In addition to your daily, operational communication, there are annual observances you may choose to communicate each year. It’s important for companies to be strategic about which special holidays and events they choose to observe. Choosing the right annual observances is key to showing your employees what you value and creating an inclusive culture of belonging.

What Are Annual Observances?

Annual observances are holidays, days of remembrance, and months of celebration throughout the year. These events often exist to honor or commemorate social issues, ethnic groups, important events, and holidays.

These holidays include everything from Thanksgiving to Labor Day, and key observances include Black History Month, Pride Month, and so on.

Why is it Important to Communicate These Observances?

These events can be important to acknowledge internally to foster your desired workplace culture. We say “can be important” because too many companies acknowledge these holidays and observances to just check a box or for social media. This is a mistake and can actually hurt your company culture because the campaign will come across as performative.

That said, you can create internal campaigns that are meaningful by including actions or initiatives that are deeper and more meaningful than merely running a surface-level campaign.

With the need to retain talent more pressing than ever before, a great culture really can set you apart. The State of the Sector report finds that the number one priority of internal comms professionals is to engage teams around purpose and values. Creating campaigns around important events and holidays is one way you can build your culture and live your values.

Our Annual Observance Campaign Planning Guide Contains:

• Examples of campaign goals all annual campaigns to communicate to employees
• Campaign ideas for holidays and observances in the US, including:
  • Black History Month
  • Women’s History Month
  • Employee Appreciation Day
  • Earth Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Veterans Day
  • LGBT History Month
  • Boss’s Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • End-of-year holidays
• An editorial calendar template you can use to plan your campaigns

Remember that there are so many other annual events and observances you might choose to celebrate. Many of the ideas in this guide can be transferable to other events. The most important thing is that your celebration of each observance isn’t performative.