For almost any occasion, whether for internal or consumer audiences, when an organization or company wants to acknowledge or celebrate an anniversary or holiday observance, the communications team owns that work.
Many times, the communications team is the driver of the work, creating the calendar for social media opportunities, working with HR on employee engagement ideas and finding ways to link the brand and its values, services and products to dates that have meaning to audiences.
In recent years, that work has expanded significantly. Observances like heritage months, Pride Month and Juneteenth require thoughtful strategy, in addition to content. And while heritage months are great opportunities to celebrate and uplift communities, they shouldn’t be the only time you illuminate them. Throw in additional dates like this year’s FIFA World Cup (and for those of us in host cities, the energy around it is ramping up) and calendar communication planning can feel like a full-time job. Spoiler: it kind of is.
In the past few years, planning around observances has become more challenging. Communicators have to think about how the content they’re working on resonates and the reasons why it might land with internal and external audiences, from employees to consumers to local, regional and national leaders.
This year, with the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration, there’s an added layer on one of the biggest holidays in the nation, July 4th. Because of the many perspectives across our diverse and expansive nation, this 250th celebration means different things to different people. Some companies have been planning content and events for this anniversary for years. There are smaller organizations that are still building their content or making a decision about whether they engage at all. Wherever your organization falls, a clear framework can help.
Here are three areas to work through before you finalize your summer communications strategy:
Your Company’s Values and Actions
It’s important to keep in mind the audiences that work for, buy from and follow your organization. Based on what you know about those audiences, consider what is a values-aligned approach that respects those audiences. Be cautious about efforts that are out of step with how your company or organization moves every other day of the year. For example, if your company doesn’t regularly acknowledge, support and celebrate LGBTQ+ consumers and employees, will a social content piece land well? Probably not. If you recently laid off employees and there’s chatter and data that shows the group laid off is disproportionately comprised of Black employees, your Juneteenth message may fall flat or even spark negative coverage. The content is rarely the problem; the disconnect between content and company behavior is.
Your Internal Audiences
Before anything goes external, consider what your employees are experiencing and how they might receive what you’re publishing. Employees are both an audience and a mirror. They know the real story of how the company operates day to day, and when there’s a gap between the message and the reality, they notice and may say so publicly. Strong internal communications grounded in honesty and aligned with what employees actually experience will always strengthen, not undermine, what you do externally.
The External Landscape
Communications and business leaders also should keep in mind everything we’ve learned in the past few years: How fast the social, political and business landscape changes, the impact of social media, the pace of media coverage and how well prepared you need to be to address unintended consequences from activations, content and even internal employee engagement. For the United States’ 250th anniversary specifically, perspectives on this milestone are wide-ranging. That doesn’t mean silence is the answer. It means the well thought-through approach, tone and depth of engagement matter more than the content itself.
So as you work on summer content, think of your audiences, ask tough questions about the business connections and bolster your efforts based on a stronger foundation.
If you’re working through these questions and want a thought partner, we’d love to be in that conversation. Reach out through our work with us form or email our project manager, Trish, directly at Trish@bdaviscomm.com.
