Top 3 Tips: So, you want to win an Industry Award?
At the time of writing, I’ve personally crafted just over 40 winning entries for industry awards throughout my career. That’s a lot for one person, and that's not even counting all of the Finalist spots and Commendations.
After my client Show + Tell won two prestigious industry awards in 1 week recently, I thought it was about time I got some thoughts together on this hot topic.
A lot of these award wins are in the agency landscape and include the likes of The Drum Awards, The UK & EU Search Awards, Performance Marketing Awards and so many more, but I’ve also helped clients in SaaS and B2B services win industry awards for their outstanding service offerings and projects, and even award entries recognising and celebrating individuals.
These award wins span marketing, digital, technology, commercial interiors, general business, SaaS and HR/culture, and I have certainly learned a lot about the art of crafting and entering awards as a result.
While a brilliant campaign, project or initiative is undoubtedly a crucial ingredient, it takes more than creativity to stand out in the competitive landscape of industry accolades. I’m certainly not about to suggest that my clients won awards only because of me, but
The difference between an amazing campaign with a subpar award entry, and an amazing campaign and an amazing award entry, is, to put it bluntly, a win!
Crafting an award-winning entry demands skill, strategy, and attention to detail. And, vitally, knowing what works.
As someone who knows their way around an award nomination form, as well as having judging experience from the likes of the UK and US Social Media Awards and the PRCA Dare Awards, I thought I’d give some pointers.
In this post, I’m sharing three golden rules for any business that’s hoping to adorn its trophy cabinet with some prestigious awards this year.
This is just a snippet of my expertise in this field, and I offer awards consultancy services for business owners with grand plans to boost their overall Marketing & PR strategy by incorporating the right kind of award wins.
Get in touch if this is something you’re considering - there’s a link at the bottom of this post to my Calendly.
A note on Industry Awards cynicism, before we begin…
I often see passive-aggressive and negative takes on LinkedIn regarding awards that imply some dodgy dealings are going on, that they’re fixed in some way, or that winners only win because they’ve bought a table at the ceremony.
I just want to say publicly that in my opinion, for the awards my clients enter and win, this is rubbish. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, obviously, and this is mine.
I enter an array of awards on behalf of clients across the UK, across quite a few sectors, which are all operated by proper organisations with strict codes of conduct. You can typically read their codes/T&Cs on their website. If an organisation is running questionable award cycles WITHOUT clear codes and terms, then yes, that’s a red flag and I’d advise you avoid them.
Industry award judges are seasoned experts with heaps of experience and, having been on the judging side myself, I have seen the process and it is a well-oiled machine. A lot of judging is done on anonymised entry forms.
As for the cynicism about purchasing tables, this is also simply untrue. Many of those award wins I mentioned earlier have been won by companies who didn’t attend the ceremony whatsoever, or even show any interest in attending, plus several were won in lockdown when there were, of course, no award ceremonies to buy tables at.
If that isn’t an even playing field, I don’t know what is.
Why enter awards?
There are a few obvious benefits to entering, being shortlisted and - ultimately - winning industry awards.
Here are just a handful:
Opportunity for Reflection: The application process prompts reflection on your business, encouraging self-examination and comparison with competitors. Identifying strengths and areas for improvement inspires growth and innovation, and multiple clients of mine have made more of a big deal of certain approaches or initiatives off the back of award entries.
Team Recognition & Morale: Entering awards allows you to celebrate your team's achievements, which can be huge for boosting morale and motivation. As I mentioned earlier, many awards feature categories for individual and team accomplishments, providing well-deserved recognition. I’ve done my fair share of award wins for businesses, but I have 4 individuals I’ve entered and won with, too, and the impact can be career-altering.
Enhances Credibility: Industry awards offer a platform to showcase your work and expertise, building trust and credibility with potential clients even if you don't win. Being nominated or shortlisted sets you apart from competitors, bolstering your brand's reputation, plus it’s a great way to show off the clients you work with that they’re in partnership with people who know their stuff!
Additional Promo Opportunities: A lot of business journalists that I engage with regularly will not write about award wins, which is usually a publication rule. However, there are often opportunities in more niche trade publications, as well as promotional fodder from the awards themselves such as pre and post-event content, blogging opportunities and social media coverage. It’s all worthy brand exposure.
Boosts Lead Generation: There are no guarantees here, but businesses winning awards often see a significant increase in new business enquiries, as well as massive gains across social media following, particularly on LinkedIn, which is useful when a contact is perhaps not ready to buy right now but wants to keep an eye on you for future work. Put simply, industry recognition translates to consumer confidence and improved conversion rates.
Now let’s dive into my tips…
Ask yourself “Who cares?”
A lot of businesses submit award entries for things that nobody outside of the organisation particularly cares about because they can’t show genuine impact. I’ve had to talk down people from entering the most mundane of entries and this is why: entries that actually win will excite, inspire and show tangible impact in and outside of the business.
For example, this could be things like jobs created, actual revenue figures that are closely tied to the original goals or objectives, initiatives delivered that have genuinely transformed people’s lives, problems solved (and the impact this has had!) and people who have excelled within their industry - not just the company.
One of the first questions I ask is always “Who cares?” and if that’s too hard a question, it’s a waste of an entry fee - trust me.
2. Show your working out
Now that we can answer the question of who cares, we need to be able to show the full blueprint of the campaign/initiative (or whatever it is you’re entering!) from beginning to end. This starts with targets and objectives, then how the situation was tackled - with details on why/who/how much was spent (if applicable!) and timescales.
The judges want the nitty gritty here.
Then, when showing results, I always like to tie this back very obviously to the original objectives. Really spell it out. It needs to be written in a compelling, convincing way that leaves no room for doubt about whether this is a worthy entry. Actual numbers are vital - percentages just don’t cut it - and if you’re nervous about that (which I totally understand!) just know that entry forms are stored securely and are for judges' eyes only, so nothing is ever published without your permission.
Visuals and multimedia also really help turn an entry into a slam dunk, and these can be reused multiple times during an awards cycle, which typically means an entry can be used several times during a 12-18 month period, depending on the awards.
3. Add a human touch
I’ve found that the thing that takes an award entry from good to great is the incorporation of actual, real-life humans! Who’d have thought it?!
At a basic level, this includes quotes from members of the team involved in the work, as well as a client testimonial that endorses the business and its approaches. I always like to end an entry on a high by incorporating a client’s glowing endorsement. For culture/HR-centric awards, it’s great to include quotes from staff survey submissions, for example.
As briefly mentioned in my previous point, including multimedia here is another way of adding a human aspect. A few years ago, my client Evolved entered (and won!) various ‘Best Agency’ awards, along with a handful of HR and culture awards, such as the CIPD North East Awards.
We produced one video that tackled both, which was utilised for every single entry submitted, so the ROI was fantastic for this one video.
Think about how you can tell your story and if the answer is video, think about how much mileage you can get out of it. Working with an experienced practitioner can help here, too, so the script and storyboard align with the entry and the objectives.
These are just a taste of what takes an entry from good to great, and in my 14 years in the marketing/comms industry, I’ve seen the full spectrum of quality in the award entry department. Each business and industry has its own story to tell, and awards are just another avenue to do this, so a strategic approach to industry awards is a good move.
These awards represent more than just a pat on the back. They’re catalysts for growth, credibility, and recognition. By actively pursuing and leveraging industry accolades, organisations can elevate their brand, drive business growth, boost team morale, and forge meaningful connections with peers and potential clients.
So why wait?
Let’s talk awards as part of your wider Marketing Strategy
My diary is still open for a limited series of 30-minute Discovery Calls.
I warmly welcome any agency founders who are exploring awards and are keen to transform their marketing approach in 2024-2025 to book a spot.