Anniversary Project: The First Step

Corporate anniversary projects. They are a universal theme that consistently troubles those responsible, regardless of the era. Anniversaries typically occur every ten years. This means the last one was held ten years ago. Often, the staff responsible back then have since dispersed to various departments, and the know-how has not been passed down.

We frequently receive inquiries from corporate managers asking, "How should we even begin planning an anniversary project?" What should our project aim for, and where do we start? We hope this article provides a starting point for considering that first step.

Why do it? ~ Three Opportunities of Anniversary Projects ~

"Thanks to you, we celebrate our XXth anniversary." It's a phrase heard everywhere. Reflecting on the journey since founding and expressing gratitude to both internal and external stakeholders is certainly one role. However, the significance of an anniversary project extends far beyond that.

Anniversaries are prime opportunities to draw attention to a company or organization's existence, history and evolution, management philosophy, and business activities. They foster an environment where internal and external stakeholders view the company with favorable eyes. Anniversary projects should be seen as a chance to tackle medium-to-long-term challenges that are difficult to address routinely and to communicate a robust vision for the future to both internal and external audiences.

It is crucial to view the anniversary as a "junction point between the past and future" for the company, avoiding it as a mere ceremony. Instead, it should be leveraged as an opportunity to reexamine the company's "foundation," "strengths," and "future vision."

Anniversaries present three opportunities:

1. Innovation Opportunity
Anniversaries provide an ideal opportunity for all employees to contemplate the company's "past and future." By anticipating changes in the market, society, and other external environments, it's a chance to envision the "next 50 or 100 years," setting the direction for new growth and success through initiatives like launching new businesses or revitalizing corporate culture.

2. Communication Opportunity
It's an opportunity for the company to gain a fresh image and heightened expectations from stakeholders like customers, business partners, the local community, employees, and their families. It represents an excellent chance to enhance corporate reputation and strengthen engagement.

3. Marketing Opportunity
Today, companies are judged holistically—not just on product/service quality, but also on their underlying corporate culture, approach to solving social issues, and top leadership. An anniversary provides an excellent opportunity to reintroduce these corporate strengths and capabilities to the market.

What Type is Your Company? Anniversary Project Strategy Map

Figure 1 below maps out potential initiatives for anniversary projects.

Figure 1: Anniversary Project Strategy Map

Anniversary project measures can be broadly categorized into the following four types:

1. Management Vision/Strategy Communication Initiatives
Representative measures include formulating new management principles or long-term visions, along with revising visual identities like corporate logos and brand slogans. Relocating to new headquarters or reforming organizational structures are also often advanced in conjunction with the anniversary timing.

Companies feeling structural stagnation in their current business and needing to consider fundamental reforms, or those whose diverse operations have obscured their core strengths, should start their thinking in this area. This requires forming a project team and advancing preparations several years in advance.

2. Internal Cohesion Enhancement Initiatives
Typical examples include internal communication initiatives such as compiling a company history, holding commemorative ceremonies, producing anniversary publications, issuing special editions of the company newsletter, or soliciting ideas from employees.

Additionally, initiatives aimed at revitalizing corporate culture, such as establishing new internal systems and developing educational programs, are also strong options. For companies where the founding DNA has faded over a long history, or those that have formulated a new vision but have not sufficiently instilled it among employees and seen limited progress in changing mindsets, strengthening internal cohesion becomes a crucial theme within the anniversary project.

3. PR/Marketing Support Initiatives
Examples include anniversary advertisements and campaigns, developing commemorative products, hosting events like press conferences and symposiums, and opening PR facilities such as showrooms. These external communication initiatives focus on strengthening customer engagement and enhancing the company's recognition and presence.

Crucially, these efforts must consistently convey the company's overarching narrative. Beyond retrospective reflections, articulating "who we are and what we aim to achieve" in simple yet robust language is indispensable for developing integrated communication strategies.

4. Next-Generation Social Commitment Initiatives
These initiatives clarify what the company will leave behind for the future era, contributing not only to customers but broadly to society and various stakeholders.

Examples include promotion initiatives, foundation activities, establishing and supporting various research funds, joint research with universities, and donating lecture series. To give these initiatives significance beyond being an extension of regular CSR activities and to make them meaningful as anniversary projects, the company must clearly articulate its vision for the future society – "what kind of society it wants to help create."

An anniversary project is not something that can be completed solely by the public relations or communications department. It should be a company-wide transformation project, driven by the commitment of top management and the unified efforts of all departments, including corporate planning, human resources, general affairs, CSR, marketing, and sales.

How to Develop an Anniversary Concept That Unites the Company

Planning and executing an anniversary project requires each department to fully understand and embrace the project's purpose and significance before working together as one. Essential to this is "developing an anniversary concept." A clear concept allows initiatives to be executed under a unified basic policy, steering the company toward its desired future state.

Conversely, without an anniversary concept, initiatives will be planned from the perspective of each responsible department, making the company's collective will very difficult to discern.

So, how should an anniversary concept be formulated? This time, we introduce Dentsu Inc.'s original brand-building framework, the "IV Matrix."

Figure 2: IV Matrix ①

"Who are we? → What do we value? → What can we provide? → What kind of society do we want to realize?" As the anniversary concept, it is crucial that these four elements are woven into a coherent story when constructing the overall framework of initiatives.

Clearly defining these elements establishes the fundamental principles for: - Alignment with the management vision/strategy shown in Figure 1 - Direction of internal initiatives - Development of external communication messages - Setting the scope for initiatives committed to the next generation society It also enables the company to present a consistent, holistic vision of its future direction to both internal and external stakeholders.

Finally, an anniversary is ultimately a "catalyst for transformation." It is crucial for companies to strategically and resolutely advance initiatives to solve their most pressing challenges at that moment and chart a course toward achieving their goals. The Dentsu Group aspires to be a partner that helps ensure anniversary projects are not merely "hype," but are leveraged as engines for sustainable growth over the next several decades.