think people lose time frames unless you can tie it to something else.

    Michael
  • Posted on 1/15/2010 at 3:31 PM Author
    Well, we're not in the public eye generally, and don't do regular advertising.

    Any recommendation on HOW to drive this home and get the most out of it?

    Many thanks.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 1/15/2010 at 5:17 PM Moderator
    I generally don't recommend broadcasting your age or the fact that you are old/new. Better to think through the reason that might be of interest to your target audience and then communicate THAT benefit instead.

    For example, if you have been involved in the industry longer than your competition, you might want to let people know that you have more experience than anyone else in the business. Whether that's 54 years or 78 years (or any other number) isn't the point. It's that you have more experience, and THAT is what your prospective customers should care about.

    I'd stay away from the specific age or year of the company's founding, and focus instead on the unique positioning BENEFIT you deliver to your customers. That's what customers buy -- BENEFITS -- not candles on a birthday cake.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 1/15/2010 at 5:23 PM Member
    Dear alaughton76,

    Phil's right, and his second view (since 1989) is the better way to go, although it's worth noting that if the number of years you've been in business is the most memorable thing about you, it might be that you're missing the point?

    It's not the length of time, it's what you've done for clients and what you could do for new clients, what value you bring to their situations.
    With me?

    So, what is it about you that makes you stand out? What do you give, or deliver, or provide that no one else does? In a 2D world, what makes your service and its benefits 3D for the client?

    These are the bigger questions and the ones that will pull more weight by leaving a deeper impression.

    I hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA
  • Posted by thecynicalmarketer on 1/15/2010 at 6:05 PM Accepted
    Two important issues: Your Industry and The Real Issue

    First, do your customers and prospective clients value longevity? In some segments, such as technology, the utility and value of your offering is much more important. Longevity can be more important in segments involving security and/or long-term relationships, and if that is you, then for sure you should exploit it.

    The Real Issue - you said a competitor is claiming to be able to do what you do. I would suggest you focus instead on the superior quality and value that you deliver. Most buyers care more about getting the best product or service for their money than going with the oldest company. You can demonstrate this with real- world examples in the form of case studies/user cases, an impressive list of clients (but could give your competitors a roadmap to attack you with), and referrals, all things that your new competitor will be lacking.

    Good luck, John
  • Posted by steven.alker on 1/15/2010 at 8:01 PM Accepted
    Dear Alaughton76

    The validity citing of the age of a company or how long it has been going has more to do with the commercial context than anything else. For example, Google is so cool because it’s worth more than the GNP of Italy and is only ten minutes old. I’m sure that their first birthday will be a big event (Only joking I know that they are a bit older than that) but I wonder if they will be around to celebrate their 100th anniversary.

    Longevity in high tech and cutting edge often means outdated unless they are prepared to constantly re-invent themselves and get it nearly 100% right nearly 100% of the time. Look at Ferranti and Marconi.

    Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio broadcast out over 150 years ago and they are extinct. Arnold Weinstocks mighty GEC made a couple of poor decisions and have evaporated. IBM missed out on the first workplace PC the first home PC and the entire operating system. They must still be kicking themselves that they factored out such trivial nonsense to Bill Gates so that they could go on making Big Iron Mainframes which occupied a city block and took 500 people to run them (Anyone recall what a Winchester used to be?) But they did re-invent themselves, backed out of the mainframe market, left the PC market to Michael Dell and HP and went big time into consultancy and services to make many more squillions without getting their hands dirty by making things.

    Anniversaries are useful or useless marketing tools depending on the context of your customers, your market and your history or lack of it.

    For example, in my family seat, visitors flock in to see the main anniversaries of when some ancestor lopped off some despots head all of 800 years ago. Why – because there’s a castle, because it’s beautiful and because it is history being sold. That and they get the chance to mistake his lordship for the gardener and vice versa! Or Eric Clapton for the gardener as happened next to our place down here.

    Define the context and define the customer benefit , appeal or lack of appeal and I think that you have your answer,

    Best wishes


    Steve Alker
    Xspirt

  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 1/18/2010 at 7:37 AM Member
    "It's our birthday" - who cares? There's no benefit in that statement to the buyer.

    "Every purchase of X gets a free Y - because it's our birthday". OK, now the buyer sees a benefit.
  • Posted on 1/18/2010 at 10:42 AM Author
    Yes, we are a technology service provider (NOT box peddlers - more like a consultancy in the realm of cloud and utility computing services).

    What might you recommend as a complimentary benefit along the lines of your suggestion of "Every purchase of X gets a free Y..."?

    Thanks for your help.
  • Posted by steven.alker on 1/18/2010 at 12:54 PM Member
    Being an Englishman in Australia, Chris can make anything - any promotion around businesses of widely different types - if and only if, there's a crate of Fosters involved.

    We can learn much from Australian Englishmen!
  • Posted on 1/18/2010 at 6:30 PM Author
    Any best practices? Advice on how to turn our longevity and experience into practical benefits - discounts/events/promotions?

    Many thanks.
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 5/29/2010 at 8:31 PM Member
    OK, the question is closed but I have to respond...

    Steve, Nobody in Australia actually drinks Fosters.

    It's just a big ploy to get foreigners to buy "Australian Beer".

    The best Australian beers come from the micro-breweries. Google "Matilda Bay" and you'll see what I mean.

    Alaughton, perhaps the kind of 'anniversary benefit' you might use could be something like "Sign up for a year of x cloud service and get 14 months service for the price of twelve." Or, "Sign up for a year of hosting and get a free domain name".

    Or even "Today it's our birthday - but you get the presents. Buy any online service before 5 PM today and tell us how much you're prepared to pay - and it's your for that price" (** Conditions apply - subject to not selling below cost).
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Strategy)