Tomorrow is a federal observance, but I’m guessing that unless you are looking at a calendar, you wouldn’t remember that it is Flag Day. I’m also guessing that I wouldn’t have to tell you about other federal holidays for you to know when they take place. You know that Memorial Day is the last Monday of May and Independence Day is July 4. However, it would take some research to find that Flag Day is June 14 every year.

Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the U.S.A. This occurred on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. It established 13 red and white stripes to represent the original 13 Colonies and a blue field with white stars for each of the states. This portion of the flag is the only part that has changed since 1777 as states have been added to the Union. Like many other national observances, Flag Day was first introduced on a local level and then caught on. The city of Hartford, Connecticut observed Flag Day at the start of the Civil War, June 14, 1861. A school teacher named Bernard Cigrand held a Flag Day celebration at a small school in Wisconsin on June 14, 1885. Cigrand began advocating for a larger celebration. Due to his influence, in June 1894, the City of Chicago celebrated Flag Day with 300,000 children participating. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day and in 1949, Congress voted to make it National Flag Day.

Why is it, then, that Flag Day is not as popular as other national observances? It took an act of Congress and a presidential signature to get it on our calendars, just like other holidays. Yet we all but ignore the day. Even unofficial celebrations, like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day are more popular. One reason is Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. Therefore, no one gets time off work. Another reason is it falls in a month and a season already packed full of other popular events. Father’s Day is Sunday and so are many vacations. It is not the first summer holiday - that belongs to Memorial Day. It is not the biggest patriotic holiday - that belongs to Independence Day.

There is a marketing reason why we don’t remember Flag Day. It is not highly promoted. The other holidays and observances I mentioned all have a lot of hype around them. Retail businesses hold sales on those days. Cities have parades and special events. Flag Day has none of that. Here is the business lesson: What you don’t promote will not be remembered. Consumers have a lot of marketing coming at them. If you stop promoting your brand, there are many others clamoring for the attention of your customers. They will forget about you. To be successful in marketing, you have to keep it coming. But you have to do more than just hang a banner or mark the date on your calendar. You have to sell the uniqueness of your brand. How does it stand out from all others? Promote this aspect of it.

By the way, I hope you display the flag tomorrow – be it flying on a flagpole or as a lapel pin or some other way. When people ask, greet them with a "Happy Flag Day!”