How to market your birthday!
Sternfenster’s sales director, Nathan Court, shares some marketing tips when celebrating your company’s birthday.
2024 is Sternfenster’s (and Starglaze’s – our local retail arm) 50th birthday, and to say that we are proud of this achievement would be an incredible understatement.
But a birthday is much more than an extra candle on the cake. It is an opportunity to reflect on your successes and plan for an even better future. It is also a brilliant marketing opportunity – so brilliant that we’ve been planning how we are going to celebrate for almost a year.
I can’t possibly list everything we have planned here, partly because there is so much, and because this is a year-long event, and we’ll be announcing new products and strategies as each month passes.
Instead, I’m going to share five key areas where we will be using our 50th birthday to engage with new and existing customers, and to build upon 50 years of product development and industry knowledge.
Events
Who doesn’t love a birthday party? So, expect some big days away, such as a karting or golf day. That’ll be the fun stuff, but we’ll also be reflecting on what has made us the leading fabricator we are today, and how we can continue to lead on important issues.
At the top of that list is the environment. We already have a dedicated sustainability landing page on our website that outlines our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint while helping our customers do the same. We also continue to develop marketing assets to help our customers engage with homeowners on the issue of sustainability – which is working because demand for triple glazing alone continues to increase monthly.
Keep your eyes peeled though, because there will be more to come this year as we tie them in with our birthday celebrations.
Internal engagement
As a Gold IIP employer, we fully appreciate the power of employee engagement, and we’ll be working hard to bring the whole Sternfenster team on the journey with us.
Some may argue that internal engagement doesn’t count as marketing. But we know that a fully engaged workforce means better product quality and improved customer service.
So, there will be quizzes with prize draws, a fancy dress party, and company-wide challenges where everyone competes for big prizes. There’ll also be increased donations to charities and time off for volunteering. (We have an excellent relationship with the wider community, and we are keen for them to share our celebrations.)
External engagement
We have changed our logo to mark this occasion, and we’ll be designing new adverts and updating our website to constantly remind people of our special year. Not only for the kudos, but to remind customers and prospects why we are celebrating 50 years in business, which not many companies can boast.
For example, our Graf-welded StyleLine windows remain one of our best-selling product lines, capitalising on the near-invisible welds produced by our Graf welders (we were the first fabricator to own one in the UK), and we continue to lead with the industry with our digital offering, which includes: a virtual showroom, real time delivery tracking, straightforward online ordering, and peerless business support.
Social
The most obvious place where you will see evidence of our 50th anniversary celebrations is on social media, especially LinkedIn. Here is where we want to have a conversation with the industry, and to share our memories of the last 50 years.
For example, we have plundered our archives, and unearthed some fascinating memorabilia, such as old adverts, radio jingles, and faded photographs. We are also sharing our thoughts on what we think are the key innovations in the window industry, and inviting our customers to talk to us about why they choose to partner with Sternfenster.
Offers
Finally, no birthday celebrations will be complete without giveaways – the ultimate marketing uplift. While we’ll be engaging directly with our customers via EasyAdmin, we’ll also be giving people the opportunity to spin a wheel of fortune on our LinkedIn page, where you can win everything from a Sternfenster mug to free CGI video assets.
Our 50th anniversary was too good of an opportunity to miss, which is why we’ll be making the most of it all year round.
