Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Offer a one day, 18 percent off sale. Offer 18 months to pay. Offer 18 different kinds of doughnuts and 18 kinds of coffee. Offer every 18th customer per month a special deal, or an entry into a prize draw. Give people something to care about, something to get involved with.

Your anniversary may be a source of pride for your company, but its celebration isn't something that the general public cares about at all. If you're trying to create some awareness about your organization, donate your furniture to local homeless/womens' shelters or Habitat For Humanity-like homes in your area. That'll get you goodwill and PR opportunities to show you care about your local community.

Focus on the reason people should become your customers, not how old the business is. As Jay says, the age of your company is totally irrelevant to prospective customers (i.e., "the general public"). In fact, the age could say that you're "old-line" and "traditional" -- not always a positive attribute with younger, more contemporary customers.

Besides, next year your company will be 19 years old, and the 18-years celebration will be old news. But your core positioning benefit will still be there, and you'll be that much more ahead of the game if you can anchor that benefit in your customers' minds.