Should Your Company Celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial or Not?

I’m sure you’re aware that the United States’ 250th birthday – our country’s semiquincentennial – is coming up. No matter your politics, there’s no doubt this is a big event in our country’s history and it’s likely to be all any of us hear about a few short months from now.

Already, I’m seeing some in the corporate world asking out loud if/how they and their companies should observe the milestone. I’ll answer that question with another question: does this event directly relate to your business strategy?

If you’re Ram, it probably makes sense. The truck company has recently gone big with advertising campaigns and branding that tie into the national ethos, so it would seem appropriate. On the flipside, if they didn’t double down somehow, their target audiences would probably notice – and they might hold it against them.

If you’re one of the countless companies whose business isn’t directly related to the federal government, or you haven’t tied your brand or marketing efforts to it somehow, it probably makes sense to sit this one out. After all, media of all kinds are going to be saturated with semiquincentennial-related messages, so why spend time and resources trying to compete with all that noise if you don’t have to.

As with deciding how to participate in any other major news event, the right decision is usually evident using common sense. If it feels natural and congruent with your brand, go for it. If it feels like an awkward fit, then chances are really good everyone else would agree with you…and doing something would probably do more harm than good.