Oh, the irony. I begin my note to you on anniversary and milestone-based communications with the realisation that I’ve forgotten to mark one in my own life—25 years in Bengaluru, the most welcoming, most amiable city known to humans. (Surely a milestone that merits some hyperbole 😊)

While we’ve done several milestone specials for different companies in our own 15-year journey (20 years of GE John Welch Technology Centre, 40th for Dr Reddy’s, 75th for Ashok Leyland, 25th for Philips & BCG in India, 60th for Cummins, 40th for Infosys and a number of them for IBS Software), the profusion of such requests in recent times got me thinking.

What is it about hitting a number that makes us want to pause, reflect and celebrate? A spot of googling led me to a 1988 study that said 93% of vivid life memories concern unique or first-time events. 
 It is this sort of vivid memory of being formed, expanding to new geos and verticals, and in general, of growth and evolution in the life of an organisation, that we are often called on to turn into engaging audio-visual stories of celebration & pride. 

 In the years we’ve been helping companies mark their special anniversaries, we’ve learnt a few things:
 

1. An anniversary celebration on air isn’t just about writing up cool catchphrases around the number you’ve hit, it’s about reminding the workforce of the brand they represent and help nurture with their daily work
2. A milestone series is a great way to recognise tenured employees and get some fun then-and-now comparisons going on air
3. Yes, sure, there are annual org events that chart out future plans, but these are usually tied to numbers and targets towards short-term outcomes. Milestone years are a superb time for leaders to articulate grander, bolder dreams, and paint a more optimistic picture for the long-term

 
Don’t get us wrong—we love our catchphrase brainstorms and love it more when there’s no ‘round figure’ to work with 😊 So, even if you’re a smaller organisation or team with no 10 or 25 or 50 looming on the horizon, surely you have short-term milestones to mark. Nothing energises teams more than a cause for cheer, and we have the expertise to help amplify such micro-moments.

And we’ve all done this—gone out for dinner for a 2-month relationship anniversary in our younger days, put out pics on the 50th week of a health regimen, rejoiced 10 days of having kicked a habit and so on. Not jubilees, but certainly celebration-worthy.

Speaking of which, when was the first time you came across the word ‘Jubilee’ (used typically to mark a milestone in the life of a monarch)? For me, it was when I, as a child, would listen to my mother talk of her heartthrob Rajendra ‘Jubilee’ Kumar, who had 6 consecutive films crossing the 25-week mark. I also realise it’s 25 years this year since he passed away, coincidentally, around the time I was moving to Bengaluru. 

Is there a song that can help me honour the milestone, the man and the city? Yes, there is - the 60s film Hamrahi saw Kumar play a student in Bangalore, and the song Mujhko apne gale laga lo was shot in parts of Cubbon Park and Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. Enjoy it on Spotify, which incidentally completes 5 years of streaming in India this year 😊

Seetal R Iyer
Co-Founder & Head of Content