Identical annual gestures become wallpaper. Change the occasion, the timing, the channel or the format, within reasonable bounds, so you get noticed.
The idea
You're never the only one asking for someone's attention, and the expected gesture stops registering. Seth Godin put it simply in Purple Cow: you're either remarkable or invisible. Study what everyone else does, and then either do it better or do something different. What it takes is intention.
How to do it
Pick a different occasion. Skip the December pile-up. A DC company I know skips the holiday party and throws a huge Cinco de Mayo event instead.
Time-shift. Congratulate a new job at one month and again at one year, when nobody else does.
Change channels. Answer a post with a text or a call instead of another comment.
Change the format. A hot sauce tasting instead of a wine tasting. A walking meeting instead of a conference room. A voice message instead of an email.
Make the generic personal. Go past the "Happy 4th!" that the optometrist you last saw five years ago sends everyone.
Example
Every December my lawyer, whom I love, sends the same giant logo-stamped chocolate bar, little hammer included. Our new hires get a kick out of it. I've received the identical gift for about 10 years. It's so expected that if it ever stopped coming, I'd be insulted. Compare the Savannah Bananas: they made baseball fun enough that my kids sat transfixed for four hours.
Script
"Hey! Just want to wish you a happy 4th! I'm dropping off our eldest at summer camp (!!!!) then the usual BBQ. Hope you have a fantastic day!"
Watch out for
Stay within reasonable bounds. Deviate so far that the sentiment gets lost and you've missed the point.
Some best practices exist for a reason. You can keep one and innovate on it.
Time-Shift Your Congratulations: When someone changes jobs, send the congrats and then add the notes nobody else sends, one month in and again at one year.
The Channel Switch: Respond on a different channel than the one the news came through: a LinkedIn post gets a text, an email gets a call.
The Happy Almost-Birthday: If you're someone who likes celebrating birthdays, send your wishes the day before, when you aren't one of 200 messages.
Meaningful, Relevant, Valuable: Check every touchpoint, gift or event three ways: will they remember it, does it connect to what they care about, does it actually improve their life?